Electric Vehicles

Testing of its Jaguar I-Pace SUVs and Zeekr RT vehicles began Thursday. The driverless ride-hailing firm is still likely several months away from offering passenger service to residents.

Funded by a $5.5 million grant from the EPA, the electric buses now represent about a third of West Aurora School District 129's fleet. The district expects the new buses will save around $120,000 annually.

Gov. Tony Evers announced the state funding grants Monday. Grant matching terms require businesses to pay at least 20 percent of the cost of the electric vehicle charging facilities themselves.

Transportation technology leaders gathered in Los Angeles this week for the annual CoMotion LA conference, where they examined recent innovative endeavors and the issues shaping mobility today.

Even as Republicans on the national stage have turned against EVs, it’s a different story at the state and local level, with economic development agencies in red states shelling out hundreds of millions for new projects.

The state Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy is paying for overnight chargers at 31 multifamily properties in Detroit suburbs. Grants come from the Clean Fuel and Charging Infrastructure Program.

City Council members have approved spending $821,000 from grants to install 10 electric vehicle chargers. The city, its interim city manager said, lags behind peers in offering such infrastructure.

Drivers in the Grand Canyon State should soon have access to dozens more high-speed electric vehicle charging ports, with most of the funding coming from the federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program.

A new report on the electric vehicle charging experience suggests 1 in 3 first attempts at charging still fail — even as operators eye more inventive approaches to raise its availability and convenience.

Officials have a long-term goal of fully electrifying city vehicles. Currently, 16 are fully electric, including a police patrol vehicle unveiled last week. Leaders adopted an EV preference in 2021.

The state has opened grants to cover electric school buses and charging infrastructure through mid-December, with preferences for districts in low- to moderate-income communities.

In the face of an increasing number and severity of e-bike accidents this summer, the Virginia Beach City Council wants a task force to devise enforcement methods to keep riders and pedestrians safe.

The debut this week of its 20th federally funded electric vehicle charging outpost puts it ahead of other states for stations built using National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program funds.

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in large ridership declines for commuter rail systems, which are now being reimagined for new riders and travel patterns. Systems in California and Philadelphia have made notable gains.

After approval of its revised plan to spend $52 million in federal funds, the state Department of Transportation expects to seek proposals next spring to add more electric vehicle fast chargers.

The City Council gave first reading to an ordinance that would ban electric scooters on sidewalks and roads with speed limits over 30 miles per hour. The devices would also be limited to speeds of 20 miles per hour.

The city is weighing new rules for electric cargo bikes, to free up curb space, fight traffic congestion and reduce greenhouse gases. The proposal before the City Council is similar to one New York City adopted last year.

Developers and owners of multifamily housing complexes should understand the nuances around planning and operating electric vehicle charging, those familiar with the industry said, indicating it will soon be an expected feature.