NEWSNOTES | July 12, 2023
News Notes

If you are noticing Amazon’s growing fleet of electric vehicles over the last six months there’s a reason for that. The company has pledged to have 100,000 delivery vehicles on the road by 2030 and in the last year more than 5,000 Rivian electric vans have been rolled out. Amazon owns a 17% stake in Rivian.  

Hyzon, a global supplier of zero-emission heavy-duty fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) and hydrogen fuel cell technology has successfully tested and completed nine 200kW single-stack Fuel Cell System B-Samples. The testing represents a milestone for the company as it demonstrates their capabilities in enhancing fuel cell production at their innovation center in Bolingbrook, IL. Their commercial production target is set for 2024. Colorado based Lightning eMotors has launched their GM-based ZEV4 work trucks. The ZEV4 has vehicle applications that include everything from box trucks and utility trucks to shuttle and school buses. 

Electreon is leading the way in providing inroad wireless EV charging technology. The company, in partnership with commercial vehicle manufacturer GINAF, has fully integrated wireless charging on a GINAF 50-ton truck. They are also working with a Swedish company to convert current internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to EVs as they deploy their smart charging technologies. Robotics and Automation News is out with a top 10 list of manufacturers for EV charging. CALSTART members named in the list include ChargePoint, Siemens, EO Charging, and  Enel X. 

The Stark Area Regional Transit Authority (SARTA) has long been a leader for scaling adoption of fuel cell transit buses. SARTA’s CEO continues to replace diesel buses with cleaner solutions and he’s announced plans to use federal grants for the purchase of two electric buses and eight low-emission compressed natural gas (CNG) paratransit vehicles. 

UK-based Kleanbus, now operating in the U.S. as well, is calling on the UK government to incentivize the purchase price of repowered electric buses. The company is committed to addressing the threat of climate change and they contend that the fastest and most cost-effective way to do that is by repowering existing diesel or hybrid powertrains with fully electric powertrains. 

U.S. based Blue Bird Corporation will unveil their next-generation Vision electric school bus next week at the STN Expo West in Reno, NV. The launch showcases the ongoing alliance they have with Cummins’ zero-emissions technology division, Accelera. School bus fleet managers in California can now apply for a total of $150 million in funding to support replacing fossil fuel-powered buses with zero-emission options. This collaboration between the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the California Energy Commission (CEC) marks the second year of Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP) Public School Bus Set-Aside program.  Applications will be accepted through September 29. 

As an all things bus expert, CALSTART’s bus initiative lead Jared Schnader joined Metro Magazine’s executive editor Alex Roman to talk about what fleet managers need to know to adopt zero-emission bus technologies. Topics range from utility planning to hydrogen buses. The conversation is available here. 

 RESOURCES

Amazon Fleet Electrifications Sees 5,000 Rivian Vans on Roads, Transport Topics | https://tinyurl.com/mv2v3kbt 

Hyzon Production Milestone, Hydrogen Central | https://tinyurl.com/yksj842f 

Lightning eMotors Announces Launch of ZEV4 Work Trucks, Green Car Congress | https://tinyurl.com/mry8b8jf 

Electreon’s Wireless Charging on a GINAF 50-Ton Truck, e-Vehicle Technology | https://tinyurl.com/4yct79jx 

Top 10 Manufacturers for EV Charging, Robotics and Automation News | https://tinyurl.com/ymskr9f7 

SARTA To Buy Electric and NG Buses, Canton Repository | https://tinyurl.com/4d8y4ayx 

Kleanbus Calls for Incentives for Repower EV Buses, Renewable Energy Magazine | https://tinyurl.com/33fnvvs4 

Blue Bird Introduces Vison Electric School Bus, The EV Report | https://tinyurl.com/37ttprz4 

California Serves up Funds for School Bus Replacements, NGT News | https://tinyurl.com/fdmk26rx 

Talking ZEBs with CALSTART’s Jared Schnader, Metro Magazine | https://tinyurl.com/bdhfpmap