Other Electric Vehicule

[ClaudeMach-E]

You can add Hydro Electricity which we have plenty here.

Sponsored

 

[Shayne]

Hydro power has been around since flour mills and has wiped out nothing compared to climate change due to coal burning? You are looking for one with no impact like wind turbines that kill bats and raptors and does not really have the technology to generate consistent power; even if the wind blows? You really think wind and solar can generate enough power to power a state let alone a country? I got some good snake oil for sale if you need some. For a nuclear power country they sure don't use it wisely. What do you think California is powering L.A. with wind? Tree hugging has to come along with a bit of technology if we will dig ourselves out. Pushing coal power over the power of water makes no sense. Coal good less impact than vehicles; water no good need to build locks for salmon to spawn and will be the ruin of us. Your stance sounds like a personal one.

Power Gen an't wind.

Cali 2019, Ontario, Oregon

 

[ClaudeMach-E]

And now we will be able to visit Niagara Falls on an EV Maid of the Mist.
https://cleantechnica.com/2020/10/0...s-in-usa-launch-in-new-york-maid-of-the-mist/

 

[Thevanin]

My family lives along Lake Erie in PA and NY. I think my first big road trip is going to be to head up there next spring. I've done the Maid of the Mist several times, but I definitely want to do it again with these new boats.

 

[ClaudeMach-E]

I Also came across these news on the AVEQ site and I went back to the original arcticle

an electric motorcycle ( a bit expensive though)
https://electrek.co/2020/10/04/arc-...um-electric-motorcycle-is-back-from-the-dead/

and Walmart Canada ordering a bunch of Tesla semi
https://www.newswire.ca/news-releas...les-order-of-tesla-semi-trucks-819028752.html

 

[Thevanin]

One other neat EV that I've been eyeing is the Arcimoto FUV (Fun Utility Vehicle). They start at like $18k and get 100ish miles of range in city driving, but they can also do 75 mph.

https://www.arcimoto.com/

 

[ChasingCoral]

Polaris is partnering with Zero to come out with an electric Indian, starting with off-road bikes:
https://electrek.co/2020/10/03/pola...rcycle-to-challenge-harley-davidson-livewire/

OCTOBER 3

Polaris may produce electric motorcycle to challenge Harley-Davidson LiveWire
Micah Toll
- Oct. 3rd 2020 12:18 pm ET

@MicahToll

According to Polaris CEO Scott Wine, the company may be returning to the electric motorcycle space.

And the new Polaris/Zero Motorcycles partnership announced earlier this week would be the way they do it.

The exclusive partnership between Zero Motorcycles and Polaris would see the latter draw on the former’s electric drivetrain expertise. The stated goal is to produce a series of off-road electric vehicles as well as electric snowmobiles, all under the Polaris brand umbrella.

Polaris anticipates the release of its first electric off-road vehicle produced from the new partnership by the end of next year. Ultimately, Polaris expects to have a new EV in each of its product categories by 2025.

An electric motorcycle wasn’t mentioned in the announcement initially, but now, Polaris CEO Scott Wine seems ready to entertain the idea.

As Wine explained in an interview with Yahoo Finance:

“Zero has proven that they know how to do this. They’ve had the best-selling electric motorcycles in the world. And certainly, we’ve had discussions about motorcycles. But we see such an opportunity right now in off-road vehicles and snow. We said let’s put that aside for a while.”

While Wine confirmed that the partnership would begin with electric off-road vehicles, he continued with a discussion of Polaris’ analysis of the Harley-Davidson LiveWire electric motorcycle, which had its commercial release late last year but then ran into a hiccup with production.

Harley-Davidson briefly paused production of all LiveWire electric motorcycles before resuming after determining the issue had been solved.

Polaris owns Indian Motorcycles, which recently trademarked the name eFTR for an electric motorcycle.

However, their first electric model (seen below) turned out to be a pint-sized offering for children.

Discussing the Harley-Davidson LiveWire with Yahoo Finance, Wine further elaborated on Polaris’ potential to enter the market:

“But we just went through our long-range planning. And I can tell you that certainly, there was a good bit of dialogue about what electrification looks like in Indian. And then we’re thrilled that if that time comes that we’ve got the perfect partner to do it the right way.

What our friends in Milwaukee [Harley-Davidson’s headquarters] experienced is really the reason that we’ve stayed away from electric, because we didn’t see the opportunity to get the cost down and the range up and the performance level where it needed to be.

And getting that triangle right, Zero’s figured it out. And we’re excited to partner with them.”

But we still shouldn’t expect to see a LiveWire-worthy rival from Polaris or Indian any time soon.

