DOE Tallies U.S. EV Charging Units

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As of May 2019, there were more than 68,800 Level 2 and DC fast-charging units throughout the U.S., according to the “fact of the week” from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Vehicle Technologies Office.

Of that total, 16% – or approximately 10,860 units – were DC fast-chargers, making long-distance travel more practical for electric vehicles (EVs), says the DOE. A DC fast-charger can add 60 to 80 miles of range per 20 minutes of charging, while a Level 2 charger can add 10 to 20 miles of range per one hour of charging.

At 22,620, California has the most EV charging units of any state, representing about a third of the nationwide total.

Tips to Managing Electric Vehicle Range in Winter

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Alliy Sahagan coasted in a 2017 Nissan Leaf into the Gunnison County Electric Association (GCEA) warehouse in Gunnison, Colo. on the electric vehicle equivalent of running on fumes. Just minutes earlier, the Leaf’s dashboard told her the car had zero miles left and a 9% battery charge.

Sahagan was returning from what was supposed to be a 25-mile test drive on a minus 5-degrees Fahrenheit January morning. When she left the electric utility company’s warehouse, she didn’t notice the battery level was at 63%.

Sahagan knew GCEA operating guidelines warn battery electric vehicle (BEV) operators to expect up to a 40% reduction in vehicle range in Gunnison’s subzero winter weather.

“In my haste, I neglected to follow some of my own EV prep preaching,” says Sahagan, who oversees the association’s BEV loan program, which includes the Leaf, a Chevy Spark model and two other hybrid-electric vehicles.

She has since used this story as a cautionary tale to help people remember the dos and don’ts of operating electric vehicles during the winter.

Toyota’s Brazilian Corolla Will Run on Pretty Much Whatever You Want

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For 22 years, Toyota Motor Corp. has made hybrid cars that don’t require drivers to choose between running on gas or electricity. In October it will add a third option: ethanol.

The Japanese manufacturer will package its ultrapragmatic drivetrain in an all-new Corolla sedan that will be bolted together at its plant in Sao Paulo. Toyota is billing the vehicle as the cleanest hybrid ever made.

Ethanol has long been a popular fuel in Brazil, where it’s brewed fairly efficiently from fast-growing sugar cane. Because the plants process CO₂ as they grow, ethanol is considered a renewable fuel; burning a gallon of it releases only 10% to 20% as much carbon as burning a gallon of traditional gas, according to Unica, a sugar association. When it comes to getting a car driving license, there are many local experts who recommend to find a driving school where you learn using a car similar to one you will be driving at the test and that is of course certified. Similarly, in the unfortunate event of a truck accident, it’s crucial to seek the expertise of experienced truck accident lawyers who can guide you through the legal process and advocate for your rights.

“The goal is to make a car with zero carbon emission; that’s the industry’s race,” said Ricardo Bastos, Toyota’s head of government relations in Brazil. “With ethanol, we’re closer if you consider the whole cycle, well to wheel.” If you do not have your car just yet we recommend to check some of the options at this new jeep dealership near me conroe texas as they have many new deals waiting for you specially if you are a new driver.

Walmart’s EV Stations Let You Plug In While You Shop

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Electric vehicle owners will have a new reason to visit Walmart as they travel across America: Not only can they stock up on snacks and drinks but they can get electric charges. Visit this used car dealer in fort myers if you’re looking to buy a new car and explore more sustainable transportation options.

Arkansas-based Walmart, the nation’s biggest retailer and No. 3 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest private carriers in North America, teamed up with Electrify America, a Virginia-based company owned by Volkswagen Group of America. In the past year, 120 electric vehicle charging stations have been installed in 34 states, with most located at Walmart stores off major highways. More are planned as Walmart tries to become one of the nation’s largest retail hosts of electric vehicle charging stations, so they can go and buy things in the store, which they keep well marked thanks to the use of pricing guns that are great for the job.

Placement of the charging stations currently in operation give drivers the option of stopping only at Walmart stores while they travel on interstate routes from Houston to Chicago, San Antonio to St. Louis and Washington, D.C., to Savannah, GA., according to Walmart.

Now, most commercially available electric vehicle charging stations are concentrated along the two coasts and in major urban areas. Walmart said that through its arrangement with Electrify America, more electric vehicle stations will be available in rural communities, secondary highways and outside the coastal regions.

Ford Readies for Push in Electric Cars, Morgan Stanley Says

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Ford Motor Co. is preparing to make a bigger push in electric vehicles, according to Morgan Stanley.

The company doesn’t currently offer any electric cars, although it has been heavily investing in such technology. The carmaker’s ongoing discussions with Volkswagen AG promise to take its electric-car ambitions “to the next level,” analysts led by Adam Jonas wrote in a note on July 3, adding that such a deal mitigates financial risks from electric car investment.

“While Ford and VW have yet to announce any definitive agreement around joint-BEV development,” Morgan Stanley wrote, referring to battery electric vehicles, “we believe investors should prepare for significant levels of potential collaboration to share development and manufacturing costs.”

A logo is displayed on the steering wheel of a VW I.D. Buggy electric concept automobile. Volkswagen AG is nearing a deal to cooperate with Ford Motor Co. on electric-car technology and self-driving vehicles. (Chris J. Ratcliffe/Bloomberg)

Ford shares rose as much as 1.7% to $10.29 on July 3, the highest level since May 17.

An announcement could be imminent. Bloomberg has reported that Volkswagen’s supervisory board plans to discuss, and possibly approve, the next steps toward expanding its alliance with Ford when it meets next week, according to people familiar with the matter. The two companies announced a collaboration on vans and pickup trucks back in January.

Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative Sees Quintupled Commitments

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On Thursday, at the second-annual Climate Mayors Summit in Honolulu, 127 cities and 15 counties from across 38 states joined the Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative, committing to purchase more than 2,100 total electric vehicles (EVs) by the end of 2020.

Launched in September 2018, the collaborative is a partnership between Climate Mayors, the Electrification Coalition and Sourcewell, a national transit fleet transition program.

The collaborative has announced plans to place a competitive bid on electric school buses by the end of this year, which will enable all electric school bus manufacturers to offer any public school system in the country access to equal, competitive prices, the partners say. Sourcewell will be releasing a national solicitation for electric school buses by the end of the year.

10 fleets sign on to test their fuel efficiency in NACFE’s Run on Less Regional challenge

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After a successful and informative Run on Less in 2017, the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) has returned with a new run focusing on fleets running regional routes.

The Run on Less Regional event will take place over three weeks in October, beginning October 8 and ending later that month at the North American Commercial Vehicle Show, where NACFE will announce initial results of the run. Ten fleets have signed up for the regional run, including three that also participated in the 2017 long-haul run.

The 10 fleets (and home base where the truck will be based) involved in the Run on Less Regional challenge are:

  • C&S Wholesale Grocers (Hammond, Louisiana)
  • Hirschbach (Monterey, Tennessee)
  • Hogan Transportation (St. Louis, Missouri)
  • J.B. Hunt (NYSE: JBHT) (Corsicana, Texas)
  • Meijer (Lansing, Michigan)
  • PepsiCo’s (NASDAQ: PEP) snacks and beverages division (Vancouver, Washington)
  • Ploger Transportation (Norwalk, Ohio)
  • Schneider (NYSE: SNDR) (Rockford, Illinois)
  • Southeastern Freight Lines (Columbia, South Carolina)
  • UPS (NYSE: UPS) (Phoenix, Arizona)

Hirschbach, Ploger Transportation and PepsiCo are returning fleets.

“It’s really exciting to do this. Run on Less the first time really helped the industry,” Mike Roeth, NACFE executive director, said.

In 2017, NACFE along with Shell, Pepsi and the Carbon War Room, held the original Run on Less challenge. That challenge also ended at the North American Commercial Vehicle Show in Atlanta, with the trucks in the study averaging 10.1 mpg overall, with 12.8 the highest individual mpg and three different trucks posting days over 12.5 mpg. The lowest mpg from a truck was 7.1 on one of the days, and the average for all lowest mpgs throughout the Run was 8.8. Collectively, the trucks traveled 50,107 miles and saved 2,877 gallons of fuel and $7,183 over the national fleet-wide average of 6.4 mpg.

The fleets in the original study included owner-operators and company drivers of various-sized fleets up to one with more than 7,000-plus trucks. Drivers tracked their daily mileage during regular duty cycles, which included 31 of 99 total days operating at over 65,000 pounds. Trucks faced both headwinds and tailwinds from Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma, mountainous terrain and flat highways. All the trucks had different specifications. The only real requirement was that the technologies used on the trucks needed to be commercially available.

Exploring Propane as a Fleet Fuel Source

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In an environment with rising gasoline prices, propane could offer a viable option for fleet managers looking for an alternative-fuel source.

There’s a misconception that propane autogas is more expensive than traditional fuels, noted Michael Taylor, director of autogas development for the Propane Education & Research Council.

But, the actual cost of wholesale propane typically falls between the price of oil and natural gas — the two sources of propane, he added.

In the first week of May 2019, the national average price per gallon of propane autogas was $1.45. The national average cost of regular grade gasoline was $2.86.

“There is a small segment of the fleet industry who may have tried propane autogas years ago and wasn’t pleased with the performance,” said Taylor. “Over the past decade [there have been] dramatic improvements in propane engine and fuel system technologies.”

BNEF: EVs to Comprise 57% of Global Passenger Car Sales by 2040

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Electric vehicles (EVs) are on track to dominate global sales of passenger cars and buses by 2040 and to encroach significantly on the market for vans and short-distance trucking, according to a recent report from research firm BloombergNEF (BNEF).

Based on analysis of the evolving economics in different vehicle segments and geographical markets, BNEF’s Electric Vehicle Outlook 2019 shows EVs taking up 57% of global passenger car sales by 2040, which is slightly higher than the firm forecast a year ago. Electric buses are set to hold 81% of municipal bus sales by the same date.

For the first time, BNEF has incorporated in its forecast detailed work on the commercial vehicle market. These projections show electric models taking 56% of light commercial vehicle sales in Europe, the U.S. and China within the next two decades, plus 31% of the medium commercial market.

UPS Signs Biggest Renewable Gas Deal With Clean Energy Fuels

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UPS Inc. has agreed to buy the equivalent of 170 million gallons of renewable natural gas from Clean Energy Fuels Corp. over the next seven years in what the company described as the biggest-ever deal involving the alternative fuel.

The contract, worth about $95 million based on current natural gas prices, runs through 2025, according to UPS. The parcel deliver company said renewable natural gas ultimately will make up 40% of its total fuel purchases for ground transportation.

Shares of Clean Energy Fuels surged as much as 24% in pre-market trading. The Newport Beach, Calif.-based company, which initially was backed by energy magnate T. Boone Pickens in the early 2000s, harvests methane gas from landfills, keeping the greenhouse gas from reaching the atmosphere and contributing to global warming.

UPS Inc. is No. 1 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest for-hire carriers in North America.

“Instead of wasting it, we’re going to use it in trucks,” said Mike Casteel, director of fleet procurement for UPS. “We’re hoping to stimulate more production, and we eventually want for the majority of our natural gas to be renewable natural gas.”