Oxbotica have announced a new strategic collaboration with Google Cloud that aims to help accelerate the deployment of its autonomous software platform to customers around the world.
The partnership aims to combine Google Cloud’s expertise in cloud infrastructure with Oxbotica’s leading autonomous vehicle software to create safe and scalable autonomous driving solutions for any business in its value chain. The release states that the businesses will include last-mile logistics, agriculture, light industry and public transport.
Oxbotica has said that it plans to use Google Cloud products like Vertex AI, to help develop, test, validate, and verify its self-driving technology. It also aims to leverage Google Cloud’s cyber security technologies to help ensure secure use of autonomous mobility technology.
Oxbotica will also use Google Cloud to generate digital twins in Oxbotica’s MetaDriver. This is an AI-powered metaverse that connects and controls virtual and physical fleets together which will send real-time analytics on performance.
Oxbotica’s MetaDriver automatically generates a vast bank of virtual scenarios to help ensure the safety of autonomous vehicles. Google Cloud will provide the data and machine learning tools to enable MetaDriver to apply Oxbotica’s proprietary generative AI tools to the extensive bank of virtual scenarios including unusual edge cases that are often economically, environmentally or physically impractical to discover in conventional testing.
“We are thrilled to partner with Google Cloud to accelerate bringing autonomous driving solutions to market globally. Google Cloud is a global leader in cloud infrastructure and using its cutting-edge technology and AI powered tools will strengthen our proposition for our customers,” said Gavin Jackson, CEO of Oxbotica.
Through this partnership, Oxbotica will be able to easily scale prototype vehicles into full fleets. This hopes to aid the transition to autonomy.
“The combination of Oxbotica’s leading technology and our reliable infrastructure and AI and data-enabled cloud platform has the potential to accelerate autonomous mobility in a variety of industrial use cases,” said Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud. “From last mile logistics to public transportation, we look forward to working together to positively impact the lives of end users.”
The release states that Oxbotica intends to use Google Cloud infrastructure to make available application programming interfaces (APIs) for autonomous driving, which will enable its customers to create new lines of business (such as applications and other products), as well as more easily manage their existing data and services.
Decisionmakers at the European Parliament and members of the EU Council have announced that they have reached an agreement on a new law mandating a significant increase in electric vehicle recharging and hydrogen refueling stations across Europe’s main transport networks, aimed at enabling the transition to zero emission transport, and addressing consumer refueling concerns that could impede the switch to zero emission vehicles.
The agreement marks another step towards the completion of the European Commission’s “Fit for 55” roadmap” – the EU’s proposed strategy to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 55% by 2030. This requires all new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles registered in the EU to be zero emission by 2035.
The proposed legislation sets requirements for publicly available charging infrastructure for cars and vans, based on the number of registered battery-electric cars in each member state, and for the deployment of fast-charging stations every 60 km along the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) by 2025, as well as for recharging stations dedicated to heavy-duty vehicles every 60 km along the TEN-T core network, and every 100 km on the larger TEN-T comprehensive network from 2025 onwards, with complete network coverage to be achieved by 2030, in addition to recharging stations at parking areas and delivery nodes.
The law will also require the deployment of hydrogen refueling infrastructure which will serve cars and trucks every 200km along the TEN-T core network by 2030.
The new legislation will also provide electricity at maritime ports and airports for vessels at berth and stationary aircraft.
The uptake of electric vehicles is currently being pushed by governments all over the world, especially in the U.S and around Europe. The European Union has voted to ban the sale of all ICE vehicles by 2035 and aims to have 30 million electric vehicles on the road by 2030. In the U.S, the Biden administration is also aiming to increase charging infrastructure all over the country. California has been one of the first states to ban the sale of petrol-powered vehicles by 2035.
As countries around the world are looking to foster EV adoption, the industry is facing a new challenge: cybersecurity. Although our EVs are part of a huge solution to reduce our environmental impact, given the connected nature of most vehicles and their reliance on power grids, they are often vulnerable to cyber-attacks.
A recent study made by Deloitte Canada highlighted that 84% of cyber-attacks on vehicles were done remotely, and 50% of all attacks were done in the past two years. This indicates that we can expect to see cybersecurity issues rise even more in the next few years. The report showed an incident of an industry leader in the CASE vehicle marketplace that had 25 of their company’s vehicles remotely accessed by a teenage hacker. The hacker determined each of the vehicle’s locations, whether a driver was in the vehicle and most significantly, ran commands remotely.
Most recently, researchers at Synactiv have discovered vulnerabilities within Tesla’s that would enable them to distract the driver with some annoying tactics and potentially turn the car on and off and steer the wheel.
EV systems often rely on Wi-Fi and cellular data in order to provide real-time updates in navigation and optimal route planning which leaves certain systems vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Furthermore, an entire eco-system of public charging stations can be linked to power grids when drivers are not charging at home, which creates an entirely new entry for security breaches. Many different scenarios could occur however, an EV driver could be subject to data alteration, insertion of malware and unauthorized access to private information.
To protect EV drivers from these ever-growing cybersecurity threats, EV makers will need to strategically plan how to protect their entire eco-system. This is from home charging, EV communication systems and local charging infrastructure.
