Revel to open EV fas-charging hub in LA in 2026

Industry News

Revel currently only offers EV charging infrastructure on the other side of the United States. It operates three sites in New York City with a total of 54 fast-chargers. Two of them are located in Brooklyn, and one in Queens. Revel’s flagship Superhub is located in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. Initially, it planned to have six locations in the Big Apple by the end of this year. There are currently five additional locations with a total of 163 fast-chargers on the list for ‘NYC locations opening soon.’ Moreover, Reval’s expansion to California won’t stop with LA. According to its website, the EV infrastructure company also wants to open charging hubs in Northern California, namely in Oakland, San Francisco, and San José. However, there is not information on the timeline or number of planned chargers. Revel announced at the end of 2023 that it wanted to focus on its ride-hailing business and the installation of fast-charging stations. The company previously also operated an electric scooter-sharing business in New York City and San Francisco. In 2022, the company received about 175 million dollars in funding and debt financing to build its fast-charging Superhubs across the US. “Revel is building a portfolio of the largest fast charging stations in America’s biggest cities. We’re now officially expanding that footprint to LA,” Frank Reig, co-founder and CEO of Revel, is quoted as saying by Charged EVs. “In the next two years, we’ll have 1,000 fast chargers open across New York City, the Bay Area and Los Angeles. This infrastructure will close the urban charging gap and allow everyone, from rideshare drivers and last-mile delivery fleets to everyday drivers, to electrify.” chargedevs.com

US DOE announces 50 million dollar grants for six states

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The states of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Illinois have qualified for funding. The program is coordinated by the Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC) of the US Department of Energy. The aim of the grants is to support small and medium-sized suppliers in the transition to e-mobility components and thus help “preserve well-paying, unionized jobs in traditional automotive communities”, according to an official statement. Specifically, companies that are preparing for the transition to electric, hybrid or fuel cell vehicles are eligible for the grants. The 50 million dollars for suppliers is part of the large, two billion dollar funding program for the conversion of US automobile production, which is financed by the Inflation Reduction Act. The states have had time to apply for the grants since April. The prerequisite was that at least 0.5 percent of the state’s workforce must be employed in the automotive industry and the eligibility for funding must be for at least four million dollars. The six states listed above qualified under these premises. The funding is distributed as follows: US State Funding Michigan 18,406,420.45 $ Ohio 9,373,236.32 $ Indiana 8,770,249.81 $ Kentucky 4,876,458.57 $ Tennessee 4,513,688.68 $ Illinois 4,059,946.17 $ “Under President Biden and Vice President Harris’ leadership, America’s auto communities and the workforces they support finally have the tools they need to compete and thrive in the 21st century clean energy economy,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “By helping states and manufacturers navigate the emerging EV manufacturing industry, today’s announcements will help ensure the workforces that defined America’s auto sector for the last 100 years will have the opportunity to shape the next 100 years.” energy.gov

Nevera R: Rimac turns the Nevera into a hypercar

Industry News

With an output of 1,400 kilowatts and an acceleration of 1.81 seconds from a standstill to 100 kph, the Rimac Nevera is certainly no unsportsmanlike electric car. However, Rimac Automobili has deliberately developed the vehicle as a “hyper-GT” – with the aim of being able to drive a record lap on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife one moment and then set off on a road trip of over a thousand kilometres across the continent a short time later. With the corresponding space and comfort in the interior. “However, we continue to develop the car relentlessly with customer wishes in mind,” explains Rimac CEO and founder Mate Rimac. “Many were looking for a car that would emphasize the Nevera’s cornering stability even more and make the most of all the advanced technologies on board. We are responding to these requests with the Nevera R.” According to the company boss, the R model will retain the DNA of the Nevera, “but will be lighter, faster and more concentrated”. The power output of the drive has been increased to 1,571 kW, the battery system has been further developed with a view to performance and Rimac’s own torque vectoring of the all-wheel drive (R-AWTV) has also been optimized. New brakes have also been installed to trim the Nevera R for fast cornering. The design of the R version has only been subtly refined, but the large, fixed rear wing and the large diffuser at the rear are striking. The “aggressive aerodynamics package” (quote from the press release) is intended to increase downforce by 15 per cent and aerodynamic efficiency by ten per cent. In addition, new Cup 2 tires from Michelin are fitted, which are intended to improve lateral grip and the tendency to understeer on corner entry. An initial result: on the handling circuit in Nardò, Italy, the Nevera R is 3.8 seconds faster than the “base model”, if one can call the million-euro Nevera that. The Nevera R has not yet been on the Nordschleife racetrack of the Nurburgring, where the Nevera achieved a lap time of 7:05:298 minutes last August. Although the R has been optimized for cornering, it is also slightly faster than the Nevera on the straights: from a standing start, it should reach the 300 kph mark in 8.66 seconds. The Nevera takes a little longer at 9.22 seconds. Incidentally, the top speed ex-works is 350 kph. As with the Nevera, the 412 kph of the R model is only permitted under the supervision of the manufacturer. Source: Info via email

