EV, Charging and Battery News: Bollinger Motors, Nikola, Proterra, Volvo, Vicinity, Solvay, Trillium, Lion Electric, PlugShare, GreenPower, Toshiba, Fuelman & Nikola

In electric vehicle, battery and charging news are Bollinger Motors, Nikola, Proterra, Volvo, Vicinity, Solvay, Trillium, Lion Electric, PlugShare, GreenPower, Toshiba, Fuelman and Nikola.

Bollinger Goes All Commercial

All electric Bollinger Motors announced a postponement to its consumer-truck production and delivery, while the company focuses its efforts on commercial business. The news was announced today via video on Bollinger’s Instagram.
“We started Bollinger Motors in 2015 with a dream and a desire to make the best trucks possible,” said Robert Bollinger, CEO of Bollinger Motors. “We’ve put countless hours of hard work and passion into making something that makes us proud. However, today, we’re postponing the consumer trucks’ development and shifting our focus to commercial trucks and fleets.”
The move will enable Bollinger Motors to continue to grow and develop technology that will have a major impact in the automotive world’s green future.
Bollinger will refund deposits for those who’d previously reserved the electric B1 sport utility truck and the B2 pickup truck.

Founded in 2015 by Robert Bollinger, Bollinger Motors is a U.S.-based company, headquartered in Oak Park, Michigan. Bollinger Motors will manufacture all-electric platforms and chassis cabs for commercial vehicles in Classes 3-6.

Nikola Tre Eligible for HVIP from CARB

Nikola Corporation, a global leader in zero-emissions transportation and energy infrastructure solutions, announced that its Nikola Tre battery-electric vehicle (BEV) has been deemed eligible for the Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (“HVIP”) program by the California Air Resources Board (“CARB”).

With this approval, purchasers of the Nikola Tre BEV can now qualify for an incentive valued at $120,000 per truck, helping to reduce the total cost of ownership for any purchaser operating in the state of California.

Launched by the California Air Resources Board in 2009, HVIP is the earliest model in the U.S. to demonstrate the function, flexibility, and effectiveness of a limited pool of first-come first-served incentives that reduce the incremental cost of clean commercial vehicles. HVIP is administered by CALSTART, a national clean transportation nonprofit consortium, on behalf of CARB.

With a range of up to 350 miles, the Nikola Tre BEV is expected to have the longest range among the current HVIP eligible Class 8 tractors. The Tre’s cabover design is ideal for metro-regional applications because it has improved visibility and maneuverability, along with a smooth and quiet ride free of the smell of diesel emissions.

“We applaud CARB’s commitment to a greener future through the HVIP program,” said Michael Erickson, Nikola’s Global Head, Battery-Electric Vehicles. “Our HVIP approval is anticipated to help dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lowers the total cost of ownership for Nikola’s California-based customers.”

Vicinity & Proterra Partner for Transit Buses

Vicinity Motor Corp. (“Vicinity”), a North American supplier of commercial electric vehicles, and Proterra Inc (“Proterra”), a leading innovator in commercial vehicle electrification technology, announced a new collaboration to power Vicinity’s electric transit buses and work trucks with Proterra’s industry-leading battery technology.

Under a new, multi-year supply agreement, Proterra battery systems will power the Vicinity Lightning 28-foot electric transit bus and Vicinity’s strip chassis platform to support several commercial vehicle configurations such as utility trucks, shuttle buses, and box trucks. The agreement is also expected to support Vicinity’s next-generation heavy-duty electric transit bus as well as the VMC 1200 Class 3 work truck and VMC 1500 Class 5 work truck with Proterra battery systems.

Proterra contracted to supply Vicinity with battery systems to power a minimum of 600 Vicinity commercial electric vehicles through 2024. The Proterra Powered Vicinity Lightning vehicle is expected to begin production in the third quarter of 2022.

