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GM announced today that it plans to overtake Tesla as EV market leader in the US. In order to achieve that, the American automaker plans several new electric vehicles, including a new $30,000 electric crossover.Today, GM held its shareholder’s meeting and made several announcements, especially regarding its electrification plans. The headline-making statement is that GM plans to take the leadership position in EV market share in the US using money from its ICE sales:
“GM plans to reach leadership in EV market share in the U.S. while growing its profits from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.”
GM is currently second-only to Tesla in the US regarding EV sales, but it’s not a close second. Tesla has not just passed GM in EV sales, but it is already a few laps ahead.
On top of that, GM is currently recalling and buying back its only two electric vehicles in the market, the Bolt EV and Bolt EUV, over a battery fire risk.
But GM is betting on its new electric vehicles, coming on its Ultium EV platform:
“GM’s growth will be driven by the Ultium modular EV platform the company developed to launch a broad portfolio of highly desirable EVs using common, scalable components. The array of Ultium-powered EVs will include high-volume entries, including a Chevrolet crossover priced around $30,000, Buick crossovers, trucks from Chevrolet, GMC and HUMMER, as well as exquisitely crafted Cadillac EVs such as the upcoming LYRIQ and CELESTIQ.”
We already knew about all of these upcoming EVs, except for a new “Chevrolet crossover priced around $30,000.” That sounds like a next-generation Bolt EV/EUV based on the Ultium platform.
Mary Barra, GM CEO and Chair, commented on today’s announcement:
“GM’s vision of a world with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion has placed us ahead of much of the competition in electrification, software-enabled services and autonomy. Our early investments in these growth trends have transformed GM from automaker to platform innovator, with customers at the center. GM will use its hardware and software platforms to innovate and improve their daily experience, leading everybody on the journey to an all-electric future.”
Stay tuned for more news coming out of GM’s shareholder’s meeting, including the new Silverado electric pickup and Ultra Cruise.
Electrek’s Take
I am always happy to see automakers making commitments toward electrification; however, I see a recurring problem with GM: they can’t give up their internal combustion engine business.
Even in this latest announcement about electric vehicles, the automaker stated this, framing it in a positive light for electrification:
“Plans for more than 50 percent of the company’s North America and China manufacturing footprint to be capable of EV production by 2030.”
In my book, that means that 50% of GM’s production capacity in North America and China is going to be useless in 2030.
With the dozens of new compelling electric vehicles coming to market in the next few years, I believe a massive consumer perception shift will make it so no new car buyer in their right mind will want to buy a combustion engine vehicle by around 2025.
A lot of automakers are not going to be ready for this and right now, it looks like GM is going to be amongst them.
Few automotive journalists joke, but many could be wrong in their prognosis. The problem, like now, is that even if in 2025 all those potential ICE buyers change their mind, they won't have anything else to buy.
Few automotive journalists joke, but many could be wrong in their prognosis. The problem, like now, is that even if in 2025 all those potential ICE buyers change their mind, they won't have anything else to buy.
I’m not questioning their intentions, but I find it really hard to believe that within the nest few years they will somehow gain the EV expertise /market share and leapfrog Tesla (who will be selling a few million EVs by that time anyways). That is not even counting the $25K model by Tesla. If that arrives before, then it’s game over for GM.
I’m not questioning their intentions, but I find it really hard to believe that within the nest few years they will somehow gain the EV expertise /market share and leapfrog Tesla (who will be selling a few million EVs by that time anyways). That is not even counting the $25K model by Tesla. If that arrives before, then it’s game over for GM.
If you do a bit of math, with the current factories Tesla has or plans to open next year, its capacity will be maybe 2M vehicles per year. Unless they acquire someone or start plans for another factory real soon, that will be its capacity in 2025 as well.
If you do a bit of math, with the current factories Tesla has or plans to open next year, its capacity will be maybe 2M vehicles per year. Unless they acquire someone or start plans for another factory real soon, that will be its capacity in 2025 as well.
