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Instant Rebates for EVs at POS
The IRS laid out guidelines for IRA rebates of EVs at dealerships. A dealer can provide a purchasing taxpayer with a financial benefit in cash or in the form of a partial payment or down payment for the purchase of the vehicle. The taxpayer benefits by receiving an immediate financial benefit at the time of sale, rather than having to wait to file a tax return and claim the credit.
The IRS promises to pay dealers within 72 hours.
This guidance makes it easy for everyone to access the IRA’s new and used electric vehicle tax credits at the point of sale,” Albert Gore, executive director of the Zero Emissions Transportation Association, said in a statement. “A simplified process will maximize the benefit of these credits, not just to drivers and their communities, but to the entire EV supply chain.”
Nuvve Granted $1.9Million by DEC for School Bus Bi-Direction RESCHOOL
Nuvve Holding Corp. (Nasdaq: NVVE), a global leader in vehicle-to-grid technology and deployments, has received a proposed award of $1,910,703 by the California Energy Commission (CEC) under the CEC’s Electric School Bus Bi-Directional Infrastructure funding opportunity.
The grant will fund Nuvve’s groundbreaking project, RESCHOOL: Resilient Energy Solutions for Schools, which is intended to showcase the transformative potential of electric school buses (ESBs) and bi-directional charging infrastructure to enhance the resilience of California’s power grid. The initial project phase includes plans to produce a scalable model for other California school districts to implement their own zero-emission and bi-directional infrastructure.
The RESCHOOL project will enhance existing electric school bus and bi-directional charging infrastructure deployments with battery energy storage, microgrid and islanding capabilities to demonstrate how ESBs play a vital role in bolstering the reliability of California’s power grid, particularly during extreme weather events and emergency situations. By integrating bi-directional electric school buses and their charging infrastructure into resilient microgrids, the project aims to reduce the cost of clean transportation systems while optimizing energy availability during power outages.
Initially, the project will benefit two participating San Diego County school districts already equipped with Nuvve’s bidirectional chargers and its V2G GIVe™ platform: Cajon Valley Union School District and San Diego Unified.
Lightning eMotors up to $40K in Grants
Lightning eMotors (OTC:ZEVY), a leading provider of zero-emission, medium-duty commercial vehicles and electric vehicle (EV) technology for fleets, announced that its commercial vehicle customers can now receive an up to $40,000 credit toward the purchase of select Lightning vehicles. The Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit became available to Lightning customers as a result of the company’s acceptance as a qualified manufacturer into the IRS Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit program, as defined in §30D(d)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
he IRS Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit joins several other federal and state incentive programs that Lightning vehicles are eligible for, many of which stack, in some cases, to reduce the cost of an electric vehicle to nearly free. These programs include, but are not limited to:
- The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Low- and No-Emissions Vehicle Program for transit agencies
- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean School Bus Program
- Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airport Zero Emissions Vehicle and Infrastructure Pilot Program
- California’s Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP)
- The Colorado Clean Electric School Bus Program
- The Colorado Clean Fleet Vehicle & Technology Grant Program
- The New Jersey Zero-Emission Incentive Program (NJZIP)
- The New York City Clean Trucks Program
- The New York Truck Voucher Incentive Program (NYTVIP)
“The ability to stack the various grant, rebate and credit programs is designed to support accelerated electric vehicle adoption and help the market reach critical mass faster to the benefit of both the national transportation ecosystem and our environmental well-being,” said Nick Bettis, vice president, marketing and sales operations for Lightning eMotors. “For example, a Type A school bus may be obtained by a school district or operator at essentially no cost and be operated with significantly lower costs as well. That’s a huge win for the district, the students and the environment.”
Hyundai to Support NACS in 2025
Hyundai Motor North America today announced that it is adopting North American Charging Standard (NACS) ports for its electric vehicles (EVs) in the United States and Canada. In the United States, all-new or refreshed Hyundai EVs will come exclusively with a NACS port, beginning in Q4 2024. Canada will follow in the first half of 2025. Hyundai EVs with NACS ports will gain access to more than 12,000 Tesla Superchargers across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This will double the size of the DC fast charging network available to Hyundai EV customers.
