Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution have announced their partnership to build an EV battery cell manufacturing Joint Venture in the U.S today. The battery cell plant received a total investment of over $4.3bn, in which Hyundai and LG will respectively hold a 50 percent stake each.
The plant is due to begin battery production at the end of 2025 in Savannah, Georgia, with an annual production capacity of 30 GWh. This means that the battery cell plant will be capable of supporting the production of 300,000 EVs per year. By securing the deal, Hyundai and LG strengthen ties in their long-time partnership to boost their electrification efforts.
President and CEO of Hyundai Motor Group, Jaehoon Chang, said:
“Hyundai Motor Group is focusing on its electrification efforts to secure a leadership position in the global auto industry. We will create a strong foundation to lead the global EV transition through establishing a new EV battery cell plant with LG Energy Solution, a leading global battery producer and long-time partner.”
The companies both signed a memorandum of understanding to produce EV batteries in the U.S. and further accelerate the electrification efforts in North America. The memorandum signing took place at LG’s headquarters in Seoul today.
Hyundai Mobis will assemble battery packs using cells from the plant and supply them to U.S. manufacturing facilities for production of Hyundai, Kia and Genesis EV models. The new facility will help create a stable supply of batteries in the region and allows the partnering companies to promptly respond to the soaring EV demand in the U.S. market.
Hyundai Motor Group will be attending out annual MOVE LONDON event this coming June. To hear them speak about all-things mobility and meet them there, buy your tickets to the event here.
Hawaiian Electric is partnering with global electric vehicle software provider ev.energy to create a smart charging mobile app. The service will enable EV drivers to optimise their charging sessions while helping inform Hawaiian Electric’s future charging programs and EV-specific rate options.
The app allows customers to track their EV charging costs and consumption and includes smart charging features such as automated low carbon charging for customers with rooftop solar.
The Smart Charge Hawaii pilot will offer customers the choice to receive either $150 cash or 10,000 HawaiianMiles under Hawaiian Airlines’ frequent flyer program. The project, which has been partially funded by Ulupono Initiative, is available to up to 2,000 residential customers with EVs on O’ahu, Hawai’I Island and in Maui County.
Aki Marceau, Hawaiin Electric’s director of electrification and transport, said:
“For me and other EV owners Smart Charge Hawaii gives us a tool to manage our charging so we remember to power our cars when the sun is shining.
“It also helps Hawaiian Electric understand how to better serve current and future customers with electric vehicles. We hope to create a system that allows for our communities to easily take advantage of all the renewable energy on Hawaiian Electric’s grid, a critical step to meeting Hawaii’s 2045 zero emissions goals.”
By helping to accelerate broader EV deployment, Smart Charge Hawaii supports electrification of the state’s transportation sector. Increasing EV energy demand is expected to result in net benefits for all customers as the utilities’ fixed costs for generating and distributing energy are spread across a broader base, thereby lowering the cost to all customers.
Michael Colon Ulupono Initiative’s energy director, said:
“The Smart Charge Hawaii pilot is a great example of how collaboration between stakeholders can lead to effective solutions that give users deeper insights into EV charging behaviour and, as a result, empowers pilot participants to make decisions that save money while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”
Leading European coach company FlixBus has teamed up with Bouden Coach Travel, offering daily travel between Birmingham and London.
After teaming up with Stanley Travel last week – enabling transport between Newcastle, Leeds, Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Manchester – the family-owned company has secured the new partnership to expand their routes. As part of the deal, Bouden will be adding a 59-seater to the FlixBus network, rebranded in Flix’s signature green shade.
Adel Bouden, Managing Director of Bouden Coach Travel, said:
“We see joining the FlixBus network as an opportunity to work with another forward-thinking company offering a fresh approach to a traditional industry.”
FlixBus will also be launching new cross-country lines with long-term partner McGill’s today, between Dundee and Bristol. This will add services from Perth, Dunfermline, Edinburgh, Manchester, and Birmingham, adding Carlisle as a new destination on the network.
Additional lines will also begin to and from Perth Bus Station, connecting passengers to Glasgow, Stirling and Perth Park and Ride, as well as Edinburgh and Dunfermline.