Companies will need to begin integrating automated security systems into the design of the vehicles to manage user logins and access. This will reduce the number of touchpoints for users and in turn, limit the overall attack surfaces that EV ecosystems create. Additionally, automakers will need to utilise security by design. Through adapting security protocols to use encrypted data instead of a simple “username” and “password”, this will ensure that firmware failures will not occur.
Most importantly, transparency is key across the whole industry. Regulations should be made to ensure the necessary communication is made so that all security measures are supported by all those that are involved.
EVs are becoming more and more common on our roads, and therefore, a cybersecurity roadmap is crucial to keeping cars and its users safe whilst on the road. We must protect our electric vehicles from vulnerability as we usually would with any laptop or computer in our homes. To help maximise EV protection, OEM’s, governments and technology companies must work together.
Japan and the United States have reached an agreement on trade in critical minerals for electric vehicle batteries, part of an effort to ensure secure supplies of strategically important resources.
The deal is expected to help electric vehicles using metals processed in Japan qualify for tax incentives under President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.
The Act includes a tax credit of up to $7,500 that could be used to purchase an electric vehicle but requires such vehicles to have a portion of the critical minerals used in their batteries to be mined in or processed domestically or from countries with which the U.S. has free trade agreements. Japan and the U.S. have no such FTA.
Japanese officials have said that the deal will grant Japan the same treatment as an FTA partner regarding such minerals.
The agreement to not impose export duties on trade in lithium, cobalt, manganese, nickel and graphite is a great step forward for Japanese automakers and companies like Panasonic.
“As we expect a significant increase of demand for EV batteries going forward, securing critical minerals indispensable for their production is a pressing task,” Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters.
“The deal is aimed at establishing resilient supply chains through cooperation between Japan and the United States, as well as like-minded countries, by strengthening cooperation to secure sustainable and fair supply chains for those critical minerals,” he said.
The U.S. government wants to ensure a stable, secure supply of lithium and other materials needed for EV batteries, heat pumps and large-capacity batteries for the electric grid.
“This announcement is proof of President Biden’s commitment to building resilient and secure supply chains,” U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said in a statement.
Tai said the U.S. “would continue to work with our allies and partners to strengthen supply chains for critical minerals, including through the Inflation Reduction Act.”
The Treasury Department is expected to release details about tax credits and adjustments to the law soon.
Globally, transport accounts for almost a quarter of carbon dioxide emissions, and road vehicles such as cars, trucks and buses account for nearly 75% of those emissions. The electrification of public transport offers a great opportunity for countries to reach their net zero goals and to build low-carbon cities.
Electric bus adoption in public transport urban fleets is increasing all over the world. While the interest began in China, now in the U.S, battery-electric buses are expected to remain the lowest-carbon option in every part of the country, and Europe is seeing an evergrowing increase in electric bus fleets.
In the first half of 2022, 1767 electric buses were registered in Europe which was nearly double what was registered the year before. The global electric bus market is expected to reach 670k units in 2027 according to a report made by MarketsandMarkets. Although the Asia Specific region has occupied 98% of the world’s deployed electric buses, North America is projected to be the fastest-growing market during the forecast period.
Here are some of the leading electric bus makers, racing to get a portion of the 1.2 million e-buses on the road globally by 2025.
BYD Motors
BYD has become one of the most established e-bus makers in the world in the last 10 years while also being one of the largest electric vehicles manufacturers in the last three years. In recent months, has secured Europe’s largest single order of 246 buses to Dutch global public transport provider Keolis Nederland BV. The company have also won the largest order for pure-electric buses outside of China to date, supplying 10002 electric buses to Bogota, Colombia.
BYD has deployed more than 60,000 electric buses around the world and have more than 18 million zero-emission electric miles driven across America. In the U.S, BYD America operates a bus and battery plant in Lancaster California.
Proterra
North America is expected to be the fastest growing e-bus market in the world. Proterra has sold more than 1000 electric buses since 2004, making it the largest e-bus manufacturer in North America.
Proterra’s ZX5 Electric Transit Bus models boast some of the lowest operating costs and the largest range potential of buses of its kind — a whopping 329 miles on a single charge.
The California-based company develops its battery packs in house and back in 2019, launched a battery leasing program to minimise upfront costs and provide financing options for transit buyers.
The Biden administration’s plan to make all new American-built buses operate with zero emissions by 2030 is hugely advantageous to Proterra and other U.S. e-bus manufacturers, as it will allow access to critical resources to electrify transportation and drive domestic sales.
VDL Groep
VDL Groep is a Netherlands based company that originally began as a family business and is now one of the leading heavy-duty electric transport providers in Europe. The company has manufacturing plants domestically and in Belgium.
Back in January, VDL received its largest order for electric buses from EBS. With no less than 193 new generation VDL Citeas, EBS will start the newly formed Zaanstreek-Waterland concession in December 2023.