Owners of existing and future Hyundai EVs with the current CCS will have access to the Tesla Supercharging Network starting in Q1 2025. Hyundai will offer an adapter to these customers. Hyundai will also make adapters available to charge NACS-equipped vehicles at CCS chargers.
Genesis Motor North America announced the adoption of North American Charging Standard (NACS) ports for its electric vehicles (EVs) in the United States and Canada. Beginning in the United States in Q4 2024 and Canada in 2025, all new or refreshed Genesis EVs will come exclusively with a NACS port. With the addition of NACS ports, Genesis EV customers will gain access to more than 12,000 Tesla Superchargers across North America. This will double the size of the DC fast charging network available to Genesis EV customers.
NACS for Genesis
Owners of existing and future Genesis EVs with the current CCS will have access to the Tesla Supercharging Network starting in Q1 2025. Genesis will offer an adapter to these customers and will also make adapters available for owners to charge NACS-equipped vehicles at CCS chargers.
KIA NACS in Q2 2024
Kia America announced that its electric vehicle customers1 will have access to 12,000 Tesla Superchargers across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Starting from Q4 2024, Kia plans to build the North American Charging Standard (NACS) port into new electric vehicles sold in the U.S., Canada and Mexico to enable EV owners to use a significantly greater number of high-speed chargers than currently available to them. Further, the company expects to make available *CCS1-to-NACS (Combined Charging System)2 adapters to enable nearly all Kia EVs1 to charge on Tesla’s network. Adapters are expected to be made available through Kia dealers starting in Q1 2025.
Autel to Produce MaxiCharger in Oct.
Autel Energy, a global leader in electric vehicle (EV) charging technologies, announced today that it will begin production later this month at its North Carolina facility with the MaxiCharger 180kw–240kw DC Fast EV charger.
Autel plans to produce up to 5,000 DC Fast chargers at the facility annually, employing 150 people initially and 400 within five years.
The 200,000 sq. ft. facility in Greensboro, NC, has undergone significant renovation and modernization since being purchased in May of this year.
Autel chose the Greensboro location after conducting an extensive site selection process throughout the United States. “Autel was attracted to the Triad region for its embrace of new energy technologies, a conducive business environment, and a skilled, hardworking workforce,” said Frank Li, Chairman of Autel Intelligent Technology Corp., Ltd., the parent company of Autel Energy North America.
The MaxiCharger 180kw–240kw DC Fast EV charger is National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) funding program-ready and meets Federal Highway Administration Build America, Buy America requirements.
GreenPower 4 Forth
GreenPower Motor Company Inc. (Nasdaq: GP) (TSXV: GPV) (“GreenPower”), a leading manufacturer and distributor of purpose-built, all-electric, zero-emission medium and heavy-duty vehicles serving the cargo and delivery market, shuttle and transit space and school bus sector, announced the delivery of the first all-electric, purpose-built EV Star to Forth, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the equitable advancement of clean transportation, for use at Hacienda CDC’s Las Adelitas, a four-story, multifamily affordable housing development in Portland, Oregon.
StoreDot Partners with Flex|N|Gate
StoreDot, the pioneer of extreme fast charging (XFC) battery technology for electric vehicles, is announce that it has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Flex|N|Gate, a leading global automotive component manufacturer.
This landmark agreement will see both companies collaborate to sample and scale up the commercialization of StoreDot’s game-changing extreme fast charging battery cells for electric vehicles. Samples of StoreDot’s 100in5 battery cells will be produced next year at Flex|N|Gate Group’s “Flex-lon” lithium-ion cell pilot factory in Windsor, Ontario while working with local automotive OEMs to produce cells with specified performance and formats.
