NetZero Insider Weekly Intelligence Report: EVs & Transportation

NetZero Insider’s transportation coverage this week featured reporting on managed vehicle charging and federal funding for electrification.

K Kaufmann covered EPA’s announcement of $900 million in awards for electric school buses. The funds will be spread across 532 school districts in 47 states, along with D.C. and Puerto Rico, and could result in 3,400 new electric buses, K reported.

K also reported on a recent Department of Energy study that found that managed charging could roughly halve the number of substations needed and save about $700 million in the transition to electric vehicles. Shifting charging to off-peak hours would also significantly reduce the need for additional feeder lines and transformers, the report found.

In other charging news, the deployment of public EV chargers is lagging significantly behind the uptick in electric vehicles. EV adoption has been growing at about three times rate of the rollout of public chargers, The Washington Post reports.

One barrier is the high cost of chargers; in Michigan, a new analysis found that the state has spent about $134,000 per plug point, a price tag that could limit the impact of federal funding. If the price remains consistent, federal funding will only cover about 8% of the chargers needed to meet the state’s deployment goal by 2030, the analysis found.

Meanwhile, in Maine, EV owners hoping to take advantage of free charging promotions have struggled with frequent outages of chargers owned by the Electrify America.

In hydrogen transportation news, hydrogen producer Air Products announced its plans to build upon its current portfolio of six hydrogen refueling stations in Southern California to construct an extensive network of stations across the Golden State.

Hydrogen-powered jets also made the news, with European aircraft manufacturer Airbus selecting Houston, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Atlanta as the locations of studies into the deployment of hydrogen aviation infrastructure.

All that and more in this week’s Intelligence Report:

Jump To

Aircraft
Electric Vehicles
Fuel Cells
Shipping
Trains

International

Toyota Unveils Alternative Fuel Engine Prototypes for Mainstream

Emboldened by robust hybrid-car sales, Toyota and its partners say fuel-burning engines have a role to play even as the industry shifts to battery EVs in a global push to decarbonize. BNN Bloomberg

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Aircraft

International

Hydrogen-Powered Private Jets Can Cut Emissions -- If They Can Get Off the Ground

While the technology could be an ideal solution, it also has yet to be proven, raising questions of whether flying privately using hydrogen is a climate hack for the ultra-wealthy or a risky strategy for cleaner aviation. Hydrogen Central

Texas

Houston airport will be guinea pig for hydrogen-power jet study

The Bayou City is one of five cities in North America taking part in a study to develop plans for alternative-fueled passenger jets. LMTonline

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Electric Vehicles

California

Ocotillo Wells solar, BESS plant up and running in California

Ocotillo Wells is the largest utility-scale renewables project in San Diego County, boasting over 113,000 Qcells solar modules. Renewables Now

International

Biden Doesn't Want You Buying an E.V. From China. Here's Why.

The president wants to shift America's car fleet toward electric vehicles, but not at the expense of American jobs or national security. New York Times

International

John Podesta talks electric vehicles and China negotiations

Trade disagreements between the U.S. and China have led to what he described as "a period of some friction and competition," and Podesta said he would push China to contribute more money to the global fight against climate change. The Associated Press

Maine

Maine EV owners say Electrify America chargers not reliable, can't use free charge plan

On one day, we found three chargers out of service. On another day there were two. We never found all four chargers working properly on the days we visited. WGME

Michigan

Michigan to invest $110M in EV chargers. At $134K a plug, it will not go far

The high cost illustrates the daunting task Michigan faces as its government, automakers, utilities and other key players try to steer drivers toward a technology seen as crucial to slowing climate change and bolstering Michigan's key industry. Bridge Michigan

Michigan

Officials say Michigan EV industry needs more talent recruitment

The panelists, which included auto industry professionals and a metro Detroit congresswoman, said that school training programs would be essential to get future talent interested in the field. WWTV/WWUP-TV

North Carolina

Vietnamese EV maker VinFast considers delaying $4 bln US plant, source says

VinFast announced in 2022 that it would build an EV and battery factory in the United States with an annual production capacity of 150,000 vehicles, seeking to take advantage of the Biden administration's efforts to approve subsidies for EVs made in America. WRAL

U.S.

Can Trump Really Slam the Brakes on Electric Vehicles?

He has vowed to shred President Biden's E.V. policies and has threatened that "You won't be able to sell those cars." New York Times

U.S.

Charging stations are failing to keep up with the EV boom

Once, America had 7 EVs for every public charger. Now, there are over 20 seeking to plug in at each charging station. The Washington Post

U.S.

Donald Trump Vows To Stop All Electric Car Sales, But He Definitely Can't

The automotive landscape is a far different place than it was in 2016 when Trump gained the presidency. Despite his best efforts, the EV market has grown significantly in the last eight years. Jalopnik

U.S.

Ford CEO says 'partial electrification' is more than 'transitional'

Ford and others have reemphasized hybrid technologies or said they are reintroducing them in the coming years. Detroit News

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Fuel Cells

California

Air Products to build a network of hydrogen refueling stations along length of California

The stations will serve heavy-duty vehicles such as trucks and buses, and smaller vehicles that use hydrogen fuel cells. Each station will be able to refuel as many as 200 heavy-duty trucks or 2,000 cars daily. WFMZ-TV

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Shipping

U.S.

Cat to deploy methanol dual-fuel 3500E marine engines in 2026

The methanol dual-fuel Cat 3500E engine targets the same performance and durability as the current 3500E diesel engine while meeting emission standards and delivering 100% power. Marinelog

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Trains

International

This Hydrogen Train Is An Ambitious Project Helping To Shape The Future And The World

Alstom's H2-powered passenger train is the first hydrogen train in revenue service in the Americas. Hydrogen Fuel News

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