From the U.S. Dept of Energy
when modern all-electric vehicles (EV) were introduced in model year (MY) 2011, there were four models available with ranges spanning from 63 to 94 miles with a median range of 68 miles. By MY 2021 the maximum range for an EV had more than quadrupled to 405 miles on a single charge, while the median range was 234.

New Version of Volvo VNR Electric Heavy Duty Trucks

Volvo Trucks continues to lead the deployment of zero-tailpipe emission trucks across the world. In North America, the company now launches an enhanced version of its Volvo VNR Electric with up to 85% increased range and faster charging.

The Volvo VNR Electric is one of Volvo Trucks six all-electric heavy truck models and is specially designed for the North American market. Sales start was in December 2020.

The first generation of Volvo VNR Electric had an operating range of up to 240 km (150 miles). Now an enhanced version of the class 8* electric truck is launched, with an operational range of up to 440 km (275 miles) and increased energy storage of up to 565kWh. The improved performance is due to, among other things, improved battery design and a new six battery package option.

The new Volvo VNR Electric also reduces the required charging time, as the 250kW charging capability provides an 80% charge in 90 minutes for the six-battery package, and 60 minutes for the four-battery version.

“It is a testament to Volvo Trucks’ leadership in a continuously evolving industry that we are bringing the enhanced version of our VNR Electric to the market only a year after sales of the VNR Electric first started,” said Peter Voorhoeve, President, Volvo Trucks North America.

Production of the enhanced Volvo VNR Electric will start in Q2 2022 in the company’s New River Valley plant in Virginia, which is the exclusive producer of all Volvo trucks in North America.

50% electric by 2030

Globally, Volvo Trucks has set the target that half of all trucks sold are electric by 2030.

“We are determined to lead the transformation of the transport industry. In only eight years’ time, our goal is that half of our global truck sales are electric. The interest among customers is high, and it’s quickly becoming a competitive advantage for transporters to be able to offer electric, sustainable transports. That is very encouraging,” commented Roger Alm, President Volvo Trucks.

Volvo Trucks started serial production of electric trucks in 2019, as one of the very first truck brands in the world. The product range now includes six electric truck models – the Volvo FH, Volvo FM, Volvo FMX, Volvo FE, Volvo FL and the Volvo VNR.

Lion Electric in Joliet Ill.

The Lion Electric Company (NYSE: LEV) (TSX: LEV) (“Lion” or the “Company”), a leading manufacturer of all-electric medium and heavy-duty urban vehicles, announced that it has taken possession of its upcoming production facility in Joliet, Ill. Tenant improvement work is ongoing and the company will shortly begin the installation of critical equipment and expects the first vehicles to come off the production line in the second half of 2022.

The manufacturing facility, which was announced last year, will represent the largest dedicated production site for zero-emission medium and heavy-duty vehicles in the U.S. upon its completion, with an expected annual production capacity of up to 20,000 vehicles per year. The facility is expected to add up to 1,400 clean energy jobs in the region over the next four years.

Solvay & Trillium Supply Bio-ACN

Solvay and Trillium Renewable Chemicals have signed a letter of intent to develop the supply chain for bio-based acrylonitrile (bio-ACN). Trillium will supply Solvay with bio-ACN from Trillium’s planned commercial asset, and Solvay will evaluate bio-ACN for carbon fiber manufacturing as part of its long-term commitment to developing sustainable solutions from bio-based or recycled sources. The aim of this partnership is to produce carbon fiber for use in various applications such as aerospace, automotive, energy, and consumer goods.

Acrylonitrile is a chemical intermediate typically made from petroleum-based feedstocks like propylene and is the primary raw material used in the production of carbon fiber. Trillium’s Bio-ACNTM process delivers acrylonitrile from plant-based feedstocks like glycerol with a lower carbon footprint.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Trillium which aligns well with our Solvay One Planet commitment to more than double our revenue based on renewable or recycled materials by 2030,” comments Stephen Heinz, head of composite research & innovation, Solvay.