Yutong
Yutong has contributes significantly to China’s domination of heavy-duty electric vehicle sales and manufacturing. It is headquartered in Zhengzhou of central China’s Henan Province. Every year,Yutong’s new energy buses can reduce carbon emissions by 3,000,000 tons, which is equivalent to the CO2 absorption of a 7,000-hectare broad-leaved forest, greatly improving the urban atmospheric environment with significant social and environmental benefits.
Yutong has four manufacturing bases for conventional buses, new energy buses, special vehicles and parts & components.
The bus plants include five production procedures, 15 production lines as well as completed road test procedures, covering an area of 2,466,000 square meters with an annual production and sales volume of more than 70,000 units.
What does the future look like for electric bus fleets?
The United Nations has estimated that 2.5 billion people will live in cities by 2050 which will account for two thirds of the world’s population. Three million city buses already operate globally and more than 13%, over 385,000, are electric vehicles according to Bloomberg. Through the utilisation of electric bus fleets, cities could reduce a growing share of carbon emissions produced by their transportation systems.
However, introducing new fleets presents a series of hurdles for many city and transport authorities. Firstly, it is a huge initial investment for cities and although this is offset by lower operating costs, many do not have the finances to build the systems and infrastructure to accompany it. Investing in new electric transport could potentially mean that cities will have to rethink cities and update infrastructure.
Introducing new electric bus fleets goes beyond just simply replacing petrol powered buses, it requires a new charging infrastructure, ticketing and payment system and software that gathers vehicle movements, which proves to be highly resourceful for agencies.
These challenges can only be solved through private and public partnerships between national governments, city authorities, vehicle manufacturers and technology companies.
Due to this grant, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) mandated the transition to 100 percent zero-emission bus fleets by 2040. The company pledged to help with the transition to achieve their zero emissions goals.
The Los Angeles Country Metropolitan Transportation Authority (L.A. Metro) initiated the transition of its entire bus fleet and bus maintenance facilities from compressed natural gas to zero-emission technology. This is one of the most significant efforts to date.
Similarly, in San Diego, the North County Transit District (NCTD) said that it would provide planning support for a phased implementation to transition from diesel and compressed natural gas buses to battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
Additionally, in London, the Mayor has invested more than £300 million to transform London’s bus fleet. Currently, the city has around 850 zero emission buses operating, with more looking to go into service once the infrastructure to support them has been built.
Across the globe in India, Mumbai is set to have the biggest e-bus fleet in the country as they expected 50 new electric double deckers to hit the road back in October which would take the bus fleet to over 450.
Throughout the globe there are companies and cities making huge efforts to electrify their fleet and hitting the highest low emission targets to date. If only we had the time to name them all. As public transport accounts for some of the highest emission percentages, it is vital that fleets and manufacturers make the transition to save our cities and their environment.
● Orilla Asset Management (an investment company owned by Francisco Riberas’ direct family), and AXIS, through Fond-ICO Next Tech, among other investors, have participated in the financing round of Spanish multi-mobility company Cabify. Thus, they join in this round the investment made by Mutua Madrileña in July 2022 and the loan granted by the EIB.
● Thanks to the funds raised, Cabify will accelerate in key areas of its strategic plan, such as the growth of the company in the countries where it is present, the electrification of the fleet in Spain and Latin America, and its technological innovation strategy.
Madrid, March 28, 2023. International multi-mobility company Cabify is moving forward with its strategic plan and will accelerate its objectives thanks to capital raising. Cabify has raised funding worth $110 million with participation from Orilla Asset Management (an investment company owned by Francisco Riberas’ direct family), and AXIS, through Fond-ICO Next Tech, among other investors, have backed Spain’s leading sustainable mobility and technology project. Thus, they join in this round the investment made by Mutua Madrileña in July 2022 and the loan granted by the EIB.
Juan de Antonio, CEO of Cabify, said: “This commitment from strategic investors is a recognition of Cabify’s positive impact and potential to continue creating long-term value for our investors and the cities in which we operate. These are partners who share our vision for the sustainable mobility industry and will enable us to accelerate the delivery of our strategic plan”.
Accelerating profitable growth in Spain and Latin America
Over the past few years, Cabify has demonstrated its ability to generate its own resources and develop its business and mobility transformation plan with a focus on profitable growth. In fact, as an estimated preview of its financial results, the company’s turnover in 2022 is already 24% higher than in 2019, and 32% higher than in 2021. Juan de Antonio, CEO of Cabify, explains that “the project is experiencing a stage of maturity and sustainable growth that is unique in its sector. Our goal is to accelerate our strategic plan, and, in the coming years, we expect Cabify to significantly increase in revenue volume and profitability.”
The company plans to multiply its revenues by 3 in the next 3 years. With this new capital injection, it will increase its market share in the countries where it operates, and, among other projects, it will expand to more than 25 cities in Latin America and Spain. Cabify’s expansion targets include cities with more than 200,000 inhabitants. At the end of 2022 and as a result of the closure of operations of the Beat platform in Latin America, Cabify closed a collaboration agreement with this company to reference Cabify as a preferential mobility alternative for passengers and drivers, achieving extraordinary results. The company’s new resources will enable it to maximize the impact of this partnership and further improve mobility in the region. In addition, the company will continue to invest in new business lines such as Cabify Logistics, the unit launched to transform the logistics needs of companies.