Wine is adamant that the Zero/Polaris partnership will first focus on off-road vehicles. And part of the reason is the experience that Polaris already has in the electric motorcycle industry from their time owning the electric motorcycle company Brammo.

Zero has displayed its electric motorcycle prowess with bikes like the Zero SR/F
As Wine further explained about Polaris’ potential re-entry into the electric motorcycle industry:

“We’ve got some experience. We owned Brammo for a while, so we understand how difficult it is in electric motorcycles specifically. And that’s why part of the reason we’re impressed, because Zero’s really started to figure some of those things out and decrease that range anxiety as they give them a little bit more time on the road.

But part of the reason that we’re starting with our off-road vehicles is because the customer use patterns, whether it’s multi-acre homeowners or farmers and ranchers that are going to be going out for the day, they fit within the range that we’re going to be able provide with these first vehicles. So we’re really excited about where we are.

Certainly, the infrastructure, as you’ve seen in automotive, will continue to expand. And that will create more opportunities for us in our on-road business. But right now, we think in off-road vehicles and snow, we’ve got a great opportunity to create some value for our customers and shareholders.”

Electrek’s Take
Would Polaris building an electric motorcycle be interesting? Absolutely.

But I’m not sure how keen Zero would be to add another on-road electric motorcycle from a major brand to the mix. Plus, other companies have had their eye on competing with the LiveWire and have yet to come close to that goal.

While Zero produces dual sport electric motorcycles and supermotos like the Zero DSR and Zero FX,those models aren’t likely to compete for customers with most of Polaris’ upcoming electric ATVs, snowmobiles, and other off-road electric motorcycles.

Polaris will likely begin with electric off-road vehicles

But an electric Indian? As awesome as that would be, surely Zero sees how that could cut into their own sales.

However, if it was worth it to them financially, I could see an electric Indian posing some interesting competition for the Harley-Davidson LiveWire.

But keep in mind that the Harley-Davidson LiveWire is already an amazing electric motorcycle.

Sure, much of the motorcycle media like to pan it, but the only real criticism seems to be the price tag. (The second most common criticism is the range, but tests have shown that it stacks up nicely against most Zero bikes in terms of range performance.)

Is it the LiveWire expensive? Sure.

But is it also a well-engineering motorcycle with incredible performance? Absolutely.

We’ve tested it against Zero’s top-of-the-line offerings before, and the bikes are surprisingly similar in terms of performance and range. The LiveWire costs more, but also offers higher quality, so it’s a bit of a toss-up in terms of who has the better bike.

But if Zero could help produce a more cruiser-style electric Indian that would directly compete with a LiveWire at a reduced cost, that could certainly shake up the electric motorcycle industry even further.

What do you think? Let us know in the comment section below!

 

[ClaudeMach-E]

I've just learn today by reading this article that the solid-state batteries powering the Mercedes-Benz electric buses are Made in Quebec by a company name Blue Solutions.?

https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2...au-quebec?mc_cid=ed5a805a24&mc_eid=2db96ed3b5

 

[Shayne]

I've just learn today by reading this article that the solid-state batteries powering the Mercedes-Benz electric buses are Made in Quebec by a company name Blue Solutions.?

https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2...au-quebec?mc_cid=ed5a805a24&mc_eid=2db96ed3b5

Solid state is coming! Part of that transport equation. Should allow for a jump in progress. No specs, charging speed, fire safety. They should be proud and pull their own chain a bit. Great to see and will be good to follow it in real world. thanks.

P.S. Is it still 50/50 with Gov of Que?

 

[ClaudeMach-E]

Solid state is coming! Part of that transport equation. Should allow for a jump in progress. No specs, charging speed, fire safety. They should be proud and pull their own chain a bit. Great to see and will be good to follow it in real world. thanks.

P.S. Is it still 50/50 with Gov of Que?

I don't know that but I know that Quebec Gov is planning to put a lot of money in developping the EV battery segment. They want to develop a lot of the Lithium-Ion mining and Cobalt and others that apparently we have here.

 

[Shayne]

I don't know that but I know that Quebec Gov is planning to put a lot of money in developping the EV battery segment. They want to develop a lot of the Lithium-Ion mining and Cobalt and others that apparently we have here.

We have snow and rock . Gold, diamond, cadmium, aluminum, nickel, cobalt the list goes on. The Canadian shield.

