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The energy cycle of dense hydrogen (often thought of as liquid hydrogen) appears to be extremely challenging with current technologies - especially if the energy required is supplied exclusively by "renewables" of solar/wind. Refinery hydrogen cuts out the first energy hog of raw hydrogen production, but is normally needed to hydrogenate heavier HCs to fuel, so not really available in the quantities needed if HCs fuels are severely reduced and refineries become mostly chemicals feed plants (as planned?).

Of course the life-cycle costs are another issue that will be extremely challenging as the purification and compression facilities will likely require batteries (some type of peak energy storage) to level off peak energy production of all renewables so that these facilities can be designed for decent on-stream factors. End point carbon reduction also becomes questionable.

Not against "hydrogen", but also believe some major break-throughs are needed to become mainstream for any type of HC based liquid/compressed fuels. Meanwhile, can it compete with military/highly resilient facilities that need to depend on nothing more than water, wind and sun (aircraft carrier :mrgreen: ). Nuclear will likely always win. Just IMO
 
WetEV said:
GRA said:
WetEV said:
Hydrogen for grant money again.

Yawn.


Then you must get really tired of yawning after all the government money being used to subsidize PEVs and syn/biofuels (and largely in the past but still some, PV and wind).

A yes, the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

Oh, and LED bulbs as well. The L-prize.

Ten million dollars. Energy savings were more than than in 2012, and have grown rapidly since then. Incandescent bulbs, other than for special uses, are basically gone. Projected to save 569 TWh annually by 2035.

The first retail L-prize bulbs sold for $50 to $60, or less when subsidized by local governments. Today, better LED bulbs are $1.25 each unsubsidized. Society's ROI in the thousands of percent. That was a Good use of government money.

The Bad? Hydrogen for autos. Doesn't make sense, unless you take some very special chemicals first.

The Ugly? Hydrogen for trucks. Oh, not for short and medium haul. BEV trucks work better there.


Generally true, but not when weight, dwell time or flexibility are issues. Local P&D and intra-regional distribution of lower-density cargo, absolutely BEV.

Don't forget compact fluorescents. I bought my first back about 1988 for $30 or so.

Of course, knowing which tech will prove a winner and which won't 20-30 years ahead of time is essentially impossible, so wasting money, government or otherwise, is inevitable. Which is why, given the severity of the situation I believe we face, I'm not willing to foreclose on any options to reduce GHGs which may prove viable in the next 20-30 years. All of the above will almost certainly find useful niches; the only question is how large each of those niches will be. H2 for cars makes sense for specific cases, and since it will clearly be used for trucks, the infrastructure will be there to make H2 viable. The question for the specific use case is will we be talking about gaseous or liquid H2, or some liquid at room temperature H2 carrier, and will it be fuel cells, turbines or piston ICEs? All are being worked on now.
 
What I Found When I Crawled Under Rivian’s Amazon Delivery Van
https://www.theautopian.com/what-i-found-when-i-crawled-under-rivians-amazon-delivery-van
 
Volta Trucks reveals full-electric 7.5- and 12-tonne Volta Zero variants.

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/04/20220426-volta.html


The 7.5- and 12-tonne Volta Zeros have been designed by Volta Trucks’ partner, Astheimer Design in Warwick, UK alongside Volta Trucks’ own engineering teams. The new full-electric vehicles bear a close but evolutionary visual relationship to the larger 16-tonne vehicle which is now undergoing extensive engineering development and testing ahead of customer evaluation during 2022.

The 7.5- and 12-tonne vehicles will be visually identical at the front, with the 12-tonne vehicle having a longer chassis and body, and second set of rear wheels and tires, to accommodate the increased vehicle payload. . . .

The driver of a Volta Zero has a wide 220-degrees of direct vision around the vehicle. This panoramic view of the surroundings through a glasshouse-style cab is designed to deliver a Transport for London five-star Direct Vision Standard rating for optimum visibility and the reduction of blind spots. The protection of vulnerable road users is also enhanced by the use of rear-view cameras that replace traditional mirrors, a 360-degree birds-eye camera showing the driver their complete surroundings, and blind-spot warning systems that detect objects down the sides of the vehicle.