Over 1,200 electric cars involved in V2G project in China

Industry News

As reported by the state news agency Xinhua, these electric cars charge during off-peak times and make electricity available to the grid again in the event of impending bottlenecks. According to the grid operator State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power, participants were recruited for the project through discount vouchers, meaning that 1,277 electric vehicles at 482 charging stations are now involved in the project. An employee of the grid operator is quoted by Xinhua as saying that the number of electric vehicles in Jiangsu is expected to exceed 10 million units by 2030. “If just 10 per cent of these vehicles participate in reverse discharging, they could provide over 1 million kilowatts of peak-shaving capacity, equivalent to plugging in a 1 million-kilowatt ‘portable power bank’ to the grid.” State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power is also currently conducting a V2G test with electric buses. However, only two vehicles are involved in this case. “Compared to ordinary new energy vehicles, buses offer advantages such as larger single-charge discharge capacity, stable charging times, and scalability, providing a novel technological approach to green transportation, clean energy consumption, and power supply security in the region,” said Jiang Renxin, Director of the Marketing Department of State Grid Zhenjiang Yangzhong Power Supply Company. english.news.cn

Natron Energy to build Na-ion battery factory in North Carolina

Industry News

So far, Natron Energy has only presented the plans for the 1.4 billion dollar battery factory in eastern North Carolina. However, there was no timetable – so it remains unclear when construction will begin, when production will start or when the final capacity of 24 GWh will be reached. One thing is clear: at 24 GWh, the plant’s capacity is 40 times what Natron Energy can produce today. Sodium-ion batteries are seen as an alternative to the lithium-ion batteries that are widely used today, as they do not require materials such as lithium, cobalt, copper or nickel, are non-flammable and are also cheaper due to the better availability of sodium. Natron Energy also confidently states that its own high-performance cells should “outperform lithium-ion batteries in terms of power density and charging speed”. Natron Energy sees a broad sales market for its battery cells, for example in the field of industrial energy supply, “including data centers, mobility, EV fast charging, microgrids, and telecom, among others”, according to Natron Energy. United Airlines invested in Natron Energy in 2022 – as it also sees potential in aviation. In addition to electric aircraft, United is also focusing on the electrification of ground vehicles. “Natron’s patented Prussian blue electrodes store and transfer sodium-ions faster, and with lower internal resistance than any other commercial battery on the market today. The Company’s battery chemistry presents zero strain during charging and discharge, 10x faster cycling than traditional lithium-ion batteries, and 50,000+ cycle life,” the company says. Natron Energy uses aluminum, iron, manganese and a sodium electrolyte for its cells, modules and packs. The 177-hectare site in Kingsboro is located near US Highway 64, where battery cells are to be manufactured in the future on around 110,000 square meters (original specification: 1.2 million square feet) – it would be the first battery factory on a gigawatt-hour scale for sodium-ion cells in the USA. The published images and Google Maps show an area that has already been levelled but is still undeveloped and already connected to the road network. “After evaluating over 70 sites across 9 states, we found that North Carolina, with its leadership in the clean energy revolution, would make the perfect home for this project,” said Colin Wessells, founder and co-CEO of Natron Energy. “We are proud to partner with the state on this ambitious project to deliver high-quality jobs to the community while advancing the electrification of our economy. We look forward to joining the Edgecombe County business community.” The total investment of nearly $1.4 billion is also supported by a grant from the state. North Carolina’s Economic Investment Committee has approved such funding through the Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG). Up to 1,000 jobs are expected to be created in Edgecombe County. “With today’s news, North Carolina’s momentum in the clean energy economy is reaching epic proportions,” said Gov. Roy Cooper (Democrat). “Natron Energy’s decision to build this large and unique battery plant in our state will help the country reduce greenhouse gas emissions while creating good jobs in Rocky Mount, Nash and Edgecombe counties, as well as many other places in eastern North Carolina.” businesswire.com

