NEWSNOTES | November 2, 2023
News Notes

BP announced today that they will spend $100 million to acquire ultra-fast charging hardware from Tesla. In doing so, they facilitate the expansion of the bp pulse public network. Beginning next year, the company will have charging infrastructure in locations ranging from TravelCenters of America to Hertz locations. The first identified sites are Houston, Phoenix, LA, Chicago, and Washington D.C. 

EVgo has announced a new prefabrication model for fast charger deployment that will reduce construction costs by 15% and decrease the average installation time by 50%. Dennis Kish, COO of EVgo noted that over 300,000 fast chargers are required by 2030, up from the 30,000 currently in place. 

Kudos to Blue Bird as they celebrate the delivery of their 1,500th electric, zero-emission school bus. The bus was delivered to Modesto City Schools in California. They are also celebrating the opening of a new facility that will allow them to produce 5,000 electric school buses a year.  

American EV manufacturer Rivian is letting customers know that soon they will take ownership of vehicles that had their initial charge powered by renewable energy. The company has installed a 2.8 megawatt wind turban at its manufacturing facility in Normal, Illinois, which means the vehicles rolling off the production line will be powered by wind energy. 

Volvo Trucks is innovating as well. Known for their leadership in emissions reductions by adopting battery and fuel-cell-electric vehicles, they are also looking at the materials they use to make the vehicles and contemplating how commodities are sourced and what happens at the end of a truck’s useful life.  The company is now rethinking which materials it uses to make trucks and how commodities are sourced. 

As the electric truck market advances, U.S. Senate democrats are calling on the Biden administration to bolster truck electrification to address pollution from heavy-duty vehicles. 15 democrats praised administration efforts around infrastructure but think more needs to be done to give electric trucks and buses a boost. 

Next Monday, November 6, the California Energy Commission (CEC) joins forces with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GOBiz) for a workshop devoted to the fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) customer experience. Anyone interested can register here.  While your calendar is out you can also mark Thursday, November 16, 2023 which is the day the CARB will hold a public meeting to consider approval of the Fiscal Year2023-24 Funding Plan for Clean Transportation Incentives. The meeting starts at 9:00 a.m. Pacific and is available in person or via Zoom.

RESOURCES

BP Will Install $100 Million of Tesla Ultrafast Chargers,  Grist | https://tinyurl.com/264af9be 

EVgo to Halve Charging Station Installation Time, The EV Report | https://tinyurl.com/44f2hup7 

Blue Bird Delivers 1500^th Electric School Bus in California, Sustainable Bus | https://tinyurl.com/4588bry4 

Rivian Vehicles Charged from Renewable Energy, Benzinga | https://tinyurl.com/92mkpens 

Volvo Trucks’ Expansive Green Ambitions, Trucknews.com | https://tinyurl.com/fmkfry5d 

Senate Democrats Call for More Work on Truck Electrification, The Hill | https://tinyurl.com/2phm9btk 

Joint Workshop with CARB and BO-Biz to Discuss FCEVs, CARB | https://tinyurl.com/52r4t5hw 

Public Meeting to Consider Approval of FY2023—24 Clean Transportation Plan, CARB | https://tinyurl.com/3debfwyx