Electrification, Lighting Industry

10 Interesting EV Charger Stories

10 Interesting EV Charger Stories

 

Here are 10 EV charger stories that I found interesting:

Source: E&E News EnergyWire

Until recently, there haven’t been a lot of hotels to meet EV drivers needs with a charging plug. However, new plans by Hilton and Marriott suggest that electric vehicle charging stations could become a regular hotel amenity. Hotels have a big influence in spreading emerging technologies, like Wi-Fi, and this EV charger adoption at major hotel chains could play an important role in consumer adoption of EVs.

Source: EC&M

In the rapidly advancing realm of electric vehicles (EVs), the road to adoption is often paved with promising incentives, one of the most notable being EV charger rebates. According to BriteSwitch, a firm specializing in capturing local, utility, state, and federal rebates/incentives for businesses, 74% of the country boasts a rebate for EV chargers, but navigating the landscape to get these incentives can be both rewarding and, at times, challenging.

Source: Government Technology

A new vehicle charging incentive program in California aims to increase mid-level charging in apartment housing, job sites, places of worship and other areas. The Communities in Charge initiative, managed by CALSTART and funded by the California Energy Commission, is focusing on expanding Level 2 charging to even out the equitable distribution of car-charging, as drivers in the largest electric vehicle market in the country rapidly adopt EVs. By 2030, the state aims to have 5 million zero-emission cars on its roadways, a goal most industry watchers say will be easily met.

Source: AutoEvolution.com

In 2021, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) announced a leap in developing a high-power charging standard capable of charging capacity up to 3.75 megawatts. Today’s most powerful DC fast-charging stations peak at 500 kilowatts, so a seven-fold increase is quite remarkable. We know that the Tesla Semi can charge at a megawatt level, and the larger 800 kWh battery charges up to 70% in 30 minutes. Still, industries aim for a maximum 15-minute fast-charging standard for electrifying their fleets to become really competitive.

Source: EC&M

The number of battery-powered electric school buses (ESBs) in operation continues to surge, and California’s recent affirmation that no new diesel-powered buses will be allowed after 2035 marks another milestone on the path to wider adoption. The governor’s mid-October signing of the bill mandating the shift solidifies the state as a leader in the transition. Its action makes it the fifth state — maybe the most consequential — to set a date-certain transition; New York, Connecticut, Maryland and Maine had earlier announced definitive phase-outs, but they greatly lag California in deployments. California had 2,078 ESBs committed — in operation, delivered, ordered or awarded — as of June 2023, according to World Resources Institute (WRI), by far the biggest number of any state.

Source: Grist.org

The state has installed a record number of EV fast chargers, but it’s still not enough to keep pace with future demand. There are more than 1.6 million EVs in the state, and 25 percent of new cars sold in the first quarter of 2023 were electric vehicles. An August report from the California Energy Commission found that the state will need more than 1 million public and shared private chargers — including 39,000 fast chargers — to support 7 million electric vehicles by 2030, a steep increase from current targets.

Source: EC&M

The Biden-Harris administration announced it has opened applications for the Electric Vehicle (EV) Charger Reliability and Accessibility Accelerator program, which will provide up to $100 million in federal funding to repair and replace non-operational EV charging infrastructure. The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program stipulates a 10% set-aside of the $5 billion created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and administered by the Federal Highway Administration to provide grants to states and localities that require additional assistance to strategically deploy EV charging infrastructure. The first round of funding will focus on improving the reliability of the current network by repairing or replacing existing EV charging infrastructure.

Source: BriteSwitch.com

Here are the major trends in the world of EV charger rebates for 2023:

  1. Most of the US is Covered by an EV Charger Rebate
  2. 22% Growth in EV Charger Rebate Programs
  3. Minor Changes in EV Charger Rebate Amounts
  4. Approved Lists Gain Popularity
  5. Changes in the Federal Tax Credit

Source: FacilitiesNet.com

How will buildings strategies shift to accommodate the need for more parking for EVs, more charging stations, and the potentially higher electricity demand that would come with more charging stations? How will leases be negotiated to accommodate both EVs and traditional parking? How will tenants or occupants be charged back (if they are) for electricity used to charge EVs? Or will EV charging be a perk of a lease for a Class A building?

Source: DigiTimes.com

Tesla has seen its North American Charging Standard (NACS) gaining traction after winning over several major car makers, this Summer. However, DIGITIMES analyst Evan Chen said Combined Charging System (CCS) Type 1, the second most-used charging connector in the US, is unlikely to be phased out soon as it has government support.

Image: Pexels.com

 

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David Shiller
David Shiller is the Publisher of LightNOW, and President of Lighting Solution Development, a North American consulting firm providing business development services to advanced lighting manufacturers. The ALA awarded David the Pillar of the Industry Award. David has co-chaired ALA’s Engineering Committee since 2010. David established MaxLite’s OEM component sales into a multi-million dollar division. He invented GU24 lamps while leading ENERGY STAR lighting programs for the US EPA. David has been published in leading lighting publications, including LD+A, enLIGHTenment Magazine, LEDs Magazine, and more.

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