Without the legacy internal combustion engine, the driver of a Volta Zero sits far lower than in a conventional truck, with their eye-line at around 1.8 meters (5.9 feet). This mirrors the height of pedestrians and other road users nearby for easy visual communication. And thanks to the Volta Zero’s innovative central driving position, the driver can enter and exit the vehicle on either side, always onto the pavements for their own safety, and through sliding rather than swinging doors to also ensure the safety of passing cyclists. [GRA note: Yaay!]. . . .

Having confirmed the start of the project in December 2021, a Pilot Fleet of vehicles is expected to be launched for customer trials in 2024, with series production due to commence in early 2025. The forthcoming 7.5- and 12-tonne vehicles will make a significant contribution to the company’s objective to sell more than 27,000 per year by 2025 and increasing in the years beyond. . . .

In November 2021, Volta Trucks announced Europe’s largest purchase of full-electric trucks with DB Schenker’s order of 1,470 vehicles. This followed Petit Forestier’s order of 1,000 Volta Zeros. Volta Trucks now has a total order bank of around 6,000 vehicles, with an order bank value of circa €1.3 billion.
 
GCC:
Nikola launches serial production of Nikola Tre BEV in Arizona; fuel-cell trucks next year

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/04/20220428-nikola.html


Nikola Corporation has begun commercial serial truck production of the Nikola Tre BEV (battery-electric vehicle); initial customer shipments have begun. Next year, fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEV) are planned to be added to the manufacturing mix, said Mark Russell, Nikola’s CEO.

Phase 1 of the Coolidge, Arizona manufacturing facility provides Nikola with a production capacity of 2,500 trucks. Construction of the Phase 2 assembly expansion area has begun and is expected to be completed in 2023 with a production capacity of up to 20,000-trucks per year on two shifts.

Nikola delivered the first two Nikola Tre BEVs to TTSI in December. In January 2022, Nikola began FCEV pilot operations with Anheuser-Busch. Two Nikola Tre FCEV alphas are undergoing a pilot in daily service within the brewer’s Southern California distribution network.

Nikola’s Ulm, Germany manufacturing facility on IVECO’s industrial complex is also complete. The facility is capable of a production capacity of 2,000 trucks per year and is expandable up to 10,000 trucks per year. . . .
 
GCC:
RATP withdraws 149 Bolloré electric buses from service after two fires

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/04/20220430-ratp.html


Paris transport operator RATP has temporarily withdrawn Bolloré brand electric buses from operation after two separate bus fires. On Friday, 29 April, a fire broke out on a bus on line 71, towards the Bibliothèque François Mitterrand stop (Paris, 13th arrondissement). The bus driver immediately evacuated the passengers. There are no injuries.

Firefighters responded very quickly and as a safety measure, the François Mitterrand Library station, located nearby, was closed from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

An investigation is underway to determine the causes of the incident. As this was the second fire on an electric bus of the same Bluebus 5SE series of the Bolloré brand in less than a month, the RATP has made the decision as a precautionary measure, in liaison with Ile-de-France Mobilités, to withdraw from operation the 149 electric buses in this series.

RATP has asked Bolloré to explain the causes of these incidents and propose an action plan to allow these buses to be put back into operation in complete safety. . . .

RATP has been operating electric buses since 2016 without major incident. The company operates a fleet of 4,700 buses, including 500 electric buses from 3 different manufacturers.

Each 12-meter Bluebus is equipped with six solid-state LMP (Lithium Metal Polymer) battery packs, a technology combining high energy density and optimal safety, providing up to 320 kilometers drive, according to the producer.

This technology has been developed within the Bollorè group by Blue Solutions, and is being adopted by Daimler on the eCitaro as well. These batteries are entirely produced in the Bolloré plants located in Brittany.
 
GCC:
Daimler Buses to offer CO2-neutral vehicles in every segment by 2030; eCitaro with Toyota fuel-cell range extender

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/05/20220503-daimlerbus.html


Daimler Buses aims to offer locally CO2-neutral vehicles based on batteries and hydrogen in every segment by 2030. The initial focus will be on the core markets of Europe and Latin America.

By 2039, only locally CO2-neutral new vehicles are to be sold in the core market of Europe. In the city bus segment, this is to be the case in Europe as early as 2030.

