NEWSNOTES | February 6, 2025
News Notes

A warm welcome to new CALSTART members: Polara Energy and ZM Trucks/ZO Motors.

CALSTART's policy team is hosting a member-exclusive webinar that delves into the critical implications of the early executive orders issued by the second Trump administration and their impact on the zero-emission industry. To register, reach out to Rachel Baker (rbaker@calstart.org). 

Nuvve, an industry leader in vehicle-to-grid technology, has chosen Tellus Power Green as a key supplier for their advanced charging portfolio. After a rigorous review of 30+ companies, Nuvve’s partnership with Tellus is the first step of expanding their supplier ecosystem to keep pace with growing demand for electrification. Tellus chargers are engineered to meet the strict requirements for V2G applications and designed to provide scalable and cost-effective solutions for fleet and infrastructure operators.

ZM Trucks, a subsidiary of ZO Motors, has announced plans to open their first U.S. production plant in Fontana, California, with production starting later this year. Also operating as a regional headquarters, the facility will assemble electric commercial trucks, terminal tractors, and airport ground service equipment. The manufacturer already has an established plant in Cambodia that supplies the Asia-Pacific market. The new, stateside production site is part of ZO Motors’ global strategy which also includes expanding into South America and the Middle East. 

DHL Group is working with CATL, a battery and energy tech manufacturer, to reduce emissions from their global logistics operations. DHL will adopt CATL’s liquid cooling energy storage systems and energy management platforms in their facilities, along with battery swapping and superfast charging systems. The new technology will help DHL optimize energy consumption across operations and will play a key role in their goal of achieving net zero logistics by 2050. CATL will also utilize DHL as their preferred logistics provider, establishing a framework for how strategic partnerships can move global supply chains in a more energy-efficient direction.  

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The California New Car Dealers Association released its Q4 2024 report, announcing a 12% decline in Tesla deliveries with almost 27,000 fewer EVs sold in 2024. This marks the fifth consecutive quarterly decline in registrations for Tesla, further shaking their previous dominance in the market. Tesla held 60% of the California EV market in 2023 but only held a slight majority in 2024 at 52.5%. Despite the market leader faltering, the California ZEV market share was 22% in 2024, up from 21.7% in 2023, proving interest in EVs remains strong in the Golden State.  

Findings from a new study indicate Waymo’s autonomous driving technology is safer than vehicles driven by humans. The research evaluated liability claims from over 25 million miles driven by Waymo, with only nine property damage claims and two bodily injury claims. Human-driven vehicles over the same distance have approximately 78 property damage claims and 26 bodily injury claims. The results are even more impressive in percentage format: Waymo’s autonomous fleet saw 88% fewer property damage claims and 92% less bodily injury claims. Of the few claims made, the study found Waymo vehicles had minimal responsibility in most incidents. Accredited findings like these are crucial in verifying the safety of AVs and scaling their adoption on broader scales.  
 

RESOURCES

• Nuvve selects Tellus as a key hardware supplier for its charging solutions, BusinessWire  
• ZM Trucks to launch US production in California in 2025, Transport Topics 
• How CATL and DHL are working towards sustainable logistics, EV Magazine   
• Tesla’s sales drop double digits in the US’ biggest EV market, while others are growing, Electrek  
• Waymo’s AVs safer than human drivers, Swiss Re study finds, EV Magazine