Me thinks, both the new factories will produce around 1.5 million, adding that to the current 1 million, that’s potentially 4 million by end of 2022. Tesla wouldn’t announce any new factories until their two new ones are up and running. That doesn’t mean they are not looking at or negotiating new deals for new factories.
I’m not questioning their intentions, but I find it really hard to believe that within the nest few years they will somehow gain the EV expertise /market share and leapfrog Tesla (who will be selling a few million EVs by that time anyways). That is not even counting the $25K model by Tesla. If that arrives before, then it’s game over for GM.
I'm not sure what you mean by EV expertise but an EV is really not all that complicated relative to a gas car. What they need to sell more of them is to make more of them. GM can easily and singlehandedly make more cars than Tesla can even after all the Tesla factories are open and running. You keep talking about EV expertise but the big name in the manufacturing game is not technology of the product, it's how you can quickly and efficiently make a product to sell. If you have backorders, those are unrealized sales that may go away and are bad. Having a 6 month wait list for a limited run Ferrari is fine but for a mainstream production car, it's really bad. Every car not sold right now is a car that may not get sold.
The $25k model by Tesla isn't even real, no one has seen it yet not even in a render. It's more vaporware than the roadster or truck. Meanwhile, when Ford and GM launch the EV F150 and Silverado, it'll really be game over as the two best selling vehicles in north America will be EV.
Originally Posted by biker
Giga Berlin is supposed to be up to 500K and Texas perhaps a bit more - where are you getting 1.5M per plant?
Right out of his ass like where he gets most of his insane predictions.
I'm not sure what you mean by EV expertise but an EV is really not all that complicated relative to a gas car. What they need to sell more of them is to make more of them. GM can easily and singlehandedly make more cars than Tesla can even after all the Tesla factories are open and running. You keep talking about EV expertise but the big name in the manufacturing game is not technology of the product, it's how you can quickly and efficiently make a product to sell.
You are getting hilarious too. So if GM already has the expertise to build good EVs …. Why aren’t they doing so….? LOL. They had all the batteries until they were recalled…..
LOL. real experts right…..???
Yeah I didn’t think so either
The battery thing was a supplier problem, a rather big one, but still. It's not like they designed a car incorrectly with that. Give it another year when all these other options hit and we'll talk again.
You have to remember that EV's are just now starting to become more mainstream. Tesla is/was ahead of the game but is now smack in the middle of it and if they don't pony up on promises, they'll get left behind. For example, SuperCruise and Blue Cruise can be used without tugging the wheel. That's HUGE!
The battery thing was a supplier problem, a rather big one, but still. It's not like they designed a car incorrectly with that. Give it another year when all these other options hit and we'll talk again.
You have to remember that EV's are just now starting to become more mainstream. Tesla is/was ahead of the game but is now smack in the middle of it and if they don't pony up on promises, they'll get left behind. For example, SuperCruise and Blue Cruise can be used without tugging the wheel. That's HUGE!
So if Chevy EV we’re so much better than Tesla, then why were people not buying them. LOL. Even discounting the battery fire, why were their EVs left in the dust in every performance and range metrics by Tesla? Try again.
And now you are saying blue cruise can be used without tugging wheel, is an advantage, sure, …… if the road doesn’t curve. LOL.
GM and POSCO Chemical have revealed plans to create a joint venture that will include the construction of a new plant to process battery materials for Ultium battery cells. The new plant will be aimed at processing Cathode Active Material (CAM), which accounts for approximately 40% of the cost of each battery cell, the automaker says, with a planned opening expected in 2024.
This new plant, the location of which has not been revealed for now, will supply the facilities that GM and LG Energy Solutions are building in Spring Hill, Tennessee, and Lordstown, Ohio.
"Two more U.S.-based Ultium cell plants are planned by mid-decade as GM drives mass adoption of EVs with high-volume Ultium-powered EVs, including a Chevrolet crossover priced around $30,000," the automaker said.