US Bank Credit Cards Offer EV Charging Incentives

-U.S. Bank wants to make sure all drivers – regardless of what they drive – are rewarded for their purchases. That is why U.S. Bank has expanded the rewards on its business and consumer credit cards that reward cardmembers for gas station purchases to include equal rewards for electric vehicle (EV) charging transactions.

While many EV owners charge their vehicles at home, there are times on longer trips where they may use a public charging station. Cardmembers can now earn up to 4x points or 4% cash back for their EV charging transactions, depending on the terms and conditions of the rewards offered when using their cards for gas station purchases.

“We have expanded our card rewards to put EV charging transactions on par with gas,” said Steve Mattics, head of U.S. Bank Retail Payment Solutions. “We are continuously evaluating our credit card offerings to ensure we provide meaningful rewards to our customers, and as options for fueling vehicles expand from gas to a mix of gas and electric charging, we are making sure that our cards follow our customers’ needs and preferences.”

Mattics noted that, as an example, the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect® Visa Signature® Card provides cardmembers with 4X points for purchases at gas stations. Using this same card, cardmembers can now earn the same point value for their EV charges.

The United States has approximately 45,000 public EV charging stations, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

PlugShare & EVGo Leads

-PlugShare, the world’s leading EV community and a part of the EVgo Inc. (Nasdaq: EVGO) family since mid-2021, t announced that its platform has reached over two million registered users globally. This triple-digit growth in user registrations comes on the heels of the platform surpassing over one million new app downloads over the course of 2021, further solidifying PlugShare’s position as the leading platform used by EV drivers for locating and selecting public chargers.

“PlugShare was pioneered by a group of software entrepreneurs whose vision was to simplify the charging experience for EV drivers. And it’s clearly working,” said Cathy Zoi, CEO of EVgo. “With 2 million registered users contributing reviews, pictures, and more, it’s no wonder that the app continues to be the go-to platform for EV drivers around the world as EV adoption skyrockets. We’re thrilled with PlugShare’s recent milestones and look forward to celebrating many more ahead as EV momentum continues to build.”

PlugShare is designed to be an interactive resource for EV drivers, providing them with information about available charging stations nearby or on planned trip routes, as well as offering a platform for sharing their feedback on stations, pictures, check-ins, and more. While anyone can download the PlugShare app for up-to-date charging station information across networks worldwide, only registered users can leave reviews of their charging experience, let other drivers know how long they plan to use a specific charging station, and communicate and share tips with other EV drivers to improve the charging experience. The growth and momentum of the PlugShare community continually enhances the accuracy of the PlugShare map and informs charger PlugScores – or numerical ratings that reflect the recent charging experiences of users. In 2021, PlugShare drivers provided over 1.3 million ratings of their charging experiences.

Registered PlugShare users can also take advantage of other interactive features in the app or on PlugShare.com, including the trip planner – an interactive and customizable tool that helps EV drivers better plan for trips by identifying relevant charging stations within charging networks, hotels, restaurants, rest areas, and more along their preferred route – and user messaging features, as well as submit comments, upload photos and leave reviews for specific stations. Registered users can also utilize Pay with PlugShare, a feature that enables drivers to pay for and activate public charging stations directly from the app on their mobile devices.

“From the early days with less than 5,000 EVs on the road, PlugShare has constantly been focused on connecting the EV community to make it easier for drivers,” said Nick Wild, co-founder and President of PlugShare. “PlugShare surpassing 2 million registered users speaks volumes about how far the EV revolution has come. Our platform will continue to scale to support the continued exponential growth of EV adoption as PlugShare is poised to deliver even more exciting new features for both first adopters and new EV drivers around the world.”

FreeWire Partners with Rotten Robbie

FreeWire Technologies, a leader in ultrafast electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions, has partnered with Rotten Robbie, a Northern California-based convenience store and fueling station operator, to provide customers with ultrafast EV charging at Rotten Robbie’s San Jose location. The deployment is Rotten Robbie’s first EV charger, and Silicon Valley’s first publicly accessible Boost Charger, FreeWire’s battery-integrated ultrafast charger.