More investment in Cabify’s Sustainable Business Strategy
Among the priority commitments that Cabify expects to undertake in the coming years, its roadmap for reducing emissions from mobility stands out. The Spanish multi-mobility company has set itself the goal that all trips made on its platform will be in zero-emission vehicles in Spain by 2025 and in Latin America by 2030. In both regions, electrified mobility projects are being implemented through alliances with manufacturers and the activation of categories that only incorporate electrified vehicles (plug-in hybrids, electric vehicles, etc.).
Cabify has been transforming the way people move around the city for more than 11 years and has more than 1,000 employees in Spain and Latin America. Today the company operates in 7 countries and more than 40 cities, has more than 42 million registered users, and 1.2 million collaborating drivers and taxi drivers.
About Cabify
Cabify is a multi-mobility platform for people and objects that offers various alternatives to reduce urban travel in private cars, taking advantage of technology to make cities better places to live.
And, all of this, while being an economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable company. Cabify, a member of the UN Global Compact, stands out for its commitment to talent and the local ecosystem, generating high-value jobs and declaring 100% of its activity in each country. In 2018 it became the first carbon-neutral platform in its sector and since then it has been globally offsetting its emissions and those of its passengers, and meets an annual reduction commitment.
Cabify has been transforming the way people move around the city for 10 years, with more than 42 million registered users and 1.2 million collaborating drivers and taxi drivers. After being born in Madrid, the company spread, within a few months, to Latin America and is currently present in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Spain, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay.
Velocity Truck Rental and Leasing has announced that it will be adding 200 battery-electric trucks including Class 8 Freightliner eCascadia’s and 75 Class 6&7 Freightline eM2’s from Daimler Truck North America to its commercial truck rental and full-service leasing business.
The new fleet will be supported by infrastructure to charge vehicles in 90 mins or under. Velocity will install 39 dual port 150 kW chargers at multiple Southern California locations along transit corridors.
Seventeen will be installed in Rancho Dominguez, 10 in Fontana, 10 in Industry and two in San Diego.
“Our customers are always at the forefront of what we do, and we know firsthand what it takes to put electric trucks and infrastructure in place,” said David Deon, president of Velocity Truck Rental and Leasing. “The acquisition of our new battery-powered fleet allows our customers the opportunity to go zero-emissions quickly, in addition to offering cost-saving measures through quick-charging infrastructure that is included in our leasing program.”
Both Freightliner models are battery-powered to be able to run up to 230 miles. The statement highlights that the larger eCascadia is an all-electric version of North America’s best-selling Class 8 truck suited for short-haul and last-mile delivery routes. The eM2 is a highly maneuverable, quiet and comfortable Class 6-7 EV truck engineered for regional pick-up and delivery routes.
“The Velocity team is making considerable investments to help its fleet customers successfully integrate medium- and heavy-duty battery-electric vehicles into their operations, as well as help DTNA make progress toward its global freight electrification goals,” said DTNA SVP, Sales and Marketing, David Carson. “As one of DTNA’s largest dealership partners, Velocity also adds value as a solution-orientated member on our EV taskforce identifying tactical methods to electrify more fleets in the commercial sector.”
The entire fleet of 200 battery-electric trucks is scheduled to be in service by 2025. The first five Freightliner eCascadia trucks are currently being deployed to Arrowlink Logistics to support pickups and deliveries at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
“Our team is excited to integrate zero-emission Freightliner eCascadia trucks into our port drayage operations so that we can reduce our impact on the local community as we transport freight between Southern California’s busy ports and local warehouses,” said Kevin Kuo, president of Arrowlink USA, Inc. “Velocity Truck Rental & Leasing has made the entire process easy for our team – including helping us determine the right truck configurations for our routes, providing training to our drivers, and supporting us in developing a plan to charge our trucks.”
The U.S Transportation Department plans to announce that it is awarding $94.8 million to 59 projects on advanced technology to boost road safety, improve transit reliability and use drones and sensors for transportation projects.
Back in 2021, the $1 trillion infrastructure law will dedicate $500 million over five years for Smart mobility projects.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the grants would “foster innovations that improve people’s day-to-day lives, making transportation safer, more reliable, more efficient, and more sustainable.”
Under the grant, Detroit is getting $2 million for sensors to create smart intersections by using existing traffic cameras to deploy artificial intelligence software solutions to reduce and prevent traffic accidents.
New Jersey will be receiving $2 million for sensors to address wrong way driving events and New York will be receiving $2 million for an app that will aid the visually impaired customers to safely use the New York Subway and bus routes.
Additionally, LA will receive $2 million to integrate transit trip planning with event planning for major events such as the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic games.
Cleveland, Ohio will get $1.8 million for smart traffic signals to provide the right of way to emergency vehicles, and Harris County, Texas is receiving $2 million for sensors for a new flood warning system.
Three tribal nations in North Dakota are receiving $2 million for drone technology for medical care and equipment deliveries, while a project to use drones to deliver medical supplies in Virginia’s Eastern Shore will get $1.9 million.
Lastly, Massachusetts will get $2 million to use drones and sensors to analyse road infrastructure.