SNE Research: Only 5,621 new FC vehicles in the first half of the year

Industry News

The 5,621 FCEVs sold in the first half of the year were not only passenger cars, but also commercial vehicles. This is particularly relevant in the world’s largest FCEV market – China. According to SNE Research, a total of 2,501 fuel cell vehicles were sold in China between January and June. Of these, 2,478 units were commercial vehicles such as buses or lorries. This leaves only 23 units for the passenger car sector. These are the Haima 7X-H, the fuel cell version of the Haima 7X, a 4.82-metre-long combustion van. While FCEV sales in China only fell by 16.5 per cent, the second-largest market, South Korea, suffered a drop of 41.8 per cent. While China and South Korea were still very close to each other after the first half of 2023 (2,996 and 2,992 sales respectively), South Korea only achieved 1,742 new FCEVs after six months this year. SNE Research attributes this to sluggish sales of the Hyundai Nexo on its home market – in addition to the fuel cell SUV, the Elec City FC bus is also included in the Hyundai balance sheet. Country H1 2023 H1 2024 Delta Marketshare 2023 Marketshare 2024 China 2,996 2,501 -16.5 % 35.1 % 44.5 % South Korea 2,992 1,742 -41.8 % 35.1 % 31.0 % Europe 489 594 21.5 % 5.7 % 10.6 % USA 1,825 322 -82.4 % 21.4 % 5.7 % Japan 202 440 117.8 % 2.4 % 7.8 % Other 20 22 10.0 % 0.2 % 0.4 % Total 8,524 5,621 -34.1 % 100% 100 % Source: SNE Research In Japan, FCEV sales have more than doubled compared to the previous year. With 440 units, Japan is now even ahead of the USA. The rest of the world does not play a significant role with 22 FCEVs. With the exception of the coronavirus year 2020, sales of hydrogen vehicles rose steadily until 2022. At this (provisional) peak, there were 20,704 vehicles worldwide. By 2023, sales had already fallen by 20.7% to 16,413 vehicles. The first half of 2024 represents a further decline of 34.1 per cent. “The fluctuating price of hydrogen; increasing cost of charging; and shortage of infrastructure; all of these, hindering consumers’ convenient use of hydrogen vehicles, are deemed as main reasons for such decline in the FCEV market,” writes SNE Research with regard to the South Korean market. “Unlike the roadmap proposed by the government, distribution of hydrogen vehicles has slowed down and plans of releasing new models are not encouraging, either.” sneresearch.com