To achieve our climate goals, we need more zero-emission vehicles. We actively support public transport companies to decarbonize their fleets and provide them with the corresponding infrastructure. We have earmarked a total of 1.25 billion Euro for this purpose. Our goal: by 2030, every second city bus should be electrified.

—Volker Wissing, Germany’s Federal Minster for Digital and Transport. . . .

Daimler Buses plans to launch the first all-electric inter-city bus from 2025 and coaches with hydrogen-based fuel cell drive from the end of this decade. In line with the dual-track strategy of its parent company Daimler Truck, Daimler Buses is focusing on both battery-electric and hydrogen-based technologies—the only way to offer tailored zero-emission solutions for the diverse needs of its customers, the company says. . . .

Starting in 2023, Daimler Buses will also equip its previously purely battery-electric Mercedes-Benz eCitaro city bus, which has been in series production since 2018, with a hydrogen-based fuel cell as a range extender in both solo and articulated models.

Daimler Buses is thus adding a vehicle with a range of up to 400 kilometers (solo bus) to its all-electric product portfolio in the city bus segment. As a range extender variant, the powerful and locally CO2-neutral low-floor bus covers even demanding routes and nearly 100% of all transport operators range requirements.

Toyota is supplying the fuel-cell module. The TFCM2-F-60 is a second-generation flat-type module that produces 60kW power and can be easily integrated into the roof of the bus, alongside the battery and hydrogen tanks. The combination of the battery and the fuel cell as a range extender eliminates the need for intermediate charging on-the-go.

TME engineers will support the overall design of the system and the integration of the module into the bus to ensure optimum efficiency, power and service life. The heavy-duty unit’s efficiency results in a comparatively low consumption of hydrogen relative to the power generation. With an integrated voltage converter, the TFCM operates in a voltage range of 450 to 700 volts and most efficiently at around 30kW.

The eCitaro Range Extender is still clearly designed for use as a city bus. The drive system continues to be based on the very powerful battery, while the fuel cell serves purely to extend the range and not as the main energy source. The vehicle is thus an all-electric hybrid bus that combines both power sources. The hydrogen is used in gaseous form at a pressure of 350 bar.

In addition, Daimler Buses will offer the eCitaro with a new generation of high-performance batteries from the end of 2022. The high-energy lithium-ion batteries increase the capacity per battery cell by around 50% for the same weight and enable reliable ranges of around 280 kilometers (solo bus). The batteries will be used in both the eCitaro, the eCitaro Range Extender and the recently launched all-electric chassis eO500U from Brazil.

The eCitaro is a successful model from Daimler Buses—more than 600 eCitaro are now in daily use by European customers. In 2021, almost every second all-electric city bus newly sold in Germany came from Daimler Buses. . . .




IEVS:
Volvo Heavy Duty Electric Truck Lineup Now Officially On Sale
Production of the FH, FM and FMX Electric will begin this fall in Volvo’s carbon-neutral Tuve plant.

https://insideevs.com/news/583557/volvo-fh-fm-fmx-electric-sales-start/
 
GCC:
Volvo Trucks and Bucher collaborate to electrify sewer cleaner trucks

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/05/20220504-volvotrucks.html


. . . By the end of 2023, Bucher Municipal expects to deliver up to 80 fully electric sewer cleaner trucks to cities in Europe.

The introduction of more zero emission zones in cities around the world is generating demand for fully electric trucks. To meet this demand, Bucher Municipal, a leading supplier of municipal vehicles such as street sweepers, winter maintenance equipment, refuse vehicles, and sewer cleaning trucks, has joined forces with Volvo Trucks to develop an all-electric sewer cleaner built on the Volvo FL Electric truck. . . .

Bucher Municipal is expecting that up to 80 sewer trucks, or 50% of their production of cleaning vehicles, will be zero exhaust emission trucks from Volvo by the end of 2023.

Volvo Trucks goal is that electric models will account for half of its truck sales in 2030. Volvo Trucks was the market leader for heavy all-electric trucks in Europe in 2021 with a market share of 42%. . . .