Ford has announced that it will be building a $5.6 billion BlueOval City complex outside of Memphis, Tennessee and will include a truck plant capable of producing 500,000 electric vehicles a year.
The first vehicle to be produced from the line will be a next-generation electric truck in 2025. Contruction at the BlueOval City began last year and aims to be a key component towards its goal to sell 2 million EVs annually by late 2026.
“BlueOval City is the blueprint for Ford’s electric future around the world,” Bill Ford, Ford’s executive chair, said in a statement. “We will build revolutionary electric vehicles at an advanced manufacturing site that works in harmony with the planet, aligning business growth and innovation with environmental progress.”
The general assembly footprint will be 30% smaller than traditional plants and hopes to deliver a higher production capacity, according to the company.
The plant will also be using carbon-free electricity and will use recovered energy from the site’s utility infrastructure and geothermal system to provide carbon-free heat for the assembly. Ford has said that this will save about 300 million cubic feet of natural gas.
The automaker is also developing its second-generation EV truck alongside the all-new assembly plant in an effort to increase operating efficiencies.
When an electric vehicle battery reaches the end of its life, this doesn’t mean it’s the end of the road for the battery. The rise in demand for electric vehicles and other various electronic products means that consumers usually dispose of their electronic products with normal household waste.
Batteries still have the possibility to be given a second life and as many industries are now understanding the need for sustainable and eco-friendly products, we must find a useful way to recycle batteries. The use of emission-free and safe recyclable solutions and technologies to reduce electronic wastage can also be used for recovering expensive materials used in battery production. These factors are expected to drive adoption of battery recycling solutions in various sectors.
According to the International Energy Agency, electric vehicles are expected to rise to as high as 245 million units by 2030 and while they have lots of environmental benefits, their batteries are very hard to recycle, but these companies are offering some of the best solutions to battery recycling.
Redwood Materials
Redwood Materials is based in Nevada and is on its way to becoming the world’s leading battery recycling company. It is transforming the battery supply chain by offering large scale sources of domestic anode and cathode materials produced from recycled batteries, that go directly back to U.S cell manufacturers.
They take batteries at the end of their life and break them into their basic metals and will then rebuild those metals into cathode and anode products. Recently, Redwood has announced their next Battery Materials Campus in the heart of the “Battery Belt” outside of Charleston, South Carolina.
2. Li-Cycle
Li-Cycle is a global leader in battery resource recovery and the leading lithium-ion battery recycler in North America. The company has four operational Spoke recycling facilities in North America with the capacity to process 51,000 tonnes of lithium-ion battery materials per year.
Li-Cycle has plans to expand its network in Europe as it aims to have a Spoke in Germany that hopes to be operational in the second half of 2023.
Ecobat Logistics
Ecobat is a company that manages the collection and waste of battery scrap. Ecobat has a great collection system for lead-acid batteries, accumulators, and other types of battery chemistries, including lithium batteries, which plays a key role in European recycling which is beneficial to both people and nature.
It owns nearly 27 companies and offers its solutions majorly for the freight transportation arrangement industry.
ReCell Center
ReCell Center was launched by the U.S Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Office and is the first advanced battery recycling R&D center. The center aims to help the U.S compete in the global recycling industry and reduce the country’s reliance on foreign sources of battery materials.
The center is aiming to develop recycling technologies and in turn help reduce the cost of EV batteries and drive up the value in recycling EV batteries.
Global Battery Alliance
The Global Battery Alliance is a public-private collaboration platform that was founded at the World Economic Forum in 2017 that aims to help establish a sustainable battery value chain by 2030. The GBA has a key vision to foster a circular, responsible and just battery value chain.
The GBA estimates that batteries could enable 30% of required cuts in carbon emissions in the two industries to reach the 2° goal of the Paris Agreement. They could also provide 600 million people with access to electricity and create 10 million sustainable jobs worldwide by 2030.
What are the benefits of battery recycling?
Batteries that are used and disposed of can lead to a large amount of electronic waste and therefore, finding news strategies to develop batteries that are highly recyclable can reduce this electronic waste after battery use. Furthermore, when batteries are disposed of, expensive elements stored in the battery can be wasted.
Recycling solutions can recover important metals to create new batteries and energy storage solutions. Decreasing the reliance on virgin materials will help slow down the depletion of raw materials from the earth’s surface.
The recycling of batteries has a positive environmental impact, as mining of metals used in EV batteries is an energy-consuming process and can emit sulfur oxide, which can produce acid rain. Recycling batteries will reduce the environmental impact caused by mining.
Recycling EV batteries has huge potential to reduce dependency on raw materials, improve the security of the supply chain and reduce environmental impact. As the demand for EV’s increases, companies must be more conscious of how they dispose of batteries. Through this new system and companies investing into new systems, we may be able to further reduce the human impact we have had on the environment and have less dependency on mining.
Electric car users are now facing a new penalty if they spend too long at electric charge points. From 1st April, a new £30 penalty will be charged for those staying for more than an hour in Aberdeen.
Additionally, in Sheffield the charge will be £20 from the same date. Charges have been similarly introduced across the highlands.