Rotten Robbie, a family-owned business operating for over eight decades, recognized the opportunity to provide fast charging for their customers and sought a product that was flexible and cost-effective to enter the charging market. FreeWire proved to be a perfect fit for their fueling locations.

Morgan Truck Body EV Bodies

As Morgan Truck Body celebrates its 70th year, the largest manufacturer of light- and medium-duty truck bodies in North America has announced that it will unveil multiple custom concept bodies in 2022.

Morgan will debut two advanced concept bodies during an exclusive preview at NTEA Work Truck Week in March 2022 (Booth #4949), with an emphasis on weight reduction and integration of enhanced safety and sensing technology. Additional technology and innovation concepts will be unveiled at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo in May 2022.

“Our EV concept bodies are the culmination of extensive collaboration with technology partners and chassis OEMs to achieve the most versatile and technologically advanced solutions for our customers,” says Dan DesRochers, President and COO, Morgan Truck Body. “With 14 manufacturing locations, 8 Company-owned Service Facilities, and a network of more than 200 Morgan-Authorized Repair Centers throughout the U.S. and Canada, Morgan is well positioned to service our customers when and where they need support. In addition, we are doubling down on our commitment to electrification with the creation of a dedicated Innovation Lab within our Technical Center in Morgantown, Pennsylvania.”

Throughout its anniversary, Morgan will celebrate 70 years of growth from its modest beginnings to its present-day position as the leading producer of light- and medium-duty truck and van bodies in North America.

The American success story began in 1952 when Elton Mountz started a small welding shop in Morgantown. As the industry grew, the business expanded to include refurbishing and repair, as well as assembly, mounting, and finishing of prefabricated van body assemblies.

In 1990, ownership was transferred to entrepreneur John B. Poindexter, and in 2006, the company’s name evolved to become Morgan Truck Body, LLC. Growth continued over the decades with innovative designs that provided lighter and stronger truck bodies, expanded product lines, regional distributors and expanded manufacturing and service facilities. Today, Morgan continues to grow and innovate by uniquely serving the expanding needs of customers while committing to meet the accelerating demand for electrification.

GreenPower MFG in W.VA

GreenPower Motor Company Inc a leading manufacturer and distributor of zero-emission, electric-powered medium and heavy-duty vehicles, today joined Governor Jim Justice in announcing that it has entered into a lease/purchase agreement for a manufacturing facility in South Charleston, West Virginia, for the purpose of manufacturing zero-emission, all-electric school buses. As part of the agreement, the state of West Virginia has committed to purchase a minimum of $15 million of GreenPower vehicles produced at the facility.

Battle Motors Trucks Bought by NYC

–Battle Motors truck manufacturing company is proud to announce the sale of 21 Battle Motors LET2 sanitation trucks to New York City’s industry leader – Filco Carting. The Battle Motors LET2 truck is the powerhouse vocational truck providing the best in class components to meet and exceed the demanding needs of New York’s rugged streets. Filco Carting is led by CEO Domenic Monopoli and is a 4th generation family owned & operated business providing the metro area with waste removal and recycling since 1910. Filco Carting trucks service over 5,000 commercial, residential, industrial and institutional firms in the metro area.

Toshiba SCiB Products

-Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502), a company dedicated to advancing carbon neutrality through its technologies, products and services, expanded its SCiB™ product offering with the launch of an innovative 20Ah-HP rechargeable lithium-ion battery cell that delivers high energy and high power at the same time.

The market wants batteries that deliver both high-energy and high-power characteristics, but until now this has required a trade-off for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. In an EV, for example, a high-energy battery allows the vehicle to drive further on a single charge—but it lowers power input and output and extends charge times. Toshiba drew on its knowhow in current high-energy and high-power products to develop a new cell that successfully combines the advantages of both.