Order system for electric trucks. Earlier in the month, Volvo Trucks officially opened the order system for its heavy-duty electric truck range, the Volvo FH, Volvo FM and Volvo FMX. Serial production will start in the autumn and gradually ramp up. The electric trucks will be produced in the CO2-neutral Tuve plant in Gothenburg to start with.

In 2021 Volvo Trucks took orders, including letters of intent to buy, for more than 1,100 electric trucks in more than 20 countries.

The electric versions of Volvo’s medium-duty trucks Volvo FE, Volvo FL and Volvo VNR are already in serial production. The largest markets for Volvo’s electric trucks in Europe currently are Norway, Sweden and Germany. Volvo Trucks is the market leader in Europe for heavy electric trucks with a market share of 42% in 2021, and also has a leading position in North America.

With a total of six electric truck models in production as of this year, Volvo Trucks has the most complete electric line up in the global truck industry, covering everything from city distribution and refuse handling, to urban construction transports and regional haulage.

The tractor models of the Volvo FH, Volvo FM and Volvo FMX Electric are released for sale now. Rigid versions will be released for sale in the fourth quarter of 2022.
 
GCC:
Volta trucks to enter US market with Class 7 electric truck in LA by end of next year

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/05/20220506-volta.html


. . . The introduction of Volta Trucks’ 100% battery electric commercial vehicles into North America will be led in 2023 by a Volta Zero Class 7 truck which is equivalent to the existing European 16-ton truck, with a dry or refrigerated cargo box. . . .

Volta Trucks will initially introduce a Pilot Fleet of 100 Class 7 trucks in mid-2023 that will be evaluated by US customers, starting in Los Angeles in mid-2023, with additional cities to follow, ahead of a roll out of production vehicles in 2024.

To date, Volta Trucks has built 24 road-going design verification prototypes which are currently undergoing a testing program in Europe. Ahead of the introduction in North America, the company expects to have already built more than 1,500 full-electric Class 7 trucks for European customers.

As a vehicle specifically designed for urban logistics, the Class 7 Volta Zero will offer a modular battery configuration to deliver a range of 95 - 125 miles—more than enough for downtown distribution routes. The vehicle is designed to accept both AC and DC 250 kW fast charging, which delivers a full charge from empty in just over an hour. Alternatively, one hour of 19 kW AC standard charging will add around 12 miles of driving range.

While commercial vehicles compose a small portion of city traffic, they have historically been involved in a disproportionate number of accidents with vulnerable road users (VRUs). Without the traditional internal combustion engine, Volta Trucks, alongside Astheimer Design, reconfigured the entire driving experience to centrally mount the driver’s seat, and lowered it, in order to meet pedestrians and cyclists at eye level. The Volta Zero’s glasshouse-style cab offers a 220-degree view around the vehicle, for optimum visual awareness and blind-spot reduction.

With the Volta Zero’s innovative central driving position, drivers enter and exit the vehicle on either side, always onto the sidewalk for their own safety, and through sliding rather than swinging doors, to also ensure the safety of passing cyclists.

The 33,000 lbs. Class 7 Volta Zero introduction will be closely followed by a Class 5 vehicle of 19,500 lbs., and a Class 6 truck of 26,000 lbs., equivalent to the European 7.5- and 12-ton vehicles, in 2024/2025. . .

Work is now underway to kick-off initial US-based manufacturing with an experienced partner, with agreements expected later in 2022. The first Class 7 vehicles delivered to the US will be built at the company’s existing contract manufacturing facility in Steyr, Austria, to ensure the quality of the first US vehicles, with all Class 5 and 6 vehicles for North America expected to be built in the US, starting in 2024/25..
 
GCC:
Anglo American unveils prototype 2MW hydrogen-battery hybrid mine haul truck

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/05/20220507-anglo.html


Anglo American plc unveiled a prototype of the world’s largest hydrogen-powered mine haul truck designed to operate in everyday mining conditions at its Mogalakwena PGMs (platinum group metals) mine in South Africa. The 2MW hydrogen-battery hybrid truck, generating more power than its diesel predecessor and capable of carrying a 290-tonne payload, is part of Anglo American’s nuGen Zero Emission Haulage Solution (ZEHS).

nuGen provides a fully integrated green hydrogen system, consisting of production, fueling and haulage system, with green hydrogen to be produced at the mine site. nuGen is part of FutureSmart Mining, Anglo American’s innovation-led approach to sustainable mining.