The move by GM and POSCO is seen as another in a series of automakers working to secure more parts of the battery supply chain, instead of relying entirely on third-party suppliers. Control of the battery manufacturing process is increasingly seen as one of the biggest challenges for automakers in the current decade, as battery components and raw materials are expected to become much more sought-after as more automakers turn to EV production.
The fact that the mining and processing of some battery components is already becoming an issue, even as EV adoption rates are still below 5% in most countries, is increasingly seen as a wake-up call to the auto industry to secure as much of the battery manufacturing process as possible.
“Our work with POSCO Chemical is a key part of our strategy to rapidly scale U.S. EV production and drive innovation in battery performance, quality and cost,” said Doug Parks, GM executive vice president, Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain. "We are building a sustainable and resilient North America-focused supply chain for EVs covering the entire ecosystem from raw materials to battery cell manufacturing and recycling.”
GM's BrightDrop EV brand may not be a household name yet, but this week it marked a milestone with the opening of its first dealership in the US, just weeks after the start of low-volume production of its EV600 van. So despite years of talk among EV start-ups about "disrupting" legacy automakers' sales and service models, it was GM's wholly owned subsidiary that has begun production of electric vans meant for last-mile service.
BrightDrop Greater Los Angeles in Fontana, California, opened its doors this week, operated by dealer Mike Caposio, known for Rotolo Chevrolet—the state's largest Chevy dealer—and for Caposio Buick GMC.
The EV600 and the shorter EV410 van, which was announced just weeks ago, are the first production vehicles to use GM's Ultium batteries and drivetrains. The larger EV600 offers 600 cubic feet of interior space, while the smaller EV410 has just over 400 cubic feet inside, with both offering up to 250 miles of range. The first BrightDrop vans are said to be headed for the FedEx fleet just ahead of the holiday season.
"We are honored to be selected as BrightDrop’s first-ever dealership," Caposio said. "They have a world-class electric delivery van portfolio and share my focus on serving the fleet customer. I believe the era of all-electric fleets is here and I am committed to helping modernize America's delivery fleets."
Assembly of the two vans models is currently being performed by a GM partner ahead of the start of volume assembly in 2022—GM is waiting for the completion of renovation at its CAMI Assembly Plant in Ingersoll, Canada, which is expected to wrap up in November of next year. That's where full-scale production of BrightDrop vans will start, just ahead of next year's holiday season, by which time we should see more BrightDrop vans on the road.
"BrightDrop aims to be a one-stop shop for our customers," said Travis Katz, BrightDrop president and CEO. "End to end, we are providing solutions for nearly every aspect of the delivery journey and establishing our first dealership is a major piece of that puzzle. BrightDrop dealers will support fleet operators in their electrification journey, providing electric vehicle expertise and service."
The opening of the first fleet dealership for BrightDrop vans is an important step for the new brand, which will compete with Rivian once its own van production for Amazon and others gets fully going. But it's clear even now that there are two frontrunners among EV delivery van start-ups, with GM betting heavily on EV fleet models in the new decade.
BrightDrop certainly appears to have an advantage over some other hopefuls in this field when it comes to physical locations, with the brand expected to open more sales and service locations among existing GM dealers. This will allow smaller businesses a much easier path into EV van ownership, which will supplement larger orders from fleet operators.
BrightDrop has delivered the first EV600 vans to FedEx a couple of months after production of the electric delivery vans, based on the Ultium platform, began. The first five battery-electric vans made under the BrightDrop brand were handed over to FedEx in Inglewood, California, a few days ago, out of a total of 500 units ordered by the logistics giant. Deliveries of the first vans, which feature a 600-cubic-foot capacity, began about a week after the first BrightDrop dealership opened its doors in the Los Angeles area.
The EV600 vans offer a range of up to 250 miles on a single charge, which is plenty for the daily driving tasks of the vans, with the fleet designed to be recharged at its base overnight. The EV600 vans are currently being assembled by a GM manufacturing partner ahead of the start of larger-scale production in Ontario, Canada, in the second half of 2022, with GM currently readying the CAMI Assembly Plant in Ingersoll for production. But the start of assembly of production versions of EV600 vans weeks ago marked the production debut of GM's Ultium platform, destined for a number of the automaker's brands including Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC.