ABS Contracted by NFI Group for Battery Packs
American Battery Solutions (ABS) announced that it has signed a multi-year contract with leading bus manufacturer NFI Group Inc. to supply custom battery packs that will provide clean power for NFI subsidiary New Flyer’s newest 35-, 40- and 60-foot battery-electric transit buses. NFI is now launching ABS batteries into bus production for customer deliveries starting in the first quarter of 2024. The Li-Ion batteries were fully designed, tested, and validated by ABS at its engineering and development center located in Lake Orion, MI. The production of these batteries will be done at ABS’ state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Springboro, OH.
The market for electric buses in North America has now passed the “tipping point,” reaching more than 5,480 zero-emission transit buses on the road or on order as of the end of 2022, according to CALSTART’s annual “Zeroing in on ZEBs” report. NFI expects that 40% of its 2025 production will be zero-emission buses and is leading the evolution to zero-emission public transportation in North America.
This scalable custom designed pack solution is based on the ABS ProLiance Intelligent Battery Series™ architecture and fits inside NFI’s existing battery enclosure design, providing an alternate source of supply for NFI’s battery-electric bus contracts and creating opportunity for technology enhancements. Design and engineering have been led from ABS’ Michigan Innovation Center in Lake Orion, with the pack production scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2023 at ABS’ Springboro, OH manufacturing facility. ABS has secured the cell supply by partnering with world-class cell makers in strategic alliance. These partnerships have resulted in the signing of long-term supply agreements that ensure cell supply through the end of the decade, supporting the NFI ramp along with ABS’ other customer programs.
NFI’s battery and fuel cell-electric buses and coaches have collectively travelled over 120 million electric service miles, with NFI Infrastructure Solutions’ turnkey smart charging services delivering more than 410 chargers delivered to date. NFI is a leader in zero-emission mobility, with electric vehicles operating (or on order) in more than 140 cities in six countries.
LG to Supply NCMA Batteries to Toyota in US
LG Energy Solution (KRX: 373220) and Toyota Motor North America, Inc. (Toyota) today announced that they have signed a supply agreement for lithium-ion battery modules to be used in Toyota battery electric vehicles (BEVs) that will be assembled in the United States.
Under the contract, LG Energy Solution will supply automotive battery modules at an annual capacity of 20GWh starting from 2025. The battery modules, consisting of high-nickel NCMA (nickel, cobalt, manganese, aluminum) pouch-type cells, will be manufactured in LG Energy Solution’s Michigan facility.
The innovative power solutions will support Toyota’s expanding line of BEVs, part of its multi-pathway product strategy, including a new BEV model that will be assembled at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky in 2025. They will also help further Toyota’s vehicle electrification initiatives, as it aspires to offer 30 BEV models globally across its Toyota and Lexus brand nameplates and produce up to 3.5 million BEVs annually by 2030.
“At Toyota, our goal is to reduce carbon emissions as much as possible, as fast as possible,” said Tetsuo “Ted” Ogawa, president and CEO of Toyota Motor North America. “Having secure supplies of lithium-ion batteries at scale with a long-term relationship to support Toyota’s multi-pathway approach and growth plans for BEVs in North America is critical to achieve our manufacturing and carbon reduction plans. Working with LG Energy Solution, we are excited to be able to offer products that will provide the performance and quality our customers expect.”
To fulfill the supply agreement, LG Energy Solution will invest KRW 4 trillion (approximately USD 3 billion) in its Michigan facility to establish new production lines for battery cells and modules exclusively for Toyota, with completion slated for 2025. Initially, the battery modules will go to Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky to be assembled into battery packs and equipped onto BEVs.
The agreement brings together LG Energy Solution’s proven capabilities in manufacturing top quality battery cells and modules at scale, and Toyota’s advanced technologies in battery packs to create a product using LG Energy Solution’s innovative power solution which optimizes battery system performance, providing peace of mind and further enhancing the BEV customer experience. LG Energy Solution continues to enhance battery safety, including with respect to its thermal management for its high-nickel NCMA batteries.
“We’re excited to have Toyota, the best-selling global automaker, as our new customer. With our 30 years of experience in lithium-ion batteries, we will provide innovative power solutions to support Toyota’s push further into battery electric vehicles,” said Youngsoo Kwon, CEO of LG Energy Solution. “The agreement also presents another big opportunity for us to strengthen our production capacity in North America, thereby bringing more real-life, large-scale progress toward electrification in the region.”