The nuGen truck is retrofitted from a diesel-powered vehicle. The truck uses a hybrid hydrogen fuel cell providing roughly half of the power and a battery pack the other half, to allow energy recovery from braking. For the nuGen project, Anglo American worked with companies such as ENGIE, First Mode, Ballard and NPROXX to:

Design, build, and test a 1.2 MWh battery pack, as the haul truck system uses multiple fuel cells that deliver up to 800kW of power, combining to deliver a total of 2MW of power.

Design and implement a software solution to safely manage power and energy between the fuel cells, batteries, and vehicle drivetrain.

Develop the power management and battery systems from the ground up, providing the ability to tailor the system to each mine and improve overall efficiency by designing in energy recovery as the haul trucks travel downhill through regenerative braking.

Build a hydrogen production, storage, and refueling complex at Mogalakwena that incorporates the largest electrolyzer in Africa and a solar plant to support the operation of the haul truck.

nuGen is a tangible demonstration of our FutureSmart Mining program changing the future of our industry. With diesel emissions from our haul truck fleet accounting for around 10-15% of our total Scope 1 emissions, this is an important step on our pathway to carbon neutral operations by 2040. The mining industry is playing a considerable role in helping the world decarbonize, both through our own emissions footprint and the metals and minerals that we produce that are critical to low carbon energy and transport systems.

Over the next several years, we envisage converting or replacing our current fleet of diesel-powered trucks with this zero-emission haulage system, fueled with green hydrogen. If this pilot is successful, we could remove up to 80% of diesel emissions at our open pit mines by rolling this technology across our global fleet.


—Duncan Wanblad, Chief Executive of Anglo American. . . .
 
Both GCC:
Hyundai Motor to expand XCIENT fuel cell truck entry into US market

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/05/20220510-hyundai.html


. . . At the 2022 Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo, Hyundai Motor will share the progress of the NorCAL ZERO Project. Through the project, also known as Zero-Emission Regional Truck Operations with Fuel Cell Electric Truck, Hyundai Motor will deploy 30 Class 8 6x4 XCIENT Fuel Cell heavy-duty tractors at the Port of Oakland, Calif., in 2023. . . .

Hyundai Motor views hydrogen as the clean energy solution for commercial vehicles, including vocational trucks that require high amount of energy, due to the convenience in production, transportation, distribution and storage.

Hydrogen is an energy carrier with high density which allows fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) to provide sustained energy output suitable for long-haul driving and carrying heavy loads. Fuel cell electric commercial vehicles enhance work efficiency and lower infrastructure cost compared to battery electric vehicles (BEV) by minimizing downtime with shorter refueling time. This has led the company to deploy a growing fleet of XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks, the world’s first mass produced fuel cell electric heavy-duty truck, in Switzerland starting in 2020, which now has achieved a cumulated range of 3.5 million km as of 30 April 2022.

With the US government’s significant investment and more players entering the hydrogen market, the total cost of ownership (TCO) for fuel cell electric vehicles will drop significantly in the coming years, Hyundai says.




Volvo Trucks Customer QCD orders 30 more VNR Electric trucks for Southern California fleet

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/05/20220510-qcd.html


Volvo Trucks North America customer, Quality Custom Distribution (QCD)—a Golden State Foods (GSF) company—is increasing its commitment to zero-tailpipe emission freight transport with its latest order of 30 Volvo VNR Electrics. In early 2023, the battery-electric Class 8 trucks will be deployed in QCD’s Southern California fleet operations delivering products to restaurants and coffee shops throughout Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.

This multi-stakeholder electrification project, announced during a press event on 9 May at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo, includes 16 fast chargers and a renewable energy microgrid to power the chargers.

Each year, QCD’s fleet of 700 Class 8 tractors makes more than one million last-mile deliveries from its 26 distribution centers across the US, averaging more than 35 million miles on the road annually. The company’s investment in Volvo VNR Electric, which now includes 45 trucks, is a central part of its strategy to help its customers reduce their supply chain emissions.