 

[ChasingCoral]

Well from what I have read you are savings on gas or diesel and maintenance cost of course, just the same has an EV car. I live in a rural area and I see them around here even with our cold winter. Don't forget that buses stops regularly and thus regenerating a lot of their power. I believe the company specialist are going and analysing the needs of the school board or scholl bus companies.

from https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/electrifying-virginias-school-bus-fleet

Ideas. Insights. Sustainable Solutions.Top-Rated Nonprofit – 4-Star Charity

Electrifying Virginia’s School Bus Fleet

September 28, 2020

Virginia’s transportation sector accounts for over 40percent of the state’s emissions and significantly contributes to air pollutants like nitrogen oxides (NOx), smog, and particulate matter. Policymakers can greatly reduce the state’s overall emissions and improve local air quality via the mass electrification of the transportation sector. Buses have recently gained traction as excellent contenders for electrification because they park in centralized locations, follow specified routes, and operate at predictable hours. With their large battery storage capacity, electric buses (when they are idle) can also be utilized as reliable battery storage resources to benefit the electric grid. This ability for bidirectional charging is known as vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology and has prompted the interest of utilities such as Dominion Energy.

Dominion Energy, Virginia’s leading energy provider, released its three-part electric school bus initiative last September. The initiative begins at the end of this year with a small pilot program and includes the goals of adding 1,000 buses by 2025 and replacing all old diesel school buses within Dominion’s service area by 2030. Dominion’s pilot program will supply 50 electric school buses to 16 communities throughout its service area by the end of 2020. Participating school districts pay $100,000 for each bus, about the price of a regular bus, while Dominion covers the difference and owns and manages the vehicle charging equipment. Prioritizing the energy storage capabilities of the buses, Dominion selected each school to maximize the value of the buses’ battery storage to the local grid. If scaled according to plan, 1,000 buses by 2025 would store enough energy to power 10,000 homes.

Since electricity is mostly consumed at the time it is produced, without battery storage, an oversupply of electricity means wasted energy. Dominion envisions its electric school bus initiative as a potential solution to its energy supply and grid management problem. Each electric school bus is equipped with bidirectional charging capabilities and can be charged within three to four hours. The buses would be charged overnight during off-peak times when electricity demand and prices are at their lowest. By substantially increasing the electric bus fleet, Dominion believes the additional storage capacity will reduce pressure for additional sources of power and will help the company use its renewable energy sources more efficiently. The company’s offshore wind turbines are usually more productive overnight when energy demand is lower, so their excess energy could be stored in the electric school bus batteries and used later when demand and prices are higher.

Electric school bus fleets make the grid more efficient and stable, and they could be especially useful during the summer months when energy demand is at its highest and school buses are not in use.

In addition to helping Virginia pursue its clean energy goals, Dominion’s full-scale program would improve local air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Dominion estimates that each electric bus reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 27 short tons per year because the grid electricity that powers each bus is much cleaner than burning diesel fuel. Also, with no air pollutants released, the air quality inside each electric school bus is six times better than the diesel alternative. Other benefits from the initiative include improved student safety due to installed seatbelts and the tens of thousands of dollars in fuel savings and lower maintenance costs that accrue over each electric vehicle’s lifetime.

Phase Two of Dominion’s electric bus plan was voted on by the Virginia legislature in March, but its supporting bills, SB 988, SB 1096, and HB 75, were all voted down. Provisions within these bills would have limited participation to schools within the company’s service area. Dominion would also have been permitted to encourage school participation via financial incentives and recover program costs through rate adjustments. Detractors of the bills believed they too strongly favored Dominion, raised customers’ bills, and unfairly limited program participation.

HB 1140, backed by the climate advocacy group Mothers Out Front, planned to expand upon Dominion’s plan and replace the entire diesel fleet by 2030. HB 1140 would have made an electric bus program accessible to all Virginia school districts, and the bill called for the creation of a new grant program that would have helped school districts pay the difference between electric and diesel buses. Priority status would have been given to school districts with higher rates of air pollution and asthma. However, due to funding concerns, HB 1140 was also rejected. Although no mass-scale electric bus bill was successful this year, new legislation will likely be pursued in the future.

With many Virginia schools now operating remotely, it remains to be seen how the current pandemic and economic downturn will impact the implementation of the pilot program. Dominion announced the recipient school districts in mid-January, but it is unclear which selected participants have moved forward with the pilot program as originally planned. The Powhatan County School Board recently voted against joining the program, admitting they were uncertain what the new school year will look like, and Loudoun County Public Schools, not originally selected, has joined the program and approved purchasing two electric school buses. If the other selected school districts participate, the pilot program may achieve Dominion's aspirations, representing a positive step towards decarbonizing Virginia's transportation sector.

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