"As e-commerce continues to grow, BrightDrop is thrilled to partner with FedEx in our mission to dramatically reduce vehicle emissions from delivery and deliver a brighter future for all of us," said Travis Katz, president and CEO of BrightDrop. "FedEx has ambitious sustainability goals, and the speed with which we brought the first BrightDrop electric vehicles to market shows how the private sector can innovate and help bring solutions for some of our biggest climate- and emissions-related challenges."
Just when electric delivery vans will become truly commonplace is perhaps a separate question, as the USPS itself has yet to commit to vehicles that are designed to be battery-electric from the start. So despite a handful of logistics and retail companies like UPS, FedEx, and Amazon committing to introducing EVs into their fleets, it will take several years for these fleets to cross even the 50% EV barrier.
FedEx, for its part, has committed to building up a fully electric fleet by 2040, and as an interim step is aiming for 50% of its new-vehicle purchases to be fully electric by 2025, and 100% by 2030. Still, some internal combustion engine vehicles will remain in the FedEX fleet for some time after these dates, so the changeover won't happen overnight.
"The delivery of the first BrightDrop EV600s is a historic moment, born out of a spirit of collaboration between two leading American companies," said Mitch Jackson, chief sustainability officer at the logistics giant. "At FedEx, transforming our pickup and delivery fleet to electric vehicles is integral to achieving our ambitious sustainability goals announced earlier this year. This collaborative effort shows how businesses can take action to help usher in a lower-emissions future for all."
GM announces plans to make mobile power generators using hydrogen fuel cells
The aim is to replace polluting gas- and diesel-powered generators with zero-emission hydrogen-powered ones
By Andrew J. Hawkins@andyjayhawk Jan 19, 2022, 2:00pm EST
GM’s EMPOWER rapid charger can help retail fuel stations add more affordable DC fast-charging capabilities GMGeneral Motors announced plans to manufacture mobile power generators using its Hydrotec-branded hydrogen fuel cells.
The aim is to replace polluting gas- and diesel-powered generators with zero-emission hydrogen-powered ones. Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, so its appeal to an industry that’s trying to pivot away from dirty internal combustion engines is obvious. Some automakers are developing hydrogen-powered cars as a possible alternative to EVs that use lithium-ion batteries. With today’s announcement, GM is staking out a position that looks beyond the car and power generation. GM’s Mobile Power Generator can fast-charge EVs without having to expand the grid or install permanent charge points in places where there is only a temporary need for power GMHydrogen fuel cells — which use compressed hydrogen as their fuel and release only water vapor — have been in development for decades. GM has condensed its Hydrotec system into a “power cube” encompassing 300 individual hydrogen fuel cells. The cubes can then be deployed in a variety of applications, including mobile generators and temporary EV chargers.
The hydrogen-powered generators will only be sold to commercial and military customers to start out, but the automaker said it plans on offering versions for residential use in the future. GM said the ideal application would be at an outdoor concert venue, thanks to the hydrogen generator’s much lower noise profile as compared to gas-powered power sources. Another use case would involve temporary electric vehicle chargers installed at locations where demand for charging hasn’t yet resulted in a permanent charging station.
GM’s prototype palletized Mobile Power Generator converts offboard, bulk-stored hydrogen to electricity to quietly and efficiently power military camps and installations with no emissions in operation. GM“Hydrotec power generators can quickly be deployed for disaster relief,” said Charlie Freese, executive director of GM’s Hydrotec division, in a call with reporters, “or it can provide backup for the electrical grid in areas that are experiencing rolling blackouts.”
GM is planning on offering these generators in multiple sizes for a variety of uses. Each unit will put out power ranging from 60kW to 600kW, depending on size and use case. They also will use a different number of Hydrotec power cubes. The company’s Mobile Power Generator, for example, relies on one power cube, while the Empower rapid chargers will use eight cubes.