Last April, QCD ordered its first batch of 14 leased Volvo VNR Electric trucks with funding support from a grant awarded to Volvo Financial Services from the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee’s (MSRC) Inland Port Program. The first Volvo VNR Electrics from the 2021 order will start operations this month out of its distribution center in Fontana, California. The remaining trucks of the order will be deployed throughout 2022 and early 2023.

With the deployment of the 30 additional Volvo VNR Electrics, QCD is expanding its zero-tailpipe emission fleet to operate from a second distribution center in La Puente, California. QCD received funding for the 30 Volvo VNR Electrics through the Southern California Association of Governments’ (SCAG) Last Mile Freight Program, established in partnership with MSRC.

To bolster the environmental and economic benefits of the project further, as well as increase resiliency, QCD has partnered with Scale Microgrid Solutions to build a clean energy microgrid to power its La Puente’s battery-electric fleet and distribution center.

InCharge Energy will supply and maintain fast charging stations utilizing onsite renewable energy generated by a microgrid developed by Scale Microgrid Solutions to support QCD’s growing Volvo VNR Electric fleet.

The microgrid for QCD’s charging infrastructure will include features such as:

A combined 1,200kW of rooftop solar, 250kW of carport solar, 3 megawatt hours (MWh) of battery storage, and 1,500 kilowatts (kW) of backup generation.

A modular design approach using pre-engineered components, which accelerates the project construction and installation process, minimizes interruption to QCD fleet operations and makes it easy and affordable to scale as more EVs are added to QCD’s fleet. . . .
 
GCC:
Airgas to pilot two Hyzon Motors heavy-duty hydrogen fuel cell trucks; 100 kW and 200 KW

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/05/20220512-airgas.html


Airgas, an Air Liquide company, has signed an agreement with Hyzon Motors, a global supplier of zero-emissions hydrogen fuel-cell-powered commercial vehicles, to pilot two heavy duty hydrogen fuel cell trucks, including one 100 kW fuel cell truck and the first Hyzon 200 kW hydrogen fuel cell truck to be tested commercially.

These two trucks will be the first heavy duty hydrogen fuel cell trucks within the Air Liquide Group globally and are slated to be tested in various cylinder delivery routes in the Los Angeles, California area.

The Hyzon 100 kW fuel cell truck that Airgas will pilot was on display at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo at the Long Beach Convention Center. Hyzon’s 200 kW hydrogen fuel cell powered truck, the most powerful fuel cell Hyzon has deployed, will begin testing at Airgas in the fall of 2022.

Through Hyzon’s Repower program, these vehicles are upcycled from existing diesel trucks, with Hyzon’s proprietary fuel cell system, electric drivetrain, and lightweight hydrogen storage design. Hyzon vehicles offer similar payloads, performance, and refueling time to diesel.
 
GCC:
Clean Air Power demonstrates Freightliner Class 66 locomotive running on combination of diesel, biogas and hydrogen

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/05/20220515-cap.html


UK-based Clean Air Power has demonstrated a Freightliner Class 66 locomotive running on hydrogen to reduce its carbon emission output. Clean Air Power achieved this by fitting the Class 66 with its precision injection technology, allowing the two-stroke diesel locomotive to run on a combination of diesel, biogas and hydrogen.

The nine-month initiative marks the first time this technology, which has been successfully demonstrated on road, was applied to the rail freight sector. The project paves the way for the decarbonization of other Class 66 locomotives; the locomotives carry more than 80% of the freight on the rail network.

The Class 66 locomotive was built by Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) (JT42CWRM), now part of Progress Rail, a Caterpillar company.

Clean Air Power was able to fund the initiative after being chosen as one of the winners of the 2021 First of a Kind (FOAK) competition, which is backed by the Department for Transport in partnership with Innovate UK. FOAK is aimed at making railways cleaner, greener and more passenger friendly.

Thirty projects were awarded a share of £9 million (US$11 million), with Clean Air Power securing almost £400,000 (US$490,000).

Clean Air Power’s main project partner was rail freight operator, Freightliner, a subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (G&W). They were supported by RSSB, Carrickarory, the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education at the University of Birmingham, Network Rail and Tarmac. . . .
 