FlixBus, as a widespread travel options in over 40 countries, is also launching their business in India. As home of one of the largest bus markets in the world, will launch their service in India in 2024.
André Schwämmlein, co-founder and CEO of Flix, said:
“Our mission is to offer affordable and sustainable travel options for everyone, and we see significant demand for such services in India.
“This gives the opportunity for Flix to be a key local player in the development of sustainable travel industry, setting up infrastructure and further development in this area.”
A battery start-up from China, Gotion High Tech, has unveiled a new lithium-manganese-iron-phosphate (LMFP) Astroinno battery, called the L600. The battery was announced at its annual technology conference in Hefei, Anhui Province. Gotion has claimed that the battery will enable a range of 621 miles on just a single charge.
Mass production of the battery is due to begin in 2024 after successfully passing all necessary safety tests that are required prior to production. The battery can potentially last up to 4,000 charge-discharge cycles, which totals around 2.4 million miles, expanding the average lifespan of a car.
Cheng Qian, the executive president of Gotion Global, said:
“Astroinno L600 LMFP cell achieves 240 Wh/kg in gravimetric energy density and 525Wh/L for volumetric energy density.
“It can achieve more than 4,000 cycles at room temperature and 1800 cycles at high temperature, easily achieves 18 minutes of fast charging, and passes all safety tests.
“Because of the high energy density of Astroinno battery, we can also achieve a range of 1,000km without relying on NCM material.”
The start-up company said that they used electrolyte additives, co-precipitation, doping encapsulation, and new granulation technology in order to combat the problem of Manganese leaching at high temperatures.
The pack is also wrapped with doubles-sided liquid cooling and a minimalist design approach, which has decreased the number of structural parts and weight of the product, compared to previous iterations.
Gotion has not yet disclosed which vehicle will be the first to receive its new L600 cells. However, Volkswagen is already a customer of the company and could potentially be the first company to receive the product.
The Asian automotive manufacturing company, Tata Motors, is closing in on deal with UK government to secure funding for a new gigafactory, in Somerset. The factory will be a battery plant that will provide batteries to JLR (Jaguar and Land Rover) vehicles. The Indian conglomerate, Tata, is currently deciding between building the factory in the UK or Spain.
Last week, UK government offered the owner of JLR £500m in subsidies as an incentive to build the gigafactory in the UK. Jeremy Hunt put forward the package just days after warnings came from carmakers over the Brexit trade deal and the threat it poses to the future of the British automotive industry. As part of the package, Hunt also offered the construction of improved road access to the proposed site for the gigafactory.
Confirmation of the deal would be a massive boost for EV battery production in Britain. Although the agreement has not been decided on yet, there are big hopes that an announcement will be coming this week.
However, concerns remain about the high energy prices in the UK, which could pose as a possible dealbreaker for the parent company of JLR. Compared to rivals in the EU, the UK’s energy prices are significantly higher, posing as an issue for securing the deal. The JLR chief executive, Adrian Mardell, said that, even if the company chooses to build the factory in Spain, they will continue to retain its car factories in the UK.
According to the The Financial Times, however, the government remains ‘increasingly hopeful’ of pushing the deal through.
A research group has successfully produced clean fuel using an innovative solar-powered method.
The revolutionary technology produces clean fuel by converting carbon dioxide and water into liquid fuel. Using photosynthesis, researchers from the University of Cambridge have effectively converted CO2, water, and sunlight into multi-carbon fuels such as ethanol and propanol.
These solar fuels vary from fossil fuels, as they produce net zero carbon emissions and are entirely renewable. They also do not take away any agricultural land that could be utilised for food production, unlike biofuels.
While the technology is only at the laboratory scale, the researchers have reassured that this discovery remains as an important step in transitioning towards an economy that is not based on fossil fuels.
Dr. Motiar Rahaman, the study’s first author, said:
“Shining sunlight on the artificial leaves and getting liquid fuel from carbon dioxide and water is an amazing bit of chemistry.
“Normally, when you try to convert CO2 into another chemical product using an artificial leaf device, you almost always get carbon monoxide or syngas, but here, we’ve been able to produce a practical liquid fuel just using the power of the Sun.”