The landmark deal represents LG Energy Solution’s largest single supply agreement secured outside of joint venture agreements. The company now supplies its batteries to all top five global automakers[*]. Based on its market leadership, the company has eight battery manufacturing facilities currently operating or under construction in North America, and continues to expand both its production network and supply chain in the region.
Qmerit Chargers for JLL
Mass usage of electric vehicles (EVs) will require widespread access to EV charging stations at commercial and multifamily residential properties. A new, groundbreaking agreement between real estate leader JLL and Qmerit – North America’s provider of implementation solutions for EV charging and other energy transition technologies – will help advance that goal by facilitating and accelerating EV charging installations at JLL client properties nationwide.
Through the new arrangement, JLL and its client companies will be able to harness Qmerit’s market-leading commercial assessment platform and national network of certified electricians for EV charging installations. This will give property owners a customized, one-stop mode for obtaining a high-quality EV charging solution.
Electrada Partners with Daimler Truck Financial
Electrada, a fleet electrification solutions company, and Daimler Truck Financial Services, one of the world’s leading financial service providers for commercial vehicles, have entered into an official partnership to drive higher adoption of sustainable transportation leveraging Daimler’s leadership in commercial Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) and Electrada’s 360 Charging-as-a-Service solution. Providing the necessary infrastructure to power medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicle fleets, the all-in-one solution will first be provided to projects with selected customers in the USA in the first half of 2024.
Electrada’s 360 Charging-as-a-Service (CaaS) is an end-to-end, technology-agnostic approach that allows fleets to electrify intelligently, cost-effectively and customized to their specific use cases with a fully capitalized, integrated and performance-contracted electric fuel solution.
The agreement further aligns Daimler Truck North America’s rapidly expanding electric vehicle lineup with its overall corporate sustainability strategy and will accelerate fleet electrification nationwide, making a meaningful contribution to reduced carbon emissions. Daimler Truck already offers BEV truck series in the United States, including the class 8 eCascadia, class 6 EM2 and the class 5 MT50e. Furthermore, the Freightliner eM2 will begin series production in the fourth quarter of this year.
Rush Ent. Agrees to Sell Shyft Blue Arc
The Shyft Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: SHYF), the North American leader in specialty vehicle manufacturing, assembly, and upfit for the commercial, retail, and service specialty vehicle markets, announced it has finalized an agreement with Rush Enterprises, which operates the largest network of commercial vehicle dealerships in North America, to sell and service the Company’s Blue Arc™ Class 3, 4 and 5 all-electric delivery vehicles.
“When our customers couldn’t find what they needed and asked us to enter the EV space for last mile delivery vehicles, we committed to deliver with commercial-grade quality, innovation, and a strong focus on driver needs,” said Daryl Adams, President and CEO, The Shyft Group. “Doing so has enabled us to have outstanding partners and we could not be more pleased to have Rush Enterprises’ support getting Blue Arc vehicles on the road across the country.”
The reimagined design and benchmark performance of Blue Arc all-electric delivery vehicles demonstrates the value that deep last mile experience brings to the market during this critical industry transition to clean technology. Blue Arc provides industry benchmark performance levels for range in commercial EVs with CARB certification at 225 miles for Class 3 EVs under CARB test conditions, which gives customers the knowledge they can comfortably perform and, in many cases, exceed a daily last-mile delivery route and cargo capacity requirements.
“The Shyft Group’s 50 years of experience in the last mile delivery market makes them uniquely qualified to create an impressive EV solution from the ground up. We are confident that many fleet customers will find Blue Arc’s range and payload capabilities as a valuable solution to their last mile delivery needs,” said W.M. “Rusty” Rush, Chairman, CEO and President, Rush Enterprises Inc. “At Rush Truck Centers, we have a dedicated team of experts in alternative fuels, governmental policy and grant funding to help our customers select the best powertrain technology for their application and duty cycles, while complying with regulatory requirements and any environmental goals. We are happy to offer The Shyft Group’s Blue Arc EVs to our Class 3-5 customers across the country,” Rush added.