One of the biggest challenges, though, is the dearth of hydrogen charging and refueling infrastructure. Despite the technology having been in development for decades, there are only a little more than two dozen fueling stations in California, mostly clustered around Los Angeles and the Bay Area. The East Coast is trying to get in on the action. A handful of stations are up and running, and more are in the works in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES, THOUGH, IS THE DEARTH OF HYDROGEN CHARGING AND REFUELING INFRASTRUCTUREHydrogen’s energy content by volume is low, which makes storing hydrogen a challenge because it requires high pressures, low temperatures, or chemical processes to be stored compactly. Overcoming this challenge is important for light-duty vehicles because they often have limited size and weight capacity for fuel storage.
However, Freese said he was confident that the infrastructure would improve as demand for hydrogen rises. “Hydrogen infrastructure is something that’s building out now,” he said. “There’s a lot of investment going on there.”
In addition to producing hydrogen for mobile power generation, GM is also working on applying the technology to trucking, rail transportation, and even aerospace. The automaker is working with trucking firm Navistar and OneH2, a North Carolina-based hydrogen fuel cell company, to put more hydrogen-powered long-haul trucks on the road. It also has a deal with Liebherr-Aerospace to develop a hydrogen fuel cell power-generation demonstrator system for aircraft. And it’s working on fuel cell systems for Wabtec locomotives.
Big brother elon and company watching you at all times.
Originally Posted by civicdrivr
^ yep. At least with most other insurance companies, you can disconnect the OBD reader.
Originally Posted by oonowindoo
Social media, google, FB all keep tracks on what you do and where you go is not news. But at least they are not CHARGING you base on your behaviors.
Tesla insurance uses sensors to determine your driving habits, i mean you might as well go get a base model cuz what is the point of getting LR or even Performance if you can NEVER go over the speed limit?
Somehow Comfy doesn't see the difference...
Originally Posted by pttl
How could it be cheaper if tesla is spying on you 24/7? You never exceed the speed limit? Rolling stop turning right on red? Accelerate getting through the yellow light? Riiiiight!
Sensor data from GM’s “Super Cruise” system, including an in-cabin camera that monitors drivers’ eye and head movements, could factor into rate setting in later versions of the insurance plan, Rose said, but declined to provide a timeline.
Back in 2020, the world's longest car was on the way to Florida for a full restoration. Originally built in Burbank in 1986 by customizer Jay Ohrberg, the so-called "American Dream" had seen much better days after being neglected behind a New Jersey warehouse for a number of years. But now, the world's longest car has completed its restoration and it looks better than ever.
Central Florida car collector Michael Dezer purchased The American Dream in 2019 and funded its rebuild. The custom 1976 Cadillac Eldorado had to be transported – in two pieces, of course – from the home of its previous owner, Michael Manning, in Nassau County, New York, to Orlando. From there, Dezer, Manning, and their teams worked together to rebuild the vehicle from the ground up.
The restoration included a full body rework, an interior makeover, an engine rebuild, and upgrades to the swimming pool, mini-golf course, and jacuzzi. According to Guinness World Records, the restoration – including shipping – cost Dezer and his team around $250,000 to complete.
The American Dream, now capable of running and driving, measures 100-feet and 1.5-inches long, breaking the previous record it set in 1986. It has 26 wheels, two V8 engines – one front and one rear – and can carry up to 75 people inside. And along with some of the elements already mentioned, it also has a waterbed, a pool table, and even a functioning helipad."The helipad is structurally mounted to the vehicle with steel brackets underneath and can hold up to five thousand pounds," Michael Manning told Guinness World Records.
Although it is technically driveable, the owners say The American Dream is just too long to drive on public roadways. Instead, the iconic limo will act as a display piece for the Dezerland Park automotive museum just outside of Orlando, Florida.