The development will open up exciting new avenues for the automotive industry and indicates hope for a far more sustainable method of producing car fuel.
A new collaboration between Rolec EV and Wattif EV has been announced as part of a strategic plan to accelerate electric charging (EV) infrastructure across the UK and Ireland. The charging points manufacturer, Rolec EV, will be partnering up with Wattif EV, an end-to-end EV charging provider.
The alliance means that Wattif EV will be able to offer two funding options to Rolec EV customers. The first, a fully funded complete turnkey solution including hardware, charge point installation, maintenance, and software. The second, is a joint venture solution in which Wattif EV will take responsibility for installation, maintenance, and operation but as equal partners with the customer. The upfront capital cost and net revenue will be supplied and shared between the two also.
The partnership announcement follows funding of €50M to Wattif EV from a leading Pan-European investment fund to help with financing their strategy.
The collaborating partners hope that they will enable a greater accessibility for the installation of EV charging points for landowners. It will also enable Wattif EV with a greater range of charge point hardware to expand their business.
Steve Rees, Wattif EV Managing Director for the UK & Ireland, said:
“Rolec’s smart EV charging hardware, combined with Wattif’s turnkey solution and funding options, is the perfect solution to enable everyone to install and operate EV charging in their car park.
Improvements to charging infrastructure and access to charge points play a key role in EV adoption, the elimination of range anxiety and the achievement of legislative targets for 2030. Wattif EV UK is keen to address the EV charging demands across all sectors. Together as Rolec’s approved funding provider, I know we have a very convincing proposition for both new and existing installations to be managed on smart charging networks.
This partnership for Wattif EV provides Rolec clients and installers with turnkey funding models to help them on their route to net zero and transition to electric vehicle adoption.”
onsemi and ZEEKR have announced a long-term supply agreement. Through this partnership, onsemi will provide its EliteSiC silicon carbide power devices to increase the powertrain efficiency of ZEEKR’s smart electric vehicles.
This aims to increase the power-train efficiency of ZEEKR’s smart electric vehicles (EVs), resulting in improved performance, faster charging speeds and extended driving range.
ZEEKR will adopt onsemi EliteSiC MOSFET, 1200V, M3E with enhanced electrical and mechanical performance and reliability to support its expanding portfolio of high-performance EVs
“With cutting-edge technologies such as advanced SiC, ZEEKR will be able to offer electric vehicles with improved performance and even lower carbon emissions,” said Andy An, CEO of ZEEKR Intelligent Technology. “As a brand committed to sustainability, ZEEKR will continue to explore different ways to accelerate the transition towards new energy vehicles.”
The new LTSA will enable both companies to build a stronger supply chain relationship to support ZEEKR’s growth over the next decade.
“A reliable supply chain is critical to business success and, after significant investments in our SiC end-to-end supply chain, onsemi can offer this strategic value to customers,” said Hassane El-Khoury, president and CEO, onsemi. “This agreement will help our continued ramp of SiC operations, enabling us to offer industry-leading power devices that help our customers deploy the most efficient and highest performing EVs on the market.”
Bosch has announced that it will be expanding its semiconductor business with silicon carbide chips. The technology company plans to acquire assets of the U.S. chipmaker TSI Semiconductors, based in Roseville, California.
The company will have a workforce of 250 and the company is a foundry for application-specific integrated circuits, or ASICs.
Currently, it mainly develops and produces large volumes of chips on 200-millimeter silicon wafers for applications in the mobility, telecommunications, energy, and life sciences industries, states the release.
Bosch has stated that it intends to invest more than 1.5 billion USD in the Roseville site and convert the TSI Semiconductors manufacturing facilities to state-of-the-art processes. Starting in 2026, the first chips will be produced on 200-millimeter wafers based on the innovative material silicon carbide (SiC).
This is a big step for Bosch as it significantly expands its global portfolio of SiC chips by the end of 2030. The full scope of the planned investment will be heavily dependent on federal funding opportunities available via the CHIPS and Science Act as well as economic development opportunities within the State of California.