The Blue Arc portfolio includes Class 3 all electric delivery vehicles offering 600, 700 or 800 cubic feet of cargo capacity and up to 5,000 lbs of payload. The Class 4 offers 700 and 800 cubic feet and Class 5 provides 900, 1110 and 1,200 cubic feet options and payload of up to 7,500 lbs.
Shyft’s Blue Arc EV will start customer deliveries in 2024 in Charlotte, Michigan. Vehicle sales and service support will be offered through authorized dealerships strategically located across Rush Truck Centers’ nationwide network
Autel Lauches MaxiCharger DC HiPower
Autel Energy, a global leader in electric vehicle (EV) charging products and services, proudly announces the official launch of its latest innovation, the MaxiCharger DC HiPower, now available for customers across the United States. This cutting-edge charging product sets new industry benchmarks by delivering a remarkable maximum power of 640kW for fast charging needs, making it one of the fastest and most efficient charging solutions for electric vehicles on the market today.
The MaxiCharger DC HiPower combines a sleek and modern industrial design with a host of exceptional features to solve the customers’ painpoints:
Ultra-Fast Charging to Accelerate Revenue and User Engagement: With a maximum output power of 640 kW, and liquid-cooling technology, it can provide up to a range of 250 miles in just 10 minutes, making it the ideal solution for those in a hurry, whether you’re a consumer on the go or a business with a fleet to manage.
Intelligent Operation to Optimize Power Efficiency: Autel’s Energy Cube and AI-driven switching algorithms are your keys to optimizing power efficiency and reducing costs. With load balancing to minimize power consumption, you will enjoy enhanced station performance.
Reliability to Drive High Uptime: Autel’s unified hardware and software design ensures minimal failure rates, enhanced maintainability, and optimal uptime. The product boasts a remarkable vehicle-charger compatibility rate of up to 99.9%, with a one-time charge success rate of up to 99.5%.
Scalable Solutions to Meet Growing Needs: The MaxiCharger DC HiPower starts at 320 kW and can be expanded up to 640 kW by adding power modules. Multiple dispensers means you can charge up to 8 vehicles simultaneously. And with compatibility with solar power, energy storage, and energy management systems (EMS), it’s a sustainable choice.
“We are thrilled to introduce the MaxiCharger DC HiPower to the U.S. market,” said Michelle Luo, the CRO of Autel Energy US. “This product embodies our dedication to safety, efficiency, and user convenience, and we are confident that it will transform the EV charging experience for consumers and businesses alike.”
The MaxiCharger DC HiPower’s release marks a significant milestone for Autel Energy and the electric vehicle charging industry as it propels the world towards sustainable transportation with its unmatched power, advanced features, and customer-centric design.
Chevron Invests in Electric Era Tech
Electric Era Technologies, a leader in revolutionizing the world’s EV fast charging infrastructure with its proprietary PowerNode™ EV high-speed charging stations, announced an investment from Chevron Technology Ventures. The investment is aimed at accelerating the deployment of Electric Era’s reliable, premium charging stations to gas stations and convenience stores throughout the US, advancing the future of car refill to the locations that have historically formed the backbone of America’s transportation ecosystem.
“This investment will not only quickly expand our capacity to bring reliable, profitable EV charging stations to our valued convenience store and gas station partners across the country, but also exemplifies the power of industry partnerships to enable a more sustainable future for transportation,” said Quincy Lee, founder and CEO of Electric Era.
Developed by former SpaceX engineers, Electric Era’s PowerNode patented charging station technology and AI-driven software platform are designed to enable autonomous and real-time control of electrical grid power consumption and industry-leading reliability. PowerNode’s built-in battery automatically discharges to support increased charging on-demand, lowering the draw on the electrical grid and enabling more charging sessions per day for a lower cost. This evolutionary leap in EV charging technology has the potential to unlock new revenue streams for store owners and brings reliable EV charging infrastructure into new communities, reducing a key friction point for electric vehicle adoption.