We'll start with the Lyriq and Celestiq. The Lyriq is finally going into production next week, and it will be available to order on May 19 in both rear- and all-wheel-drive versions. This isn't just a reservation system, it's the actual order book, so there won't be additional waiting to convert one's reservation into an official order. Cadillac is expecting fairly strong interest. The brand was aiming for around 200,000 hand-raisers for Lyriqs (people that said they would be interested in a Lyriq, but didn't pay anything to hold a place for ordering), and they managed around 233,000.
The executives said that roughly 10% of hand-raisers end up placing an actual order, so Cadillac may end up with more than 20,000 orders. To put that into perspective, Cadillac's best-seller last year, the Escalade, sold around 40,000 units, the second-place XT5 sold 28,000, and the third-place XT6 sold about 20,000.
Cadillac's executives also spoke briefly about the Celestiq. The Celestiq is the upcoming flagship electric sedan that we've only barely seen so far. According to the execs, it's finally going into production next year. As such, we should see it revealed sometime between then and now, though no one was willing to say exactly when.
This brings us to the other Cadillac news which is about the Ultra Cruise and Super Cruise. Ultra Cruise will be making its debut on the Celestiq. However, the executives said it hasn't been determined whether it will be available right at launch or slightly later. It's just too early to say for sure, since things could change with development and availability. As a reminder, Ultra Cruise will be a hands-off advanced driving assist like Super Cruise, but instead of only operating on highways, it will be able to handle city driving.
With Super Cruise, the news is that new features including automated lane changes and towing capability will be available as over-the-air updates for existing Super Cruise cars. It will only be available as an update for 2021 Cadillac models, specifically the CT4, CT5 and Escalade. Unsurprisingly, only the Escalade will get towing functions.
Somewhat related is the confirmation that Ultra Cruise will not be available as an update for existing Super Cruise cars. Cadillac executives noted that the systems require different hardware.
With the commercial electric van market quickly becoming crowded, companies are going to be looking for anything to stand out. GM's electric van division BrightDrop has done just that with a new Guinness World Record for distance driven on a single charge for a commercial van. A BrightDrop Zevo 600 (previously called EV600) made a delivery from New York City to Washington, D.C., in a distance of nearly 260 miles.
Yes, it actually was a delivery. The van, one operated by FedEx, had a shipment of Full Circle cleaning products for a MOM's Organic Market. Though neither FedEx nor GM said how big the shipment was. And while this was a publicity stunt, it's still an impressive feat for the van, which has a claimed range of around 250 miles.
This van is one of a number that have already been built and sent to FedEx fleets. The delivery company also has a total of 2,500 vans on reservation. GM says it has 25,000 reservations from a variety of companies for Zevo 600s.
The electric van space will be getting even more competition shortly from the upcoming electric Ram ProMaster van. It's slated to go on sale next year. Specifications aren't out for it, though.
Also, if Tesla is struggling to keep up with customer demand already, adding a fleet division would further stretch customer lead times for car orders.
The advantage of delivery vans vs semis is that they don't need appreciably different infrastructure or design to make happen. The luxury of the skateboard design is that you can drop whatever on top of it and send it out which is why GM and Rivian are doing it that way rather than this one piece cast everything configuration that Tesla wants to do. A delivery van can charge off of a normal charger and it doesn't matter if the range is 200 miles or less. This is where the right play is for these things.
Also school buses would be a hugely desirable play for EV's. They only go out for a defined duration and are parked for several hours, so they can charge up, before going out again.
Buses would be a big market, though expensive for school districts. Would be curious to see the running costs on a diesel bus vs investing in EV buses.
In our district though, each bus makes 3 runs before & after school. Staggered start times due to the volume of kids. High School is early, then elementary, last is intermediate/jr high. So as long as the range is there to make the route 3 times 2x a day it could work.
I don't see the average city school bus route being more than maybe 40 miles. Rural schools a bit more than that. I know when I was a kid, the bus route took a bit over an hour (We were almost first on/last off) due to how far we were from the school.
Buses would be a big market, though expensive for school districts. Would be curious to see the running costs on a diesel bus vs investing in EV buses.