“With the acquisition of TSI Semiconductors, we are establishing manufacturing capacity for SiC chips in an important sales market while also increasing our semiconductor manufacturing, globally. The existing clean-room facilities and expert personnel in Roseville will allow us to manufacture SiC chips for electromobility on an even larger scale,” says Dr. Stefan Hartung, the chairman of the Bosch board of management. “The location in Roseville has existed since 1984. Over nearly 40 years, the U.S. company has built up vast expertise in semiconductor production. We will now be integrating this expertise into the Bosch semiconductor manufacturing network,” says Dr. Markus Heyn, member of the Bosch board of management and chairman of the Mobility Solutions business sector. “We are pleased to join a globally operating technology company with extensive semiconductor expertise. We are confident that our Roseville location will be a significant addition to Bosch’s SiC chipmaking operations,” says Oded Tal, CEO at TSI Semiconductors.
The new location in Roseville aims to reinforce Bosch’s international semiconductor manufacturing network.
The new chips will begin to be produced in 2026 and will be produced on 200-millimeter wafers in a facility that will offer 10,000 square meters of clean-room space.
“SiC chips are a key component for electrified mobility. By extending our semiconductor operations internationally, we are strengthening our local presence in an important electric vehicle market,” says Dr. Markus Heyn, member of the Bosch board of management and chairman of the Mobility Solutions business sector.
By 2025, Bosch expects to have an average of 25 of its chips integrated in every new vehicle.
General Motors and Samsung SDI have revealed all new plans to invest $3bn to create a joint venture to manufacture battery cells for electric vehicles in the US.
The all-new U.S EV battery plant is expected to begin mass production in 2026 and will have an annual production capcity of over 30 gigawatt hours.
At its full production, the plant is expected to bring GM’s total US battery cell capacity to nearly 160GWh.
Samsung SDI president and CEO Yoon-ho Choi said: “It is a great pleasure to take the very first step to create a long-term industry-leading partnership with GM in the US EV market. We will do our best to provide the products featuring the highest levels of safety and quality produced with our unrivalled technologies to help GM strengthen its leadership in the EV market.”
GM and Samsung SDI plan to jointly operate the battery manufacturing facility. The EV battery cell plant is expected to have production lines to manufacture nickel-rich prismatic and cylindrical cells which will only be supplied for GM’s upcoming EVs.
Teralight has announced the launch of a 250MW solar plant. This is said to be Israel’s largest. The project has been valued at NIS 900 million and was initiated by Teralight company and developed with support from the Moshavim Movement cooperative, an initiative aimed at creating green and cultivated rural space in Israel.
A quarter million Israelis in approximately 63 thousand households will benefit from the clean energy produced. This represents 5.2% of the country’s green energy capacity and 1.2% of its overall electricity capacity.
Rani Lifshitz, CEO of Teralight, said: “The Ta’anakh project advances Israel a significant step towards increasing the use of electricity produced from clean solar energy, produced by Blue and White. The practical meaning of 250 megawatts in the Ta’anakh project, on its two parts, is the supply of electricity to about 60 thousand homes in Israel, during the first half of 2024.”
Israel has an ambitious roadmap as the country’s energy mix must include 30% renewables by 2030. The roadmap predicts that solar will account for approximately 90% of the electricity, and wind, water and biomass making up the remaining 10%.
In order to reach these goals however Israel needs to tackle a lack of land resources and is therefore embracing dual-use solar projects including rooftops, water reservoirs and agrovoltaics.
Octopus Energy has launched the US’s first-ever Fan Club, a unique electricity rate that provides savings when local wind turbines are spinning.
When there is high wind power accounting for 45 percent or more of the Texas grid’s generation during a given period, customers will receive a 50 percent discount on their energy costs.
Starting with South Texas, where wind energy is abundant along the coast, customers can sign up to join the Fan Club at octopusenergy.com/us-fan-club.
“Legacy energy companies constantly think that the solution to a renewable energy grid is more fossil fuel supply,” said Michael Lee, CEO of Octopus Energy US. “Instead, we’re developing a new grid that puts customers and renewables at the center of innovation. Through the Fan Club, we have the opportunity to harness incredibly low-cost electrons that come from renewables and financially reward everyday consumers to shift their usage to periods of energy abundance. This strategy both lowers customer bills and strengthens grid stability. As other states implement large-scale solar and wind buildouts, this can serve as a model for how consumers can be financially rewarded in the energy transition, provided regulators allow us to introduce this innovation to their regions.”