The cell is ideal for heavy-load applications where high power input and output are essential, and for situations where battery cells must suppress heat and operate continuously, such as rapid charging of commercial vehicles, regenerative power systems for rolling stock, and industrial equipment. The cell is the same size as Toshiba’s current 20Ah product, allowing current customers to easily upgrade to the improved input and output power with the same module pack. The cell is now available to order worldwide.

Product Features

1. Excellent heat suppression

Compared to Toshiba’s current 20Ah cell, the new 20Ah-HP cell delivers 1.7x higher input and 1.6x higher output, realized by an approximately 40% reduction of resistance in the cell. This improvement efficiently suppresses heat generation when a large current is applied, allowing design of a simpler cooling system. For example, depending on the customer’s system, water cooling can be simplified to forced air cooling, and forced air cooling simplified to natural cooling. The lowered resistance also reduces overvoltage, allowing the cell to function in a wider range of state-of-charge (SOC).

2. Long life

The new 20Ah-HP cell achieves a longer life than the current 20Ah cell by suppressing heat during continuous charging and discharging, due to its lower internal resistance. Under the test conditions shown in figure 1, the cell maintained almost 100% capacity after 8,000 charge/discharge cycles, while the capacity of the current 20Ah cell decreased by approximately 10%.

3. Compatibility

The new 20Ah-HP cell delivers improved input and output power but maintains the same size as the current 20Ah cell, allowing current customers to easily upgrade to the improved performance with the same module pack.

Applications

Toshiba expects to see the new cell deployed in automobiles, industrial equipment, and storage battery systems. Some examples include drive power supply and emergency power supply for railways, regenerative power supply for harbor cranes, electric ferries, hybrid buses, trucks, hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and plug-in HEVs (PHEVs), alternatives to lead-acid batteries and storage battery systems.

Product specifications

Product name

20Ah-HP Cell

Rated capacity

20Ah

Nominal voltage

2.3V

Input power

1900W*

(SOC 50%, 10sec, 25℃)

Output power

1900W*

(SOC 50%, 10sec, 25℃)

Energy density (volume)

176Wh/L

Energy density (mass)

84Wh/kg

Dimensions

W116 × D22 × H106 mm

Weight

Approx. 545g

* Calculated value with internal resistance

SparkConnected Chairs LEV S C WPC

-Spark Connected,  a global leader in developing advanced and innovative wireless power technology has been elected to Chair the Light Electric Vehicles (LEV) Specification Group at the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC).

The WPC is a multinational technology consortium with over 400 European, American, and Asian member companies. The members partner and collaborate on creating and promoting the global standardization of wireless charging technology. The Qi wireless charging interface standard has already been widely adopted in the market today. The LEV Group develops the commercial high-power requirements for a future specification for light electric vehicles.

Fuelman for Business

Fuelman Inc., today introduced a solution allowing fleet customers to pay for electric vehicle (EV) charging, accurately track all EV charging events, and reimburse employees for at-home charging. The new solution is available to all Fuelman customers as businesses add EV vehicles to their fleets.

“As businesses increasingly look to adopt EVs, the fueling landscape becomes more complex, which in turn makes fleet management more difficult,” said Alexey Gavrilenya, Group President of North America Fuel at FLEETCOR. “We are at the forefront of the energy transition by providing an enhanced, comprehensive management and payment platform to help customers efficiently manage fleets with any fuel mix.”

For Fuelman customers, the EV solution can be added to existing physical fleet card or a virtual EV companion feature can be issued to customers. These cards, whether virtual or physical, can be used for payment in popular EV charging apps within any charging network where Mastercard is accepted.

Driven by a need for businesses to reimburse employees who charge their company EV at home, FLEETCOR is partnering with Motorq, a leading connected-car data and analytics company, to capture charge event data directly from electric vehicles. This new platform leverages data captured from electric vehicles to track every charging event, at every charger type and location. The new solution captures home charging events, tracks usage, calculates costs and manages expense reimbursement, which removes impediments to widespread EV adoption for fleets.

