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It’s encouraging to learn that established brands, like McDonald’s, are investing in electric trucks and solar power. This week’s headlines also include Wendy’s 130 solar-enabled restaurants, new electric vehicles in the UK, a huge distributed solar initiative in New York, and much more. Read on for the news.
Electric Vehicles
VW ID. Buzz GTX and LWB UK Specifications Announced
- High-performance GTX and even more spacious LWB (long wheelbase) models join the ID. Buzz line-up
- GTX features 340PS twin motor layout
- LWB version is even roomier and packs 86 kWh battery for range of up to 291 miles
- Prices for LWB seven-seater model start at £59,545 “on the road,” with deliveries to start later in 2024; GTX pricing to be released soon
Fiat 500e Now One of the Most Affordable Electric Vehicles Available to Drive Today in UK
- FIAT has announced its 500e is now one of the most affordable electric vehicles that consumers can drive today — with prices starting from £21,995*.
- FIAT’s latest initiative comes exactly 12 months on from the launch of the FIAT E-Grant, a £3,000 electric vehicle incentive to help drivers make the switch to electric.
Polestar Delivers First Customer Polestar 3 Electric SUVs
Test drives of the Polestar 3 can be booked from your local Polestar Space by clicking the following https://www.polestar.com/test-drive/booking/ps3
“After two years with the battery-electric Volvo VNR tractor on the road, we are pleased to see more electric vehicles added to the fleet serving McDonald’s restaurants in the trial areas, as we work towards our global pledge to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050” said Hope Bentley, head of supply chain, McDonald’s Canada. “Even though customers won’t notice any difference in their favourite order, McDonald’s is taking action behind the scenes to help make an impact in the communities we serve, for the planet we share.”
LEVC Today Celebrates Start of Sales of the Fully Electric Luxury L380 Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV)
EV Charging
Run an EV for £10 a Month with Ohme
Drivers of electric cars could charge their EVs for less than £10 a month, according to Ohme, the UK’s largest dynamic smart charging company.
With electricity prices reducing from the 1st July, EV drivers will already be able to enjoy lower charging costs, but they could make even greater savings when charging at home with a smart EV tariff with Ohme.
As the Standard Variable Tariff drops to 22.4p/kWh on 1st July, the lowest price in almost two years, drivers of electric vehicles will be able to enjoy greater savings when charging at home. However, a smart EV tariff such as Intelligent Octopus Go could reduce a typical EV driver’s annual costs to £9.92 a month.
Ohme’s dynamic smart chargers can connect with the grid in real time, automatically adjusting to optimise the cost of charging and accessing all the times of the smartest, greenest and lowest cost energy tariffs.
“This latest reduction in the price of electricity will be welcome news for drivers of EVs,” said David Watson, Ohme CEO. “However, they could easily lower those bills further by finding out if their electricity supplier offers a special tariff for EV drivers. If not, then they should consider switching to an energy provider that does to enjoy even greater savings when running an EV.”
Hit the Road This Summer with Chargely: The Ultimate Travel App for EV Drivers
Chargely, a technology company transforming the electric vehicle (EV) charging experience, is excited to announce the launch of their newly designed travel app, available on iOS and Android, just in time for the busy summer travel season.
- Nyobolt’s ultra-fast charging batteries that eliminate slow and inconvenient recharge stops, move from the lab to the track
- Just 12 months after revealing the concept, a driveable Nyobolt EV prototype, engineered together with CALLUM, will advance testing of the technology in the real world, enabling OEMs to experience Nyobolt’s ultra-fast charging technology first hand
- Initial testing using a 350kW DC charger has shown in-vehicle, Nyobolt’s batteries can charge from 10 to 80 per cent in just under five minutes, twice the speed of the fastest-charging vehicles on the road without the degradation typically associated with lithium-ion batteries
- Independent testing of Nyobolt’s technology by a leading global OEM confirms that Nyobolt’s longer lasting and more sustainable batteries can achieve over 4,000 fast charge cycles, or 600,000 miles, maintaining over 80 per cent battery capacity retention
- Nyobolt is in talks with eight OEMs about using its technology in high performance EVs
The Ports of Long Beach & Los Angeles Invest $25 Million for 207 Truck Chargers
The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach will provide $25 million for an ambitious partnership with regional air quality agencies to jump-start charging infrastructure for electric heavy-duty drayage trucks
The $135 million in projects led by the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee will install up to 207 charging units at eight sites around Southern California in Wilmington, Rancho Dominguez, Rialto, Fontana, Commerce and the Port of Long Beach. Contracting for the projects is being administered by the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
Very Large EVs
Uber Freight and Aurora to Democratize Driverless Trucks for Carriers of All Sizes
Uber Freight and Aurora Innovation (NASDAQ: AUR) are launching Premier Autonomy, a new program providing early access to over 1 billion of Aurora’s driverless miles to Uber Freight carriers through 2030. The program is the latest in their longstanding partnership to integrate and deploy autonomous trucks on the Uber Freight network to enable carriers of all sizes to improve utilization and enhance business efficiency through autonomous technology. Additionally, Uber Freight will be one of Aurora’s first customers on its Dallas-to-Houston freight route, with driverless hauls for shippers expected at the end of 2024.
Equipmake Announces Sector-Leading New Repower Solution for the Wrightbus Streetdeck
A fresh rendition of the modular electric chassis designed by British conversion business Equipmake is intended to electrify a diesel-powered Wrightbus Streetdeck.
SANY’s Electric Excavator SY215E Makes European Debut
Batteries
The REWIND Project: A Leap into the Future for Battery Recycling
The REWIND project aims to overcome important obstacles on the way to an efficient and ecologically sustainable circular economy. REWIND is part of the BattFutur program of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
The project goal is clearly defined: To significantly improve the recyclability of batteries in order to increase resource efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions. A central goal of REWIND is to counteract the shortage of skilled workers and to attract young scientists to battery research by establishing a junior research group at the Fraunhofer R&D Center for Electromobility (FZEB) of the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC. This project supports the overall goal of establishing a “Competence Center for Direct Recycling” and thus laying the foundation for future innovations.
Trina Storage Launches Industry’s Only Fully Wrapped Cell-to-AC Energy Storage Solution in North America
Sila Raises $375M to Deliver Titan Silicon for Auto Series Production
Renewable Energy & Environment
Eaton Advances Clean Energy Projects Powering Its Global Operations in the Next Two Years
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners’ Zhong Neng Offshore Wind Farm in Taiwan Delivers First Power
First power from Zhong Neng, a 300 MW offshore wind project off the coast of Changhua County in Taiwan, marks a significant step towards on-schedule completion of the project later in 2024.
Over 130 Wendy’s Company and franchise locations are enrolled in community solar and Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) with Ampion.
Wendy’s is on a journey to benchmark, measure and reduce our energy footprint. In 2015, Wendy’s was among the first restaurant brands to sign on to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings® Challenge — and the first restaurant company to include its franchisees in the Challenge.
20 Gigawatts by 2035: Raising New York’s Distributed Solar Goal, 20 GIGAWATTS BY 2035
20X35 is supported by a growing coalition of diverse organizations that want New York to reach its nation-leading clean energy and equity goals.
Other
ABB’s 2030 and 2050 Science-Based Targets Approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)
ABB welcomes the approval of its emissions reduction targets by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). As part of the company’s efforts to enable a low-carbon society ABB submitted updated scope 1, 2 and 3 targets for 2030 and 2050 to the SBTi. The approval of ABB’s science-based targets by the SBTi confirms ABB’s approach as science-based in accordance with the Paris Agreement.
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