This is Octopus Energy’s latest initiative to enable a smarter, greener future across the US. Earlier this year, Octopus Energy US launched Intelligent Octopus for EV, a smart rate for EV drivers to save up to 20 percent on monthly energy bills by charging when electricity is cheaper, along with a program for customers to integrate household batteries into their energy plans, creating a Virtual Power Plant and further reduce the energy rates customers pay.
South Korea’s government and electric vehicle battery makers have decided to ivest $1.5bn to strengthen the country’s advanced battery manufacturing sector.
The investment will be used through 2030 to support the development of solid-state batteries.
According to a Reuters’ report, the South Korean industry ministry said that this investment help three local battery companies to establish new pilot production plants in the country.
The production units will aim to serve as the ‘product and manufacturing innovation centres’ for the three companies.
Additionally, the production plant will support the manufacturing and assessment of advanced products before their bulk production starts at the oversea production facilities.
These advanced products mainly include cylindrical 4680 cell batteries, solid state batteries as well as cobalt-free batteries.
In a statement, South Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said: “The joint investment will allow South Korea to start commercial production of solid-state batteries ahead of others.”
Furthermore, the industry ministry said that another major objective behind the latest investment is to ‘quadruple domestic production capacity’ in terms of cathode materials.
This will boost the export of equipment related to battery production by at least three times.
StoreDot had entered into an agreement with VinES which will see a strategic investment of VinFast into StoreDot.
This will mark a new milestone in the cell technology development between both companies and will help to promote advanced battery technology and prepare to introduce XFC battery solutions for the green mobility market, including VinFast’s smart electric vehicles.
This agreement will see both companies embark on collaboration to jointly research, develop and offer extreme fast charge battery cells in different form-factors in preparation for XFC battery mass production and supply.
The release states that StoreDot will license and share its proprietary XFC technology whereas VinES will provide and contribute its know-how and experience with multiple form factor development, manufacturing, validation and global supply chain network.
Dr. Doron Myersdorf, StoreDot CEO said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with VinES and further cementing our long-standing relationships with Vingroup and VinFast. This venture is an important one for us as we look to build more partnerships with companies at every level of the EV battery ecosystem such as Vingroup. I’m confident that the combination of our XFC cell chemistry and VinES’s complimentary form-factor development, manufacturing, evaluation, certification, and supply chain capabilities will deliver world-class market leading EV batteries that will raise the bar further for the industry.”
The first generation of XFC battery cell is expected to be commercially available in 2025 and immediately adopted by VinFast vehicles.
Ms Pham Thuy Linh, CEO of VinES said: “The partnership with StoreDot reflects VinES’ s complimentary strategies by combining global innovative technologies with those in-house in our state-of-the-art production of electric vehicle batteries in Vietnam. With the XFC technology, we believe it will offer improved customers’ experience, provide cost savings and remove charging time anxiety entirely. With StoreDot’s team of talented scientists and experienced experts, combined with our know-how in multiple form-factor development, real production experiences, we are excited to work towards a near-future commercialisation of the XFC technology and contribute to the acceleration of the EV revolution globally.”
Northvolt and Scania have announced that they will be joining forces to jointly develop a battery cell for heavy electric vehicles.
In validation tests, the lithium-ion cell has demonstrated an outstanding lifetime resulting in the capacity to power trucks for 1.5 million kilometers – equivalent to the truck’s whole lifetime.
Produced with fossil-free electricity in northern Sweden, the cell’s carbon footprint is approximately one-third that of a comparative industry reference.
Back in 2017, Scania and Northvolt initially partnered to develop and commercialize a world-leading battery cell for heavy commercial vehicles. Now the partnership has evolved and the cell is being produced at Northvolt Ett gigafactory in northern Sweden.
Peter Carlsson, CEO and Co-Founder of Northvolt, comments: “At the outset of this partnership, Northvolt and Scania agreed to an ambitious timeline for the development of a high-performance battery cell which would enable their plans for electrifying heavy transport. To have proceeded through extensive development and validation phases, and now be delivering cells from Northvolt Ett which exceed our initial expectations in terms of performance is a tremendous accomplishment for everyone involved.”
