🔋Rolling, Rolling, Rolling

Greetings on this fine Thursday! I hope everyone in the northeast and Canada is staying safe from the wildfires. These are crazy times indeed. Now, let’s dive into the news.

"Strive for perfection in everything we do."

– Sir Henry Royce

How Quick?

How quickly does the Twin Motor Performance variant of the Volvo EX30 go from 0-60 mph?

1. 3.00 seconds
2. 3.40 second
3. 4.15 second
4. 5.80 seconds

The answer is here.

EV Charging 101

Time is running out, and if you are an EV charging professional, the virtual EV Charging Summit is an event you absolutely can't miss. Taking place on June 29-30, this summit will provide you with the most up-to-date industry trends and best practices. You will learn about accessing financial incentives, promoting sustainable transportation, and connecting with fellow experts. Additionally, successful companies will share their insights on how to maximize profitability of your EV charging stations, upgrade your existing infrastructure to support EVs, and encourage innovation within your own organization. Don't hesitate any longer; register now and be a part of the EV Charging Summit!

Mileage

On Tuesday, we asked, "How many miles do you drive a week?". The above are the results and below are some of the comments:

• I drive approximately 1000-1500 miles per week due to my work which covers the entire state of California.
• We live rurally, 150+ from our children & grandchildren & we visit them every 2 weeks. We also go to stores to food shop weekly that are an additional 50 km from our home.

• Retired, so no commute, just local 5 to 10 mile round trips to the store or restaurant.  Took our 2023 Nissan Leaf SV Plus to Portland, OR (474 mile roundtrip) on May 19th-22nd. charged approx. 1/2 way there & back.

The Top 10

1. The all-new 2024 ZDX from Acura, their first electric vehicle, promises a connected driving experience with integrated Google features such as Google Assistant and Google Maps, along with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. It is set to hit the market in early 2024.
2. The Biden administration announced that all Tesla Model 3 vehicles are now eligible for the full $7,500 electric vehicle consumer tax credits, reversing the previous reduction that affected certain versions of the Model 3.
3. The first electric Chevy Equinox is rolling off the production line.  
4. SK Signet celebrated the opening of its EV charger manufacturing facility in Plano, Texas, which will support the growth of America's EV infrastructure by expanding U.S.-based manufacturing and R&D for cutting-edge electric vehicle charging equipment. They plan to produce over 10,000 ultra-fast chargers per year and create up to 183 jobs by 2026.
5. UL Solutions has begun construction of its North America Advanced Battery Laboratory in Auburn Hills, Michigan, which will support electric vehicle and industrial battery manufacturers by offering shorter development cycles, faster time-to-market, and increased competitiveness in the global marketplace, aiming to become one of the most comprehensive battery testing and engineering facilities in North America.
6. The Victorian government in Australia is ending its $3,000 Zero Emission Vehicle subsidy earlier than planned, disappointing potential EV buyers and falling well below the promised allocation of 20,000 subsidies, while the state's EV road tax continues to impose additional costs on EV owners.
7. By incorporating the sale of emission credits into its business strategy, Fisker Inc. enables other automakers in the United States to purchase credits at competitive rates for regulatory compliance, while their electric vehicles, including the Fisker Ocean, generate the highest allowable credits per vehicle in California and other states with comparable environmental standards.
8. In the UK, a car scrappage program has been introduced by Tesla, allowing customers to receive an additional discount equivalent to the trade-in value (up to £2,000) of their petrol or diesel cars. The goal is to promote the purchase of new electric vehicles and eliminate older polluting vehicles from circulation.
9. Unveiling their "Proxima" EV design concept, GM showcased a new architecture for future electric models in China, with their Forward-Looking Design Center in Shanghai playing a vital role in exploring innovative automotive design trends and capturing consumer insights from the booming Chinese EV market.
10. Companies like Lilac Solutions, EnergyX, and Standard Lithium are pioneering direct lithium extraction technologies, which could revolutionize the lithium mining process by eliminating the need for extensive land use and evaporation ponds, increasing efficiency, and reducing environmental impact, as the demand for lithium for electric vehicle batteries continues to surge globally.

Ned’s Corner

Driving an EV across Ohio and back, part 4/4.

All done. I am going to point out a couple inadequacies below but let me put my point up top: I did a long driving day in an EV, and even with some things going wrong, it wasn't notably difficult compared to doing the same trip in a fossil vehicle. There is a lot of media out there about the poor state of EV charging, and I do have my own tales of woe. Still, it was practical for me to take a mostly unplanned trip across a good-sized midwestern state, using a non-Tesla EV and primarily public charging. My day was maybe 30 minutes longer than it would have been in a dinosaur-powered vehicle.

Okay, now the part where I encourage my EV professional peers to work on things:

Check here for the rest of Part 4.

Volvo

Careers

See our job openings and learn about our $599 referral program below! Featured jobs include:

• Embedded Software Engineer - Emobility (Portland)
• Senior Firmware Engineer - EV Charging (Boston)
• Senior HIL Test Engineer - Emobility (Portland)
• Automotive Technician - Electric Vehicles (SF Bay Area)
• Lead Automotive Technician - Electric Vehicles (SF Bay Area)