EVs and the High Seas

EVs and the High Seas

September 02, 2021

 September 2, 2021  

Joe @ EPG

After getting canceled in 2020, it was great to be back at the ACT Expo in Long Beach this week. If you're unfamiliar, the ACT Expo is fully dedicated to advanced clean transportation (ACT) and provides the opportunity to rub elbows with top industry professionals and to see the current and future technology in the electric vehicle industry. Highlights included seeing the Ford F150 Lightning, Bollinger B1 and B2, and Canoo's platform all-in person. If you have the opportunity, I'd recommend attending next year. I'm already looking forward to it!Have a fantastic Thursday and don't forget to share the newsletter!-JoeEPG CEO

How many charging station are there in the U.S.?

  1. Around 34,000

  2. Around 44,000

  3. Around 54,000

  4. Around 74,000

EV Headlines

Yara

Norway's Yara Birkeland is claimed to be the world's first fully autonomous electric container ship. The vessel is expected to replace around 40,000 truck trips per year, having a tremendous effect on reducing CO2 emissions. Commercial operations are scheduled to begin at the end of 2021. The e-ship measures 80 meters long, 15 meters wide, and 12 meters deep and can carry up to 120 20-foot containers. The ships range is around 65 miles with a maximum speed of 13 knots and a cruising speed around 6-7 knots. The ship will operate only in Norwegian waters. Maybe other major port countries will follow suit?In other EV News

  • The USPS has around 31,000 retail locations nationwideand members of congress are pitching the idea of using these locations to create an EV charging network.

  • Ideanomics, a fintech and electric mobility firm based in New York, has bought commercial electric vehicle manufacturer Via Motors in an all-stock deal valued at $450 million.

  • Governor Larry Hogan of Maryland announced that $3.7 million in electric vehicle charging infrastructure was awarded to 37 sites using funds from Maryland's settlement with Volkswagen for air pollution violations. The state plans to fund 36 new public fast chargers at 13 locations and 145 workplace charging ports at 24 business locations. In Maryland currently, there are more than 36,000 electric vehicles.

Lotus

  • UK-based automaker Lotus announced four new electric vehicles, including 2 SUVs. In 2022, Lotus will debut an E-segment SUV codenamed Type 132. In 2023, Lotus plans to launch an E-segment 4-door coupe, Type 133. In 2025, Lotus will follow with the Type 134, a new D-segment SUV. In 2026, Lotus will launch an all-new electric sports car, Type 135. Lotus has two factories in the United Kingdom but also announced a new global headquarters in Wuhan, China.

  • Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomihas officially registered its electric vehicle business and said the division has entered a 'substantial development phase.' Xiaomi E.V., Inc., has been set up with a previously registered capital of 10 billion yuan, or $1.55 billion.

  • Golden Valley Electric Association and a non-profit that promotes electric vehicles in Alaska installed a new EV charging station in Cantwell, Alaska. The 50-kilowatt fast charger can recharge electric vehicles in about an hour, making it the fastest EV charger in the state.

  • According to unofficial media reports from China, BYD is going to launch a new premium electric car brand. The launch is expected in the first quarter of 2023.

  • Royal Dutch Shell announced plans on Wednesday to expand its network of electric vehicle charging points in Britain, aiming to install 50,000 on-street posts by 2025 as part of its global rollout.

Autonomous Snapshots

Cruise

Cruise, the self-driving car company under General Motors, has launched a new initiative called Farm to Fleet to allow the company to source solar power from farms such as Sundale Vineyards and Moonlight Companies in Cali’s Central Valley. The power will help generate its fleet of all-electric autonomous vehicles in San Francisco. According to a report from Nature Conservancy, an environmental nonprofit, droughts plaguing California farmers, converting farmland to solar farms is a possible way to help the state meet its climate change targets. This explains why Cruise decided to approach farmers now. Cruise is paying negotiated contract rates with the farms through its clean energy partner, BTR energy.

More AV News

  • After Waymo switched CEOs, the company officially ended sales of its custom sensors (LiDAR) to third parties. Waymo is focusing on deploying its Waymo Driver technology across its Waymo One ride-hailing and Waymo Via trucking divisions. Waymo began selling LiDAR, the technology that measures distance with pulses of laser light- to companies barring its autonomous vehicle rivals in 2019. It initially planned to sell its short-range sensor (Laser Bear Honeycomb) to businesses in the robotics, security, and agricultural technology sectors. 

City of Richardson

  • FedEx had a trial run for the autonomous delivery vehicle, ‘Roxo,’ in Richardson, Texas. The prototype made mock deliveries to homes. Roxo weighs about 450 lbs. and stands at 5.5 feet tall. The vehicle can hold up to 100 lbs and has sensors that allow the technology to detect objects from up to 150 ft. away. 

  • Autonomous driving technology developer, Aurora, debuts a new hardware kit it plans to use for self-driving trucks and robo-taxis. The Fusion, the new kit, will be installed in late 2021 in Peterbilt trucks and Toyota Sienna ride-hailing vehicles used in test programs.

  • Hyundai and Aptiv have decided to partner on their latest self-driving car project: the Ioniq 5 robotaxi. The car is supposed to be the building block for an autonomous ride-hailing service coming in 2023. 

  • Autonomous vehicle startup GatikAI is expanding into its fourth market, Texas. The company has raised $85 million in a Series B round led by new investor Koch Disruptive Technology, the venture arm of Koch Industries. 

  • Estonian company Auve Tech is launching an 8-seat self-driving bus named Iseauto that will start shuttling passengers from Tartu city center to the Estonian National Museum. The project will last two months and will pave the way for establishing a permanent self-driving museum bus.

EV & AV Podcasts, Videos & More

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, there are around 44,000 charging stations in the U.S.

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