Additionally, Scania will inaugurate a new battery factory in Södertälje, Sweden, where battery cells will be assembled into battery packs for the start of production of heavy-duty electric trucks, later this year.
Scania’s CEO Christian Levin says: “Today marks a milestone on the path towards a sustainable transport system. The future of heavy transport is electric, and to enable the shift and to continue delivering on our brand promise towards customers to be premium, Scania needs top-performing battery cells for our electric trucks. As the development of the battery cell started, we targeted high performance, low operating costs and long lifetime. We decided on a requirement for the cell to enable a 1.5 million kilometers long lifetime for a heavy-duty Scania vehicle. The tests show that this requirement can not only be met, but also exceeded.”
IKEA has announced a £4.5 million investment in a nationwide electric charging infrastructure. The new network will provide charging points for electric delivery vehicles across the country to enable more emissions-free deliveries. The new infrastructure will source energy entirely through renewable sources.
The new EV infrastructure will become part of IKEA’s ongoing transformation to become more affordable, accessible, and sustainable. The company aims to reach 100% zero emissions deliveries to customers by 2025.
By summer 2023, IKEA has plans achieve 60% zero emission deliveries in the UK and Ireland, highlighting the significant steps being taken to accelerate moving towards the 2025 goal.
This will be one of the biggest EV charging infrastructure projects for last mile fleets in the UK and will see IKEA install 196 chargers, of which 53 will be rapid, providing full charge on vehicles in under an hour.
The chargers will be located at IKEA stores across the country, as well as the new Dartford customer distribution centre due to open in spring 2023, with the first ones fitted and operational in IKEA Cardiff.
This move is incredibly important in allowing IKEA to continue expanding the electric vehicle fleets being used to deliver to customers’ homes, with the ambition to reach over 500 by 2025, with the charging points will be used by both IKEA and partner electric vehicles.
Jakob Bertilsson, Country Customer Fulfilment Manager at IKEA UK & Ireland, said: “Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do at IKEA, and we are always looking for ways to reduce our impact on the planet while supporting our customers to live more sustainable lives at home. Investing in this infrastructure of nationwide charging points is a fundamental step in our ambition to reach 100% zero emissions customer deliveries from all IKEA stores and distribution centres by 2025, as well as supporting our ambition to become a climate positive business by 2030.”
IKEA’s commitment to rolling out an electric vehicle charging infrastructure will advance the UK Government’s ambitions to achieve its legally binding targets of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, building on their response to the Skidmore Review. The investment from IKEA has been welcomed by the Government.
Transport Decarbonisation Minister Jesse Norman said: “It is great to see IKEA investing heavily in EV chargepoints and decarbonising its vehicle fleet. This investment is the latest example of businesses and government working together to decarbonise all aspects of road transport, improve air quality and create healthier, buzzing communities.”
To build the nationwide infrastructure, IKEA is partnering with Mer, a European charging company owned by Statkraft, which is Europe’s largest renewable energy producer. Mer will be responsible for the end-to-end implementation and ongoing management and maintenance.
AustinEnergy has implemented a customer driven initiative that is removing barriers of EV adoption by improving the consumer EV buying experience through the recently launched initiative, Austin Drives Electric Dealership Program.
Austin Energy is a publicly owned utility in the city of Austin, Texas. The company is making a name for itself as a leader in electric vehicle (EV) technology and education.
This project aims to improve the customer buying experience with an online EV Buyer’s Guide, the first of its kind, interactive consumer engagement experience to help people make the switch from gas to electric vehicles.
The EV Buyer’s Guide, available at EV.AustinEnergy.com, allows interested buyers to browse real-time new and used electric vehicle models in the Austin area and compare models that fit individual needs and budget.
The guide also provides information about available incentives and tax credits, personalized for AustinEnergy customers, and a full list of charging stations in Austin and the surrounding areas.
Austin Energy has established the benchmark for how electric utilities across the country can effectively support automobile dealerships and the general public in accelerating electric vehicle adoption.
The company has launched Austin Drives Electric Dealership Program with the intention of improving the automobile buying experience.