GCC:
Daimler Truck’s all-electric Freightliner eCascadia enters series production in North America

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/05/20220519-ecascadia.html


After well more than one million-miles (1.6 million kilometers) of testing in daily customer operations, Daimler Truck and its US Freightliner brand recently unveiled the all-electric eCascadia that will enter series production in 2022. Built on the best-selling heavy-duty truck platform in North America, the new battery-electric Freightliner eCascadia provides customers with a zero-emission version of the industry-leading Cascadia.

Customer deliveries are expected to begin in 2022, bringing Daimler Truck and their US customers one step further towards CO2-neutral transportation.

Since 2018, Freightliner has deployed trucks with customers to run freight in the real world covering a wide breadth of applications including local delivery, food distribution, and parcel delivery. Comprising more than 40 battery electric Freightliner eCascadias and eM2s, the Freightliner Electric Innovation and Customer Experience (CX) Fleets have transformed the testing process by putting trucks into the hands of almost 50 customers, including leading US fleets such as Penske Truck Leasing, NFI, Knight-Swift, Schneider, Ryder, J.B. Hunt and others.

Along with extensive development and rigorous testing through several prototypes, this resulted in a powerful and efficient battery electric truck with multiple battery and drive axle options, providing a typical range of 230 miles or 370 km (depending on vehicle configurations). The eCascadia is suited for short-haul routes that allow for depot-based charging, examples of which include last mile logistics, local and regional distribution, and warehouse-to-warehouse applications. . . .

The eCascadia is driven by an eAxle integrated with an electric motor, transmission and specialized electronics within a compact unit. It is available with a dual motor (470 hp) or a single motor (320 hp). Customers can chose between three battery options for a range of sizes and average, zero-to-full charging times starting with 194 kWh (one and a half to three hours), 291 kWh (two to four hours), and 438 kWh (two to six hours).
 
GCC:
VIA Motors sells 2,000 Class 3 electric chassis cabs to Pegasus Specialty Vehicles

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/09/20220929-via.html


VIA Motors, a provider of electric drive technology and sustainable mobility solutions for a wide variety of Class 2 – 5 electric commercial vehicles applications, has received a purchase order for 2,000 Class 3 VIA electric cutaway chassis cabs from Pegasus Specialty Vehicles. Pegasus will leverage the flexibility of VIA’s commercial products to build Type A school buses, electric shuttles, and paratransit buses.

Pegasus has a dealerships network throughout the United States, including Creative Bus Sales, the nation’s largest bus dealership.

A Pegasus Bus on a VIA cutaway will feature all-wheel drive and industry-leading low floor height and turning radius. Gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the units will range from 12,500 to 14,000 pounds. The electric motors will generate a continuous rated 400 horsepower and will be able to transport a payload of 7,000 to 8,200 pounds within a range of 180 miles. . . .

In the United States, there are more than 500,000 school buses on the road, bringing roughly 25 million children to and from school. Together, these school buses represent one of the largest fleets in the country and primarily run on diesel fuel, emitting more than 5 million pounds of CO2 emissions and other toxic pollutants per year. Recently, the US Environmental Protection Agency has made more than $500 million in funds available for school districts to purchase clean, quiet, zero-emission school buses. . . .




Hegelmann Group signs LoI for 50 Mercedes-Benz battery-electric long-haul trucks

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/09/20220929-hegelmann.html


Logistics company Hegelmann Group, which operates in Europe, and Mercedes-Benz Trucks signed a Letter of Intent for the order of 50 eActros LongHaul electric trucks (earlier post) at this year’s IAA Transportation in Hannover. The vehicles are to be delivered to the family-owned company from Bruchsal, Germany with the start of series production in 2024.

Following its presentation at the IAA in Hannover, the eActros LongHaul will be tested on public roads for the first time this year. Intensive customer testing with near-series production ready prototypes is also planned for 2023. In this context, letters of intent were already signed with Amazon and Rhenus in September. (Earlier post.)

On a single battery charge the eActros LongHaul will have a range of around 500 kilometers (311 miles). Mercedes-Benz Trucks’ development engineers are designing the eActros LongHaul for the same vehicle and component durability requirements as a comparable conventional heavy-duty long-haul Actros. That means 1.2 million kilometers of mileage over ten years of operation.

