Electrification

  Briteswitch recently covered key trends in electric vehicle (EV) charger rebate programs for 2025, emphasizing their growing importance in supporting EV infrastructure amidst a volatile market caused by federal policy changes and consumer uncertainty. Expanded Coverage of Rebate Programs  Rebate program coverage has grown significantly, now encompassing 78% of the U.S., compared to 60% [...]

  Many lighting manufacturers now produce/sell EV chargers, so the EV market now impacts the lighting industry. Global EV sales are expected to continue their strong growth trajectory in 2025. According to Rho Motion, a leading EV research firm, over 20 million electric vehicles are projected to be sold globally in 2025, representing an 18% [...]

  NEMA has introduced two new standards. One aimed at evaluating Build American Buy America (BABA) compliance, and the other to define how electric vehicles transfer power back to the grid through EV chargers. These standards impact the lighting and EV charger industries by addressing supply chain evaluation, and electric vehicle supply equipment. Make it [...]

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) announced funding of 20 projects across Canada that will combined install over 3,000 EV chargers. The Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program provides funding to support the installation of EV chargers in multi-unit residential buildings, at workplaces, on-street and along highways, at public places and where EV fleets are serviced. The Government of Canada [...]

  Most of the world’s electricity is still generated using fossil fuels, however, the new capacity being built globally was generated by more than 85% renewable sources. The data is from the International Renewable Energy Agency. 473 gigawatts (GW) of clean energy capacity was installed in 2023, primarily solar and wind power. In 2022, it was 308 [...]

A new law in Florida now prevents local governments from enacting or enforcing any ordinance or regulation involving EV charging stations. Senate Bill 1084 became effective July 1, 2024. Now, the authority to regulate EV chargers is exclusively held by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). Orlando had an existing ordinance requiring [...]

Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE) is the first utility in the country using EV batteries to help power homes. The utility is paying Ford F-150 Lightning owners to run their homes using their truck batteries during peak periods to help balance grid supply and demand. Other electric utilities around the country are talking about creating [...]

LightNOW has published a good deal about AI, Electrification, and Reshoring, but all three are now major drivers of electricity inflation. The Bank of America Institute published a report on July 2nd, 2024, titled Powering the Revolution, that looks at how these economic forces are impacting electricity rates. Some key takeaways follow. The year-over-year U.S. [...]

IONNA is a new joint venture founded by BMW, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, and Stellantis. The seven automakers received regulator approval and announced the new IONNA charging network, last week. The network is being modeled on the successful European network named Ionity. The plan is to have at least 30,000 new EV chargers [...]