In our district though, each bus makes 3 runs before & after school. Staggered start times due to the volume of kids. High School is early, then elementary, last is intermediate/jr high. So as long as the range is there to make the route 3 times 2x a day it could work.
I don't see the average city school bus route being more than maybe 40 miles. Rural schools a bit more than that. I know when I was a kid, the bus route took a bit over an hour (We were almost first on/last off) due to how far we were from the school.
Yeah, I doubt that the bus travels more than 150-200 miles in a day and is likely all city driving so tons of opportunities to regen which certainly helps.
Apparently SAE did a study on this lol. A bus is idle for more than 50% of the time it's in service, perfect opportunity for EV. Also, the distance travelled is less than 150 miles a day.
I would be curious the range achievable in that configuration. Lots of weight to move & an inefficient frontal profile.
Though, you could run a quite large 'skateboard' battery pack under the length of the floor & could probably make a more streamlined front without needing that big iron lump under the hood.
Probably keep a few ICE in service for longer hauls/field trips & such. My middle is going on a field trip next month that'll be a roughly 80 mile round trip in Houston traffic. Probably still capable in a EV, but it's almost all highway speeds.
I would be curious the range achievable in that configuration. Lots of weight to move & an inefficient frontal profile.
Though, you could run a quite large 'skateboard' battery pack under the length of the floor & could probably make a more streamlined front without needing that big iron lump under the hood.
Probably keep a few ICE in service for longer hauls/field trips & such. My middle is going on a field trip next month that'll be a roughly 80 mile round trip in Houston traffic. Probably still capable in a EV, but it's almost all highway speeds.
80 miles round trip is not even a third of the battery...
For a car, light duty truck.
Curious how much the weight of the much larger battery & body would affect potential range.
I'm sure it's negligible with how much battery mass they could carry.
Quebec-based Lion Electric has been selling EV school buses for a while now, so there should be data available for the actual ranges and cost if one wants to dig around.
According to their web site, the buses range from 100-155 miles, with battery capacity up to 230 kWh. Prices run about 3x over an equivalent diesel (which they also make), so it would be up to the individual school districts to factor in the costs.
The only way a school district could transition over to EV buses is to do it over time, LOTS of time...perhaps 5 - 10 or maybe even more years. there is no way a district would be able to layout for the exorbitant cost of EV busses. So as their buses age out, the district would have to plan years in advance for the budget to pay for these things. Even with diligent planning, if 10 buses age out in a given year, there is no way a district could replace all 10 with an equivalent EV bus at the current price differential. Also... a district would need time and, again, money to install the needed infrastructure to support an EV fleet. If a district runs 200 buses how many charging stations would they need? lol
09-24-2021, 08:25 AM
right comfy?
BrightDrop has delivered the first EV600 vans to FedEx a couple of months after production of the electric delivery vans, based on the Ultium platform, began. The first five battery-electric vans made under the BrightDrop brand were handed over to FedEx in Inglewood, California, a few days ago, out of a total of 500 units ordered by the logistics giant. Deliveries of the first vans, which feature a 600-cubic-foot capacity, began about a week after the first BrightDrop dealership opened its doors in the Los Angeles area./cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70408884/EMPOWER_rapid_charger.0.jpg)
GM’s EMPOWER rapid charger can help retail fuel stations add more affordable DC fast-charging capabilities GMGeneral Motors announced plans to manufacture mobile power generators using its Hydrotec-branded hydrogen fuel cells.:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179673/GM_MPG.jpg)
GM’s Mobile Power Generator can fast-charge EVs without having to expand the grid or install permanent charge points in places where there is only a temporary need for power GMHydrogen fuel cells — which use compressed hydrogen as their fuel and release only water vapor — have been in development for decades. GM has condensed its Hydrotec system into a “power cube” encompassing 300 individual hydrogen fuel cells. The cubes can then be deployed in a variety of applications, including mobile generators and temporary EV chargers.:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179678/Palletized_MPG.jpg)