ESB Energy in London has an overstay fee of £8 at 350 charge points after an hour, and at GeniePoint, people will pay an overstay charge of £10 after 90 minutes, and £10 for every 90 minutes after that.
Tesla has also had an overstay fee of 50p or £1 per minute on its network. This depends on how busy the charging station is. The fees have shocked many EV drivers as they were told to make the switch from petrol-powered vehicles to electric.
Electric cars are supposed to be celebrated and have huge benefits in their ownership, but with this new charge, EV drivers may not want to leave their cars charging in busy areas and those who do not yet own an EV will be put off by this change.
However, the cost of installing chargers and connecting them to the National Grid is costing operators a lot of money and therefore they cannot afford to leave them unused.
The Times reported that it costs £1,000 to £2,500 to install a slow charger in a lamppost; £30,000 to £40,000 for a rapid charger at 50 kWh; and £50,000 to £60,000 for an ultra-rapid charger.
For many companies, ensuring that their network is available 24/7 is the only way to make any profit on the chargers.
Hackney has announced that it has become the national leader in electric vehicle charging after Hackney Council signed a contract with Zest to provide and operate its sector-defining charge point rollout of 25,000 fast and slow chargers across the borough’s seven square miles.
This partnership is part of the Council’s commitment to decarbonise the transport system in Hackney. The council is set to agree a further contract for up to 150 rapid chargers across the borough. This will take the total number of charging points in Hackney to 3,000 by 2026.
The council have said that the agreements are the first example of a local authority using its procurement powers and expertise to partner with the private sector to install thousands of new charging points. The rollout will result in the most concentrated network of EV chargers in any local authority area in the UK.
All the charging points will use 100% renewable energy, with a discounted rate available for Hackney residents through Hackney Light and Power, the Council’s energy services arm.
The new charging network hopes to encourage those drivers and businesses to switch to electric vehicles or to new electric vehicle car clubs.
The rollout will come at no cost to the Council, with its partner Zest set to fund the capital and operational costs of the programme.
Mayor of Hackney, Philip Glanville has said “Road transport accounts for 24% of UK carbon emissions and is a significant contributor to air pollution, which is why we want to support people to switch to EVs or car clubs – a key part of the goals set out in our new Climate Action Plan. I hope this ambitious plan for thousands of new charging points shows how local councils can be at the forefront of work to tackle climate change, lead innovation and help to pave the way for wider transport decarbonisation in the UK.”
The first of the new chargers will be installed in late 2023. Of those, 1,500 slow chargers will be mounted on existing lampposts and the 1,000 fast chargers and 150 rapid chargers will be installed in existing parking bays so they do not take up space on pavements. The rollout of the new chargers will be completed by 2026.
Cllr Mete Coban MBE, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport commented saying: “While we are proud to champion walking, cycling and public transport first and foremost, the switch to EVs will help to tackle pollution and create a greener, healthier Hackney. This programme sits alongside our plans for a low traffic Hackney, with thousands of new bike parking spaces and safer walking routes. Over the next few months we want to work with every community in Hackney to shape where these charging points go across our streets and estates.”
New ‘electric vehicle charging only’ parking bays will be introduced by every charge point and, as part of the rollout, every housing estate in the borough will be served by at least one charging point, with a target of a total of 300 charging points located on estates.
Consumers Energy has announced that it is providing rebates for electric vehicle chargers at seven Domino’s Pizza locations in west and mid-Michigan that will serve customers with electric vehicles.
The energy provider is working today with over 50 Michigan-based businesses, schools and hospitals making the generational shift to clean, carbon-free transportation.
“We are thrilled to see Domino’s Pizza take a leadership role and provide an example for others as they upgrade their fleet across Michigan with electric vehicles,” said Lauren Snyder, Consumers Energy’s vice president of customer experience. “Like other Michigan businesses, Domino’s is showing that EVs protect the planet and are a sound business decision.”
The Domino’s locations are:
1380 Wright Ave. in Alma
3928 Plainfield Ave. NE in Grand Rapids
120 S. Dexter St. in Ionia
314 Baldwin St. in Jenison
706 S. Mission St. in Mount Pleasant
101 N. Clinton Ave. in St. Johns
3596 Clyde Park Ave. SW in Wyoming
“Domino’s is excited to lead the charge when it comes to pizza delivery,” said Eric Arntson, franchise owner of the Domino’s Pizza locations. “Using EVs makes sense as vehicle technology continues to evolve. We’re beyond thrilled to offer electric delivery to customers and reduce our environmental impact, one delivery at a time.”
Domino’s Pizza is rolling out electric vehicles across the country. The company plans to have nearly 900 EVs nationwide by the end of this year, including 24 at its seven Michigan locations Consumers Energy is powering.
Consumers Energy is working to power 1 million EVs in the Michigan communities it serves by 2030.
Consumers Energy is fueling the EV transformation in other ways. It has provided over 3,000 incentives and rebates for EV charging across Michigan and is working to install 200 more public and overnight chargers by next year.
Surrey County Council and Connected Kerb have entered a partnership to support the rollout of thousands of electric vehicle chargepoints across the country in the next few years.
