Amy Hillman

Check out the guest post for SAE International's blog by clicking below: Developing a Global Standard for EV Battery Tracking: What You Need to Know by Lauren Roman, Founder and Principal Consultant of TransparentPlanet. From Lauren's blog post: Despite the promise of electronic vehicles (EVs) in helping to achieve a clean energy future, three key challenges remain: 1. Ensuring that the minerals that go into EV batteries (EVBs) are sustainable 2. Ensuring that batteries are used to their fullest extent 3. Ensuring recovery of critical battery minerals so they can be used over and over again To ensure EVB traceability and recovery, countries around the world are developing or implementing systems requiring the use of digital identifiers, usually QR codes, also referred to as "Battery Passports," to provide those who engage an EV battery with valuable data on materials origin, state of health and chain of custody to evidence final recycling. Since cars are imported and exported across the globe for sale, it is critical that the data to be shared by battery and auto manufacturers and accessed by users is harmonized. By harmonizing standards globally, the EV battery industry can become efficient, sustainable, and innovative while addressing challenges related to resource management, environmental and social impact, and economic growth. #automotiveindustry #evs #evbatteries

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It's a complicated time for the nation's largest EV market. California EV sales increased in the first quarter of 2024, but market share still fell, according to a new quarterly report from the California New Car Dealers Association (CNCDA). The absolute number of EVs sold in California grew from 89,741 in the fourth quarter of 2023 to 90,296 in the first quarter of 2024, the report found. But EV market share still decreased from 21.5% at the end of 2023 to 20.9% in Q1 2024. That's because new-car registrations grew overall, with even more non-electric vehicles being sold. The rise of EV sales by volume rather than share is a trend that continues from the previous quarter. #ev #California #electricvehicles

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Free fast charging is on its way out of the United States... and that can only be a good thing for EV driver experiences around the country. There have been various reasons underlying complimentary sessions (and the ensuing station congestion) in recent years but almost all of them are now being addressed by manufacturers and charging networks. For example: 🚘 Promotional plans that came with the car. These are either expiring for previous purchases (2-3 years from 2021-'22) or being refined for current model years e.g. Volkswagen ID.4 offered three years unlimited DCFC with Electrify America, now offers three years of membership (discounted rates) but only 500 kWh of complimentary juice (enough for 9-10 normal sessions). 🚨 Connectivity issues that previously plagued chargers, causing them to default to "free vend" mode (as pictured) are less common at newer stations. CPOs have also moved away from blanket free charging holidays like Earth Day, as the need to demonstrate profitability bites. 🚫 Networks are starting to clamp down on abuse of complimentary charging, such as re-plugging in for those on plans that set a 30-minute time limit, or plans used for commercial activities. Reports of warnings are up notably in IONIQ 5 owner groups, for example. 🏠 Manufacturers have started to provide assistance with home charging hardware and/or installation as an alternative to fast charging offers. Rather than replicating the liquid fuel model by promoting fast charging, many are seeing the benefit of encouraging new EV owners to charge where they park. Unlimited free fast charging sets unrealistic expectations for new EV owners and directs additional traffic to the currently limited resources of public DCFC. As these plans expire, an opportunity to share the advantage of home charging and support increased L2 installations arises. The next hurdle to cross with DC fast charging lies at the opposite end of the spectrum: rising prices for road trippers and those who can't yet charge at home. As the CleanTechnica article linked below highlights, the topic of how much EV road trips cost compared to ICE and PHEV trips will be a big talking point as summer travel ramps up.

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A few of you have heard me say this; energy storage needs to ramp up, battery or other methods (thermal, potential, kinetic). Of course, the large battery pack in every EV can help be part of the solution for peak shaving when bi-directional chargers become common. Charge your EV during the day during peak solar (yes, expanded workplace charging will be required) and power your home with your EV in the 5pm-9pm timeframe. My home electricity time-of-use plan charges double the rate during the peak evening hours. So even taking into consideration the conversion inefficiencies, I would still save significant money using an EV to power my home during the peak hours. I've seen 6kW-8kW being typical of a peak power requirement to power the HVAC, lights, kitchen appliances, TV, computers, etc. which is the same ballpark as Level 2 charging; which is to say, the battery pack won't even blink.

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The bill directs the CEC, the California Air Resources Board, and the California Public Utilities Commission to examine the use cases of bidirectional charging and give them the power to require specific weight classes of EVs to be bidirectional-capable if a compelling use case exists. The state already estimates that integrating EVs into the grid could save $1 billion in costs annually, so there’s definitely a use case there, but the question is the cost and immediacy of building those vehicles into the grid. #V2G #V2X #Charging

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The North American EV-charging landscape continues to change. 🧐 As Tesla announced layoffs on the Supercharger team, Rivian did the opposite by sharing positive news about a new charging network that all battery-electric vehicles can use. 🤝⚡️ This new DC fast charging system will support Rivian vehicles and other EVs with Combined Charging System (CCS) and North American Charging Standard (NACS) adaptors. 🔌 The current Rivian Adventure Network is gradually spreading across North America, with current DC fast charging available in adventurous locations like Salida, Colorado; Sedona, Arizona; and Truckee, California. The automaker is adding more locations for its EV charging infrastructure along busy highways, and the new chargers will assist EV drivers on their road trips. Rivian reports that its network has an up-time of 98%. 📈 Tap the link below to learn more from Kristen Bentley's story! 🔥 https://lnkd.in/epnTseMe #ElectrifyNews #EV #ElectricVehicles #Tesla #Rivian

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