Fastned increases turnover by 45 per cent

Industry News

The turnover of 37.8 million euros was generated with 2.5 million charging processes (+42.1 per cent compared to H1 2023). In other words: on average, each charging session generated revenue of around 15 euros. In the process, 62.7 gigawatt hours of electricity were sold, an increase of 49.5 per cent on the previous year. This means that, on average, slightly more electricity was charged during each charging process. In the first half of 2024, it was around 25.1 kWh per charging process, in 2023 it was 24.7 kWh with 42.0 GWh and 1.7 million charging processes. Fastned also points to above-average capacity utilisation at its own locations. “Our business model is proving to be highly efficient, as we are delivering 3 to 5 times more energy per station than many other players in Europe’s top 10 fast-charging companies,” the press release states. The turnover per station has increased fivefold over the past five years. According to the statement, the turnover of 37.8 million euros resulted in a gross profit of 29.8 million euros (+52 per cent) – in the first half of 2023, turnover was still at 26.1 million euros and gross profit at 19.6 million euros. However, as Fastned continues to invest heavily in expansion, the bottom line of the 2024 half-year balance sheet is a net loss of 11.4 million euros. This is eleven per cent more than in the same period in 2023 (-10.3 million euros). “On the verge of starting to self-fund investments in new stations” Fastned refers to the “ongoing large expansion effort” that led to the net loss. Profitability in general has improved, however, as the company’s underlying EBITDA has increased by twelve per cent to 3.2 million euros. Growth is financed by corporate bonds, among other things, of which Fastned issued bonds totalling 61 million euros in the first half of the year. The cash on the balance sheet has thus increased to 145.8 million euros. As the operating cash flow is now ‘only’ -1.0 million euros (after -2.5 million euros in the previous year), Fastned is “on the verge of starting to self-fund investments in new stations,” according to Fastned. On 30 June 2024, the Dutch company had 318 stations (+22) in operation with 1,863 charging points (+149). That is an average of 5.86 charging points per location. Important for further expansion: In the first half of the year, Fastned secured 79 additional locations where charging stations will soon be built. This represents an important milestone, as there are now 509 secured stations on the balance sheet – more than half of the 1,000 locations targeted by the company by 2030. “When looking at the facts, the electric transition is well on its way: the increasing number of electric vehicles across Europe shows drivers are embracing electric cars as they near price parity with fossil cars,” said Fastned CEO Michiel Langezaal. “The current battery development pace – still a relatively young technology – puts us on an unstoppable and accelerating path to a complete transition to electric mobility.” The Fastned Management Board has also recently undergone a change to make the company fit for further growth: The Dutch company has appointed Françoise Poggi as Chief Operating Officer (COO). She was previously responsible for Tesla’s European supply chain and, together with CEO Langezaal and CFO Victor van Dijk, forms the three-member management board. fastnedcharging.com

BYD looks to build new EV factory in Pakistan

Industry News

According to an insider, BYD will soon start selling three models in Pakistan. These will include a saloon and an SUV, according to a report by Bloomberg. The insider also told the news agency that Pakistan is also planning its own car factory in Pakistan, in Karachi, the largest city in the world’s fifth largest country. If all goes as planned, the factory is to be built near the deep-water harbour Qasim, in an industrial area where there are already car factories from Kia, Suzuki and Toyota. However, when prompted by media representatives, a BYD spokesperson refused to confirm the plans for the factory in Pakistan. However, he did confirm that BYD plans to start selling cars in the country in the near future, both fully electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. BYD is now the most successful car manufacturer in China, having sold three million cars last year and now selling its vehicles in 80 countries. While the vehicles were previously built exclusively in China, the company opened its first foreign production sites in Thailand and Uzbekistan in July. BYD is also planning to build electric cars in Brazil, Turkey and Hungary. Meanwhile, the Chinese investment company ADM Group has announced plans to become involved in the eMobility sector in Pakistan. The company is planning to invest 250 million dollars in the sector. On the one hand, the money is to be channelled into expanding the charging infrastructure in the Asian country. On the other hand, ADM also wants to invest in a factory for electric cars, in which vehicles with a range of 300 kilometres are to be produced. However, it is still completely unclear whether ADM intends to introduce its own brand for this purpose, as the company has not yet been active as a car manufacturer. However, it is also conceivable that the company is involved as a contract manufacturer or that it is financing a new factory for an established car manufacturer. Whatever the case may be, there is clearly a lot happening in the eMobility sector in Pakistan soon. So far, sales of electric cars in the country are still marginal. However, the country has set itself the target of electric cars accounting for 30 per cent of new cars sold by 2030. Of course, this requires attractive vehicles and a well-developed charging infrastructure, which ADM intends to provide. bnnbloomberg.ca (BYD), pakistantoday.com.pk (ADM)