“Electric Era’s technology has the potential to enable delivery of an easier-to-deploy, fast charging solution at scale,” said Jim Gable, Vice President, Innovation and President of Technology Ventures at Chevron. “This is the latest investment from our $300 million Future Energy Fund II, which focuses on industrial decarbonization, emerging mobility, energy decentralization, and the growing circular economy. We welcome Electric Era to the portfolio.”
Electric Era’s first deployments of its PowerNode EV fast charging stations at quick service retailers are set to go online in the coming weeks in the Portland metro area at a Plaid Pantry store and a Space Age Fuels outlet. An additional installation at the Seven Feathers Travel Plaza in Southwest Oregon, and more than 10 other installations across seven states are planned to begin before the end of 2023, aimed at bringing safe, well lit, affordable EV fast charging to drivers across the country.
The investment from Chevron Technology Ventures’ Future Energy fund is part of Electric Era’s series A financing led by HSBC Asset Management with participation from SQM Lithium Ventures, Blackhorn Ventures, and Proeza Ventures. Electric Era has received $20.5MM in funding to date.
ElectraMeccanica Terminates from Tevva
ElectraMeccanica Vehicles Corp. (NASDAQ: SOLO) (“ElectraMeccanica”), a designer and assembler of electric vehicles, today announced that it has terminated—with immediate effect—the previously-announced arrangement agreement with Tevva Motors Limited (“Tevva”) as a result of multiple incurable breaches of the agreement by Tevva, including failures by Tevva to disclose to ElectraMeccanica material information about Tevva.
The decision to terminate the agreement was made by a unanimous decision of ElectraMeccanica’s Board of Directors based on additional information that came to light following execution of the arrangement agreement. Pursuant to a facility letter entered into between ElectraMeccanica and Tevva concurrent with the execution of the arrangement agreement, the principal amount lent under the secured facility, together with any accrued interest and other sums, are due and repayable to ElectraMeccanica by no later than January 2, 2024.
ElectraMeccanica intends to explore all legal recourse available to it in connection with Tevva’s material breaches of the arrangement agreement.
ElectraMeccanica believes that it remains well-capitalized and intends to continue exploring other strategic third-party opportunities and potential options for its business.
EnergIIZE Commercial Vehicle Applications Start 10/19
The EnergIIZE Commercial Vehicles Project’s Public Charging funding lane will begin accepting applications at 9 a.m. Pacific Time on October 19, 2023, through 5 p.m. Pacific Time on November 3, 2023. This funding lane will offer up to $11.7 million in incentives and run concurrently with the EnergIIZE Project’s Drayage Public Set-Aside lane. The lane is funded by the CEC and administered by CALSTART.
Intended for applicants interested in deploying publicly accessible charging infrastructure for battery-electric medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, the Public Charging funding lane is competitive and scored on criteria demonstrating project readiness, cost effectiveness, and community benefit. It covers 75 percent of eligible equipment and software costs, up to a maximum of $750,000 per project if EV Jump Start equity criteria is met, or 50 percent of costs up to a maximum of $500,000 per project, if the criteria is not met. Eligible EV equipment includes direct current fast chargers (DCFC), transformers (non-IOU territory), meter mains and circuit breaker panels, and demand-management equipment.
Prospective applicants can submit applications for consideration through the online Incentive Processing Center (IPC) on EnergIIZE’s website beginning on October 19, 2023, at 9 a.m. Pacific Time.
“With increased funding from the CEC for the EnergIIZE Project, we are thrilled to offer even more funds for this incentive program and look forward to seeing a surge of electric vehicle charging infrastructure installed for public and shared use across California,” said Alyssa Haerle, CALSTART’s Clean Fuels and Infrastructure, Director of Infrastructure Incentive Administration.
The EnergIIZE Project offers millions of dollars in infrastructure incentives throughout the year and has three other incentive funding lanes: EV Fast Track, EV Jump Start, and Hydrogen. For more information, see the EnergIIZE website or contact infrastructure@calstart.org.