“As a leader in commercial fleet management and payment solutions, we can provide our customers convenience, fraud controls and data insights, no matter where or how they fuel,” said Keagan Russo, President, Fuelman and North America Local Fleet. “Enabling EV charging payment, data, and home reimbursement for all of our Fuelman fleet card customers allows us to help customers manage their fleets moving forward.”

Nikola Order for 50 Tre

Nikola Corporation, a global leader in zero-emissions transportation and energy infrastructure solutions, and Covenant Logistics Group, Inc., a premier total logistics provider based in Chattanooga, Tenn., announced today a collaboration that will further Covenant’s sustainability objectives by adding 50 zero-emission vehicles to their fleet.

This collaboration includes a Letter of Intent (LOI) for 10 Nikola Tre battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and 40 Nikola Tre fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), following the satisfactory completion of a Nikola Tre BEV and Nikola Tre FCEV demonstration program. Delivery to Covenant of the first Tre BEV truck and mobile charging trailer for testing is anticipated to occur in Q2 2022, with the Tre FCEV testing expected to follow in 2023.

BorgWarner Invests Qnovo

BorgWarner, a global leader in delivering innovative and sustainable mobility solutions for the vehicle market, announced its investment in Qnovo, Inc., a privately held, Silicon Valley-based software and controls company. BorgWarner is the lead investor for Qnovo’s multi-million-dollar Series-C capital raise.

With Qnovo’s focus on battery health measurement and fast charging, the investment deepens BorgWarner’s capacity to further its battery solutions portfolio by partnering with Qnovo. The intelligent software offers multiple benefits, including predictive safety measures, faster charging and extended battery life. Additionally, Qnovo’s software implements adaptive charging algorithms and predictive tools into an application that runs on AutoSAR or an equivalent vehicle operating system.  

Guidehouse Reports

— A new report from Guidehouse Insights assesses the strategy and execution of 20 leading providers of electric vehicle (EV) charge point networking companies, with ChargePoint and Enel X ranked as the market leaders.

The fleet of plug-in EVs is on course to grow massively as governments and corporations implement new targets for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Networking platforms are needed to connect numerous entities in the EV charging ecosystem by finding available charge points, accessing pricing information, managing transactions, and participating in grid operator demand management programs. According to a Leaderboard report from Guidehouse Insights, ChargePoint and Enel X are the leading EV charger networking companies.

“Estimates show that over 185 million EVs will be in use by 2030 along with nearly 170 million charge points to support this fleet,” says Scott Shepard, principal research analyst with Guidehouse Insights. “This demand is producing a tremendous opportunity for charge point networking platforms.”

Many of the companies that trail these leaders are in a solid position to foster strong partnerships with regional market gatekeepers but need to expand their existing business to serve a wider range of charging applications and gain a broader global footprint.

The report, Guidehouse Insights Leaderboard: EV Charger Networking Companies, examines the strategy and execution of 20 leading providers of EV charge point networking companies. These suppliers are rated on eight criteria: Go-to-Market Strategy, Partners, Product Strategy, Geographic Reach, Sales, Product Portfolio, Staying Power, and Innovation. Using Guidehouse Insights’ proprietary Leaderboard methodology, vendors are profiled, rated, and ranked with the goal of providing industry participants with an objective assessment of these companies’ relative strengths and weaknesses in the EV charge point networking market. An executive summary of the report is available for free download on the Guidehouse Insights website./

BYD Milestones

BYD, the world’s leading manufacturer of new energy vehicles (NEV) and power batteries, has achieved another significant milestone. It is just over a decade since BYD accomplished a ‘world-first’ when its pure-electric bus fleet first entered commercial operation as part of its vision for electrification to ease environmental pollution.

Through pioneering innovation in battery technology, BYD has gone on to innovate the industry on a global scale in the 10 years that have since passed, and continues to validate its position as the world’s leading electric bus manufacturer.

Fast-forward to January 2022, BYD’s established track record has led to the delivery of over 70,000 zero-emission pure-electric buses to customers worldwide, including many leading international public transport operators and authorities.