Acura unveils electric SUV coupé concept

Industry News

The electric SUV coupé is based on a new Honda platform, but no technical data has yet been published. This is Honda’s first foray of its own after the electric car partnership with General Motors came to nothing last year. The Performance EV Concept is now intended to demonstrate the design language that will be used in future electric cars from Honda. The design of the concept was developed at the Acura Design Studio in Los Angeles. We still have to wait for the technical specifications of the vehicle and the platform. Pictures show that the concept has short overhangs and a coupé-like roofline. The front is tapered and appears jagged: the ventilated bonnet is set back and flanked by further air vents. Honda itself speaks of an “aggressive front end” inspired by hydrofoils. Massive wheel arches and 23-inch wheels with 295/35R23 tread tyres also contrast with the inwardly curved side surfaces, resulting in a muscular appearance. At the rear, “an upswept decklid, full-width taillight and large diffuser pay homage to the second generation NSX.” The Honda NSX was a sports car produced between 1990 and 2005. “The Acura Performance EV Concept is the archetype of Acura Performance in the electrified era, taking full advantage of the extreme design freedom of stance and proportion offered by our next-generation EV platform to push the boundaries of Acura design even further,” said Dave Marek, Acura Design Executive. “As with our previous Acura concept vehicles, the Acura Performance EV Concept introduces a number of design themes that will be seen on future Acura vehicles.” The new EV concept makes its public debut today at The Quail motorsports gathering in California, followed by an appearance at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Honda is currently in the process of converting several plants in the US state of Ohio for the production of electric cars. Specifically, the Marysville Auto Plant (MAP), the East Liberty Auto Plant (ELP) and the Anna Engine Plant (AEP). According to official information from the spring, the work is apparently progressing somewhat faster than originally planned, so that Honda is now aiming to start production of electric cars at the Marysville Auto Plant (MAP) by the end of 2025 instead of 2026 as previously communicated. “We began production of Acura vehicles in America almost 30 years ago, so we are excited to make an Acura SUV the first EV we build at the Honda EV Hub,” commented Mike Fischer, Senior Chief Engineer and Head of the Honda North American BEV Project. “The establishment of the Honda EV Hub represents not only the start of EV production but the complete reimagining of our approach to manufacturing that will establish our global standard for EV production.” As reported, the joint battery cell factory of Honda and LG Energy Solution in Ohio with an annual production capacity of around 40 GWh is also scheduled to go online at the end of 2025. carscoops.com, electriccarsreport.com, acuranews.com

British H2 truck manufacturer HVS partners with Hybot from China

Industry News

Both companies intend to work together on vehicle development, with Hybot taking care of technical aspects and HVS handling sales and after-sales in the UK and EU. The agreement also potentially allows for the export of HVS vehicles to China and cooperation in developing other international markets. Both HVS and Hybot have already developed their own fuel cell trucks: HVS presented its HGV in 2022 (see photo above) with a range of 600 kilometres, Hybot its H49 with a range of 1,000 kilometres, making it one of the longest ranges on the market to date. Now the two companies want to join forces: The aim is to promote the use of hydrogen fuel cell trucks on the UK and EU markets and to develop hydrogen fuel cell trucks that are suitable for various transport scenarios. The aim is to create a partnership with the aim of “revolutionising the commercial vehicle industry,” according to a rather ambitious press release. Both partners want to jointly develop innovative hydrogen-powered vehicles and optimise the supply chain for them. By combining Hybot’s expertise in hydrogen fuel cell technology and HVS’s innovative approach to vehicle development, the partners aim to set new standards in the industry, the press release states no less confidently. “We are thrilled to embark on this journey with Hybot, this collaboration aligns perfectly with our mission to lead in the introduction of zero-emission fuel cell trucks. Together, we will develop solutions that meet the needs of operators looking to decarbonise their fleets,” says HVS CEO Jawad Khursheed. “Partnering with HVS enhances our ability to deliver cutting-edge global logistics solutions that are environmentally friendly and highly efficient. This MoU is a testament to our shared commitment to innovation and sustainability,” added Mr Zhu, founder of Hybot. hvs.co.uk