The company wished to create a platform that would make the buying experience for electric vehicles as straight forward as possible. They then became the first utility in the U.S to offer a live EV inventory browser. This platform showcases all EV options in their vicinity.
Since the launch of this initiative, Austin Energy confirms that ~8,000 EVs have been sold and registered since the launch of the Austin Drives Electric Dealership Program initiative.
This will be itselectric’s first pilot, in partnership with the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and Steiner Studios, with support from Hyundai Motor North America
Six chargers have been deployed at the Brooklyn Army Terminal and the Brooklyn Navy Yard in Spring 2023
itselectric, a Brooklyn-based electric vehicle curbside charging company, today announced a strategic partnership with Hyundai CRADLE and New York City Economic Development Corporation to demonstrate curbside EV charging specifically built for cities. The EV chargers will be the first compact, durable, and user-friendly charge post featuring a fully detachable charging cord in North America – making it suitable and ideal for urban city use.
itselectric is the only charging network that offers revenue sharing for residential property owners. This model enables property owners to be part of the EV transition through positive incentives that will help make this solution easier to adopt in markets around the country. The pilot program will be itselectric’s largest public demonstration of its charging network, which is designed to help cities meet their carbon reduction targets and reduce capital expenditure by completely avoiding the infrastructure upgrades normally needed to support on-street charging. This technology brings EV charging to new urban neighborhoods, which enables more people to make the switch to electric vehicles and aligns with Hyundai’s objective of democratizing electric vehicle technology.
The pilot is a result of itselectric being named as a finalist in Hyundai CRADLE’s EV Open Innovation Challenge. Finalists were selected based on their potential to expand market access to electric vehicles and improve customer charging experiences using innovative technology and business models as evaluated by Hyundai CRADLE with support from Hyundai Motor North America.
“The team at Hyundai has been incredibly supportive and we could not have envisioned a better place than Brooklyn, where it all began, to put our first chargers into the ground,” said Nathan King, CEO & Co-Founder of itselectric. “The United States has high goals for electric vehicle adoption, but the country is not currently prepared for what this means in terms of accessible charging. Our technology is specifically built for cities to ensure that every community – no matter the median income or prevalence of driveways and garages – has access to clean transportation.”
This initial limited pilot program will see six charging posts deployed across 2 locations: The Brooklyn Army Terminal and Steiner Studios starting in spring 2023. The posts will be operational for two months and open to publicly recruited EV drivers local to the area, allowing user testing to validate and inform a for-market product.
“Hyundai CRADLE Silicon Valley is excited to be launching this pilot program in collaboration with HMNA and itselectric,” said Henry Chung, Senior Vice President, Head of Hyundai CRADLE Silicon Valley. “Curbside charging is an important part of the EV charging ecosystem that can provide access for those who rely on public charging, and we look forward to exploring this opportunity.”
“Expanding access to EV charging and accelerating the transition to zero-emission vehicles for everyone, regardless of the kind of home or neighborhood in which they live is part of our mission, ‘progress for humanity,” added Olabisi Boyle, Vice President, Product Planning and Mobility Strategy, Hyundai Motor North America. “itselectric’s modular AC charging solution brings low-cost, revenue-generating infrastructure to traditionally underserved urban communities around the country. Hyundai is dedicated to a greener future and our partnership with itselectric will help us achieve our goal of carbon neutrality by 2045.”
“NYCEDC is excited to welcome itselectric to the Brooklyn Army Terminal to pilot their state-of-the-art curbside electric vehicle chargers,” said NYCEDC President and CEO Andrew Kimball. “Promoting and expanding access to EV charging infrastructure is the key to encouraging New Yorkers to invest in electric vehicles and creating a cleaner, more sustainable future for New York City.”
“We’re thrilled to bring itselectric charging stations to Steiner Studios,” said Doug Steiner, Chairman, Steiner Studios. “We, and our film and television production clients, want to do our part for a greener future. It’s an honor to kick off these efforts by collaborating with itselectric, Hyundai, and NYCEDC.”
To learn more about itselectric and join its waitlist as a property owner, EV driver, or aspiring EV driver, please visit itselectric.us.
