Category: Infrastructure (Page 2 of 6)

How much EV range is enough? That depends

2023-02-20 / Robert Vinet

Wonderful article by Arthur Frederick (Fritz) Hasler, PhD, former leader of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization & Analysis Laboratory »

I’ve owned Nissan LEAFs with ranges of 81 miles, 115 miles, and 150 miles. My first Nissan LEAF had a 24 kWh battery. I now own a Tesla Model 3 Long Range with an EPA range rating of 310 miles and a 75 kWh battery. The longest cross-country trip I dared to make with my 2nd and 3rd Nissan LEAFs was 265 miles. Now I routinely make 1500 mile trips with my Model 3 driving 500 miles/day just like I did with my gasmobile.

…

The average mileage driven by US car owners is about 40 miles a day, so some experts think an EV range of 200 miles should be adequate for most drivers. I recently met a man who takes this philosophy to the limit. He purchased a cheap, used, 81-mile-rated LEAF with a degraded battery that now has a range of only 40 miles. His commute to work is 10 miles and he was able to get his employer to put in a charger, so the car works fine for his commute. He has another car that he uses if he wants to make longer trips.

New Jersey will require all new cars and light-duty truck sales to be zero-emission by 2035

2023-02-17 / Robert Vinet

In an address at Rutgers University, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced a series of new and accelerated targets and commitments to combat climate change.

NJ Governor outlined six pillars that will serve as the foundation for a cleaner, greener, and more resilient New Jersey.

Some USA-based Tesla chargers to be open to other EV brands by the end of 2024

2023-02-16 / Robert Vinet

The White House issued long-awaited final rules on its national electric vehicle charger network that require the chargers to be built in the USA, and with 55 percent of their cost coming from U.S.-made components by 2024.

The Biden administration has worked diligently on the new rules. After nearly eight months of debate, the White House this will jump-start the biggest transformation of the U.S. driving landscape in generations.

Companies that hope to tap $7.5 billion in federal funding for the EV charging network must also adopt the dominant U.S. standard for charging connectors, known as “Combined Charging System” or CCS; use standardized payment options; a single method of identification that works across all chargers; and work 97 percent of the time.

Tesla plans to incorporate the CCS standard and make other changes to its proprietary network that limits which EVs can use the Superchargers.

Tesla has made these changes in other parts of the world – Europe, China, for example – since at least 2021, and there is no logical reason this cannot be incorporated anywhere else.

The Guardian ::

The White House is partnering with Tesla to expand electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the US, with the company opening at least 7,500 of its chargers to all electric vehicles (EVs) by the end of 2024, the White House announced on Wednesday.

Axios ::

Tesla’s agreement to open part of its proprietary car-charging network to drivers of other brands should make it far easier for electric vehicle (EV) owners to charge away from home, potentially accelerating adoption.

Highlights as spelled out by the White House ::

Hyundai steps up EV charging network in South Korea

2023-02-14 / Robert Vinet

Just Auto »

Hyundai Engineering Company announced plans to expand its electric vehicle (EV) charging network in South Korea by installing equipment at public institutions, local government offices and private buildings, including apartment complexes, nationwide.

Canada announces $15 Million in federal investments for 2,350 new EV chargers

2023-02-05 / Robert Vinet

The Government of Canada announce federal infrastructure investments totalling nearly $15 million for the installation of more than 2,350 EV chargers, 2,100 of which will be installed across the Greater Toronto Area.

Since 2016, the federal government has invested CDN$1 Billion to make EVs more affordable and chargers more accessible for Canadians and has approved funding to support the installation of more than 34,500 EV chargers to date.

This new funding was provided to 32 organizations, including municipalities, multi-resident buildings (MURBs), private firms, and utilities.

Utility pole-mounted chargers can help ease the challenge of charging EVs in urban areas

2023-02-04 / Robert Vinet

Local utility company National Grid recently installed a number of pole-mounted electric vehicle chargers in Melrose, Massachusetts.

According to National Grid, transportation is the single biggest cause of greenhouse gas emissions in Massachusetts at 43 percent and the expansion of EV’s is a feasible route to help the State become net-zero by 2050.

One of the biggest challenges to mass EV adoption is the lack of reliable charging infrastructure. One of the ways to build public confidence is by installing easily accessible chargers. Being able to charge at home, overnight, is a huge benefit for many potential owners, however not everyone has the luxury of private garage or a dedicated parking spot. These installations provide charging access for these potential EV owners.

The US EV charging network could use a significant upgrade

2023-02-03 / Robert Vinet

Chris Teague, Autoblog »

In late 2021, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed, creating the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program (NEVI) to support the creation of a nationwide fast-charging network. There’s much work to do, as a new study from the Great Plains Institute (GPI) shows a need for more than 1,000 DC fast-charging (DCFC) stations to meet the program’s goals.

The study looked at non-Tesla DCFC stations, of which there are 4,943 in the contiguous 48 states. Among them, only 509 stations meet the requirements laid out under the NEVI program, which include:

Charging stations must have at least four DCFC ports with CCS connectors and the ability to charge four EVs simultaneously at 150 kW each for a combined capacity of 600 kW or more.
Stations must be spaced no more than 50 miles apart on designated corridors and located within one mile of the corridor.

Read the whole story »

Download the GPI report » EV Corridor Roadmap (.pdf)

Elsewhere » Green Car Reports / Electrek /