The eActros LongHaul uses batteries with lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cell technology, characterized by a long service life and more usable energy. eActros LongHaul’s batteries can be charged from 20 to 80% in well under 30 minutes at a charging station with about one megawatt of power.

Three battery packs deliver a total installed capacity of more than 600 kWh and two electric motors, as part of a new eAxle, generate a continuous output of 400 kW with a peak output of more than 600 kW. . . .


Maybe for a European definition of 'long-haul'. I'd like to see what these things weigh, and what climate conditions those range figures apply to. I figure there's no way in hell they can be used for weight-critical loads without accepting major payload limitations.




Eviation’s electric commuter plane Alice makes first test flight

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/09/20220929-alice.html


The first fully electric commuter plane Alice from Eviation Aircraft (earlier post) successfully completed its maiden flight at Moses Lake, Washington. Alice lifted off on 27 Sep at 7:10 a.m. from Grant County International Airport (MWH), flying for a total of eight minutes and reaching an altitude of 3,500 feet.

Eviation Alice is targeted at commuter and cargo markets, and will typically operate flights ranging from 150 miles to 250 miles. Cape Air and Global Crossing Airlines, both US-based regional airlines, have placed orders for 75 and 50 Alice aircraft respectively. In 2021, DHL Express announced that it ordered 12 all-electric Alice eCargo planes from Eviation, making it Eviation’s first cargo customer.

The all-electric Alice aircraft features a maximum operating speed of 260 knots and a maximum useful load of 2,500 lbs for passenger version and 2,600 lbs for eCargo version.

Alice is available in three variants including a nine-passenger commuter, a six-passenger executive cabin, and an eCargo version. All configurations support two crew members. The executive cabin and eCargo variations are identical to the commuter configuration, except for the interior.

Alice is powered by two magni650 electric propulsion units (EPUs) from magniX, the only flight-proven electric propulsion systems at this scale. The magni650 EPU is a 850 SHP / 640 kW / 3,000 N·m – class EPU. Each EPU includes a magni650 motor, 4 X magniDrive 100, and a closed-loop integrated thermal management system.

The EPU is designed to provide the required torque and power turning at low RPMs, the same speed as the propeller. This allows a direct motor-to-propeller connection, eliminating the need for a heavy maintenance-prone gearbox.

A 4×3-phase architecture allows for redundancy, increased reliability and graceful degradation should a fault occur. For example, in the event of a short circuit, one 3-phase section can be turned off, allowing the pilot 75% of full power.

The magniDrive 100 is a multi-application, high-performance power electronics unit including both the inverter and motor controller functions. It is designed as ‘bi-directional’, capable of both DC/AC operation for propulsion and AC/DC operation for generation. It is suitable for HVDC networks of up to 800 VDC. . . .

Alice’s advanced battery system is highly efficient and endlessly upgradeable enabling range improvements as battery technology evolves. The aircraft also incorporates a fly-by-wire cockpit, providing greater reliability and systems redundancy.


I'll be very interested in seeing if they meet their range/payload/longevity requirements, because this is well beyond what I consider the state of the art in BEV aviation, which is pretty much limited to short training flights, puddle jumps and the like. See the discussion following the article.
 
So....I got to ride in (and drive! :mrgreen: ) my friend's BrightDrop Zevo this last weekend. I have to say it's pretty cool and would be an easy conversion for 'van life'. Don't ask me how he got it and no, you probably can't get one, but it is one sweet vehicle. And, after driving this, I have to say it is absolutely criminal that the USPS isn't converting their fleet to something similar.

J7MWRGQ.jpg
 
Came across the below the other day. Hadn't known they had gone bk.

Volvo Group wins bid for bankrupt Proterra battery assets
Swedish automaker gets battery pack-making business for $210 million
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/volvo-group-wins-bid-for-bankrupt-proterra-battery-assets


The below is from Aug 7, 2023:
EV firm Proterra files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection
https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/ev-firm-proterra-files-chapter-11-bankruptcy-2023-08-07/
 
AT&T Partners With Rivian To Electrify Its Commercial Fleet
The telecommunications company will start using Rivian Commercial Vans and R1 vehicles next year
https://jalopnik.com/at-t-partners-with-rivian-to-electrify-commercial-fleet-1851100702
 
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