Electric Vehicles

It is the largest charging station of its kind for electric heavy-duty trucks at the port — but is only the start of creating infrastructure that will be needed to meet forthcoming zero-emissions deadlines.

The long-awaited free, electric vehicle passenger shuttle program in National City is expected to launch by the end of summer thanks to $400,000 from the Port of San Diego and a three-year contract with an operator.

OReGO, Oregon’s road-usage charging program, is continuing to evolve with new technology partners that can deliver on a range of fronts like connected vehicle technologies and intelligent transportation systems.

The effort to transition Washington state ferries from diesel engines to hybrid-electric power is proving to be more expensive than originally thought. So far, both quotes for the work have exceeded the initial $120 million state estimate.

A mobility charging hub is under development in Michigan to generate rapid, high-power charging for heavy-duty trucks, while also experimenting with the integration of new technologies like renewable energy production and storage.

A new startup called EV Life, based in Folsom, Calif., aims to close the affordability gap between buying an electric vehicle and a gas-powered one.

Hydrogen fuel costs about $25 per kilogram, which is still too expensive for heavy-duty fleets to easily transition over to hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles. The cost displaces advantages over other alternative technologies.

Amid an effort to expand domestic sources, some researchers assert that Florida’s phosphate deposits, mined by the fertilizer industry for over a century, could have a second life as a supplier of rare-earth minerals.

The state will award more than $18 million in program funds for the 27 fast charging stations along seven of the interstate corridors, including interstates 70 and 75, Gov. Mike DeWine announced this week.

If the city’s plan to replace 147 fossil fuel vehicles with electric vehicles is implemented, city staff said it could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 12,000 metric tons over the life of the new fleet.

A New York school district will hire an architectural firm to study what will be involved in the transition to an electric fleet of buses, including mileage, chargers, bus route characteristics and electrical capacity.

The California Hydrogen Leadership Summit met in Sacramento, Calif., last month to advance strategies for moving hydrogen fuel cell technology forward as a clean transportation option, particularly for heavy freight.

The electric car bill would have required all state and local governments, colleges and universities to buy vehicles based on lowest lifetime costs. Current law requires such purchases to be based on fuel efficiency.

A new report ranks states for their transition to electric vehicles. California leads the list, followed by New York, largely because of the Empire State’s robust plans to transition all of its school buses to zero-emission vehicles.

A coalition of electric vehicle charging companies is pushing back against a utility provider’s plan to build a public charging network over the next three years while offering other rebates and programs.

Starting this fall, public school systems like Monongalia County Schools will receive vehicles dubbed BEAST — battery electric alternative school transportation — that can go up to 150 miles on a full charge.

The Department of Energy plans to loan $9.2 billion to a joint venture between Ford Motor Co. and South Korean battery maker SK On Co. for its battery plants in Kentucky and Tennessee.

A newly published report by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation outlines the looming challenges behind transitioning the heavy-duty trucking sector to electric vehicles.