The contract is said to be the largest in the UK to date and will release up to £60million of investment for Connected Kerb to install public EV chargepoints across the county.
The aim will be to install thousands over the next five years and Connected Kerb has been licensed to operate the chargepoints for 15 years from installation.
Increasing the number of public chargepoints in Surrey hopes to support residents in making the transition to an EV but do not have charging infrastructure at home.
Connected Kerb will install a mix of chargepoints ranging between slower 3kW and 7kW chargepoints, as well as fast 22kW chargepoints and rapid chargepoints. Their product range includes free-standing and wall-mounted chargepoints, which will cater to those with accessibility needs.
The partnership will see a rapid rollout of on-street charge points, with ambitious plans to install hundreds of charge points within the first year It aims to make one in five of the EV charging bays more accessible to drivers with disabilities, in recognition of the need to make EV adoption a practical reality for the 2.35 million blue badge holders on UK roads.
Marisa Heath, Cabinet Member for Environment, Surrey County Council, said: “We know that emissions from transport are a significant proportion of our carbon footprint in Surrey, so supporting residents to switch to an electric car is essential to helping us achieve our aim of being a net zero county by 2050. Many residents don’t have access to driveways to charge EVs at home, so a comprehensive network of high-quality, reliable and accessible EV chargepoints is essential to supporting the needs of our local communities. We’ve been working with Connected Kerb for almost a year, as part of our pilot phases that have seen us install over 100 chargepoints across Surrey over the last two years. We’re delighted this contract will enable us to speed up the roll-out of further chargepoints and expand our network in the coming years.”
The company highlighted that throughout the contract, Connected Kerb will be identifying suitable on-street locations, using residents’ suggestions made through the company’s online map and approaching public sector and community landowners across the county to identify other suitable locations for public EV chargepoints, including local car cars, NHS sites and educational establishments.
Chris Pateman-Jones, CEO of Connected Kerb, said: “If one local authority can deliver such a significant boost to the UK’s charging network, just imagine what we could achieve by 2030 if every city, county, and combined authority was empowered to do the same. The recent Net Zero Review was clear – local authorities can become the driving force behind the rollout of charging infrastructure across the country, and our partnership with Surrey County Council is case and point. If local authorities are the door to a clean transport future, then charging networks like Connected Kerb are the key, providing the tools and expertise needed to unlock the transition at the pace and scale required to reach net zero. Although the Government’s estimate of 300,000 chargers by 2030 may feel ambitious, it’s eminently possible – and necessary – to achieve; this deal proves it. In addition to the EV chargepoints, the contract will delivery significant value to Surrey residents through Connected Kerb’s social value projects. These will cover a range of initiatives including working with local educational centres to provide industry support to pupils interested in learning about EV chargepoints, providing employability support to vulnerable young people, as well as supporting a number of charities within the county.”
Leicester has launched an all-new, free electric bus service. FREE Hop is to be launched on 3rd April 2023, looping the City Centre and serving Haymarket Bus Station, Highcross, Jubilee Square, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Railway Station and the Market.
The new service features fully electric buses to help the city move forward to its net zero targers, fully branded buses, free Wi-Fi and USB charging points.
Other accessible features include passenger information displays, audio-visual announcements, real-time information displays and text-to-speech facilities.
The service will initially run as part of an 18-month trial, which will allow the city to make any changes necessary to improve the service in the future.
The service will be operated by three fully electric midi-buses, which have double doors in the middle to allow for quicker access. The bus has 21 seats plus a dedicated wheelchair space on board. Wheelchair and pushchair users will need to board and alight the bus via the middle double doors.
The main aim of the trial is to provide accessible, sustainable links from bus and rails stations, and main City Centre bus stops to key destinations across the City Centre such as tourist attractions, the hospital, university and colleges, the Market, shops and theatres, stated Leicester buses.
The service will be operated by Centrebus and will be operating every 10 minutes Monday to Saturday from 8am to 6pm.
Californias new regulation will see a requirement for automakers to sell an increasing number of electric trucks. The new legislation comes in three parts, however, most importantly, the state wishes to see diesel powered trucks gone by 2045.
Additionally, California will be speeding up the regulation that already exists and was implemented by the federal government, which limits the emission of nitrous oxides. The state already vowed to ban petrol powered vehicles last year.
The new regulation would require truckmakers to put these changes into place for the 2024 model year instead of the 2027 model year required by the federal government.
California would also require truckmakers to ensure their new emission controls continue to work over the vehicle’s lifetime.
A further six states including New York, New Jersey, Vermont, Oregon, Washington state, and Massachusetts, are expected to follow California’s lead and implement these regulations as well.
However, this will face challenges. The state is currently being sued by a large number of states for the implementation of the 2035 ICE vehicle ban.
Many are unsure about what effect the new regulations will have on the market but hopefully they will push more businesses to go electric. This could push business towards electric semi-trucks made by Tesla, Volvo and many others.
Hyundai Mobis has announced that they have succeeded in developing an in-wheel system, which lets the motor control each wheel directly. Some of the key feature technologies, including the drive motor and the controller, have been developed by Hyundai Mobis in-house.