About itselectric
Millions of drivers park their cars on the street and cannot transition to electric vehicles without convenient and affordable on-street charging infrastructure. itselectric is accelerating the rate of adoption of EVs by providing communities with scalable and simple curbside EV charging that seamlessly integrates into their neighborhoods. itselectric’s solution ensures that every community – no matter the median income or prevalence of driveways and garages – has access to clean transportation
itselectric’s “behind the meter” approach results in zero impact on municipal budgets. They partner with cities across the U.S. to install, operate and maintain chargers at no cost to the city or to the host property owner – all while allowing property owners to earn passive income every month. To learn more, please visit itselectric.us.
About Hyundai CRADLE
Hyundai CRADLE works around the globe as an open innovation hub for Hyundai Motor Group, partnering with and investing in global startups to accelerate the development of advanced automotive technologies. CRADLE collaborates with universities, investment companies, venture capitalists, and numerous research groups.
About Hyundai Motor America
Hyundai Motor America focuses on ‘Progress for Humanity’ and smart mobility solutions. Hyundai offers U.S. consumers a technology-rich lineup of cars, SUVs, and electrified vehicles. Our 830 dealers sold more than 724,000 vehicles in the U.S. in 2022, and nearly half were built at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama. For more information, visit www.HyundaiNews.com.
About New York City Economic Development Corporation
New York City Economic Development Corporation is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization that creates shared prosperity across New York City by strengthening neighborhoods and creating good jobs. We work with and for communities to bring emerging industries to New York City; develop spaces and facilities for businesses; empower New Yorkers through training and skill-building; and invest in sustainable and innovative projects that make the city a great place to live and work. To learn more about what we do, visit us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
About Steiner Studios
Led by Doug Steiner, Steiner NYC and its predecessor companies have been builders and developers for over 100 years. Steiner has developed, constructed, leased and managed over 10 million square feet of real estate in fifteen states. Notable projects include Steiner Studios, comprised of 900,000 square feet of film and television production facilities on 50 acres inside the historic Brooklyn Navy Yard, and “Hub,” a 750-unit, 56-story, mixed-income rental tower in the Boerum Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn. Steiner is currently developing Steiner Sequel, an 800,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art film and television production studio in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.
Volkswagen has announced that it will join the partnership of Vale, Ford and Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt to create an electric vehicle battery ecosystem in Indonesia.
Indonesia’s minister of investment Bahlil Lahadalia revealed that the German car manufacturer would be partnering with the other companies in a series of joint ventures in the country. Additionally, they aim to help to develop the supply of raw materials.
The agreement aims to see Volkswagen capitalise on Indonesia’s vast quantities of nickel. The south Asian state is the world’s leading source of the metal that forms a vital part of EV batteries. Volkswagen will take their nickel from a mine owned by Vale, which is among the country’s largest nickel producers.
Ford and Volkswagen hope to lower the cost of EV production and hope to mitigate the expense at which their batteries are made.
Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo has already pledged to improve the standard of Indonesia’s nickel operations. This is in preparation for the expected boom in nickel mining in the country.
On Sunday, XPeng revealed its new platform architecture for making vehicles that will set the foundation for future production models and hopes to reduce the cost of development and manufacturing.
The Smart Electric Platform Architecture (SEPA) 2.0 is aiming to shorten the R&D cycle for future models by 20%, as well as cut costs on adaptations for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and smart infotainment systems by 70% and 85%.
The modular, interchangeable vehicle platform will support a range of vehicle types, like XPeng’s upcoming G6 coupe SUV. This will debut at the Shanghai Autoshow.
The all-new G6 will be the first vehicle on the SEPA 2.0 platform. The G9 SUV, which hit the Chinese market last September, starts at 309,900 RMB (~$45,000 USD). XPeng’s P5 sedan starts at around 160,000 RMB (~$25,000 USD).
XPeng has not revealed any pricing yet for the G6 so it’s not clear what sort of prices the automaker will be targeting with SEPA 2.0.
In the first quarter of the year, XPeng delivered 18,230 EVs. The company hopes its new P7i sports sedan, the new G6 and a yet-to-be-unveiled 7-seat multi-purpose vehicle will help boost sales this year.