The South Korean company has stated that the in-wheel system is the ‘latest technology with no record of being mass-produced anywhere in the world’. Hyundai Mobis is currently verifying its reliability for mass-production based on IONIQ 5 with Hyundai Motor Company.
Hyundai Mobis has been developing the in-wheel system since 2010, and this was in response to the emerging electric car market.
Some key features of the in-wheel system include enhanced drive and power efficiency, longer cruising range, improved driving performance, and unique steer modes.
Using the in-wheel system in the vehicle means the vehicle can maximise the drive efficiency without the need to install a separate power transmission component such as a drive shaft. This will aim to improve power efficiency.
Oh Heung-sub, executive vice president, Head of Electrification, Hyundai Mobis, said, “We plan to complete the development of this technology that is both durable and reliable so that we can begin mass-production of the in-wheel system by the end of this year. We will continue to idealize the technology to ready ourselves for the future of mobility.”
The in-wheel system also improves the driving range of electric vehicles with secured battery capacity. It is able to free up space inside and allows the vehicles to utilise the rooms for existing driving system.
The in-wheel motor is the key technology of the e-corner system. Hyundai Mobis unveild the e-Corner system based on IONIQ 5 at CES 2023.
Hyundai Mobis has stated that it is currently developing the e-Corner System by installing it in real cars with a goal of completing the development within the next five years.
Polestar has announced that it has created a second limited-edition version of Polestar 2 within its Polestar Engineered portfolio – the BST edition 230. Starting with the exceptional chassis modifications developed for ultimate thrills in the original BST edition, the new version puts more focus on performance design details, stated the release.
“Limited drops like the BST edition 230 allow us to explore colours, graphics and materials in faster and more creative ways,” says Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO.
Exclusive green Nebula paintwork and MicroSuede textile for the seats and steering wheel inserts will be available for the 350 kW and 680 Nm Polestar 2 BST edition 230.
The unique design upgrades will be made from partly recycled Nubuck textile. The exterior can also be ordered in Space (black), with an optional full-length body stripe available for either body colour.
All the chassis upgrades that were first implemented on the original Polestar 2 BST edition 270 remain available, including the lowered ride height (-25 mm), specially developed and unique Öhlins 2-way adjustable dampers, front strut bar, 20% stiffer springs and unique black 21-inch alloy wheels that are inspired by those of Polestar 1, fitted with 245/35R21 Pirelli P Zero tyres developed specifically for BST edition cars.
A total of 230 units will be produced for European and North American Polestar markets, with cars available to order immediately online from 21 March 2023 at Polestar.com. Deliveries are expected from the third quarter of 2023.
Volvo Trucks is now starting the sales of heavy battery electric trucks in South Korea and is the first global manufacturer to do so.
Three different electric models are now available for South Korean transport companies to order – helping them, and the government, to reach ambitious climate targets, states the release.
South Korea has a national plan to decrease CO2 emissions and aims for carbon neutrality by 2050. Electrifying road transport is one important measure to cut CO2.
“We think the timing is just right to start selling heavy electric trucks in South Korea,” says Per-Erik Lindström, SVP Volvo Trucks International, and continues: “With 22% market share for heavy-duty trucks in South Korea, we have an important role to play in order to lower the transport sector’s CO2 emissions.”
Volvo hopes for 50% of the new trucks it sells worldwide to be electric by 2030. The company has sold more than 4,300 electric trucks in over 38 countries around the world since its started production of the trucks in 2019.
“The situation is similar in most countries,” explains Per-Erik Lindström. “Large flows of goods are transported short distances where electric trucks work very well. So, when an expanded public network of charging stations is developed, even more transports can be electrified.”
Volvo Trucks has said that it sees that many types of transport needs can be electrified in South Korea, ranging from urban distribution and refuse disposal to regional transportation and construction traffic.There are many different factors that affect how quickly the transition to electric goes.
“It’s obvious that the speed of the electric transition in any country is very dependent on the decisions the authorities make. We see that in the countries that are leading the transition to electric trucks, the progressive governments have combined economic incentives with targeted taxes and environmental zones in cities to greatly speed up the adoption of electric trucks,” states Per-Erik Lindström.
The Israel Electronics Recycling Corporation has begun the roll out of receptacles for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries used in electric bicycles and scooters but not electric cars.
The company, known in Hebrew by its acronym M.A.I., began distributing containers last week in Jerusalem and Rishon Lezion.
The move comes nearly two years after a law on recycling electronic waste and batteries was expanded to include the lithium-ion batteries used in electric scooters and bikes.
The batteries will be sent to a sorting facility in the northern West Bank settlement of Shilo, which will be able to prepare, pack and send the batteries off in special containers to recycling plants in Europe.
Lithium-ion batteries are almost entirely recyclable. Reusing component metals saves on additional mining and can reduce battery costs.
Conversely, dumping batteries in landfills can cause fires, and toxic substances can leach out and contaminate soil and groundwater.
This is why it is important that companies begin to recycle and reuse lithium batteries. Companies such as Redwood Materials have already begun recycling batteries and intend to use this system to utilise their supply chain.
