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Georgia Tries to Become Manufacturing Leader in an Industry That’s no Sure Thing
Georgia officials want the state to be a leader in manufacturing electric vehicles, which could very well be the next big thing.
Rivian will start building a $5 billion factory next summer in Atlanta’s eastern exurbs to manufacture electric trucks and SUVs.
SK Battery America is nearing completion of a $2.6 billion EV battery plant northeast of the city. And many EV suppliers are expected to follow close behind.
However, Ford, GM, Mercedes-Benz and other automakers with big EV plans may run into production problems that may delay product launches or force recalls.
But unlike gas stations, many parts of Georgia are EV charging deserts. No charging stations are located along four-lane U.S. Highway 441 from McRae to the Florida state line, a 116-mile drive.
More charging stations are coming, said Rich Simmons, a research engineer at Georgia Tech’s Strategic Energy Institute. Moreover, the recently approved federal infrastructure bill has earmarked $135 million to Georgia for installations.
Electric Truck Charging: Can Infrastructure Keep Pace with Demand?
Boosted by billions of dollars for electrification infrastructure, is the rapidly advancing market for battery-powered commercial trucks. Which will soon learn whether there is enough juice to begin scaling a transformation from diesel to zero tailpipe emission electric transport.
Four areas are critical to trucking electrification: the trucks, batteries, chargers and ample electric power. The latter of which is the biggest unknown.
The Federal Jobs Act included $2.5 billion for electric infrastructure. And the California Energy Commission (CEC) set aside $50 million. Money for U.S. development of battery cells and other key components does not have a specific limit for commercial vehicles.
As a result, big fleets with big bucks can make their way to adopting battery-electric trucks by taking advantage of being first. To date they have used up most of the grant money available through California’s Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP). So large fleets have other levers to pull for public help.
Blink Charging Teams Up with Bridgestone to Supply IQ 200 Level 2 EV Chargers at 25 Locations Across the US
Blink Charging Co. is an international EV charging network operating over 30,000 ports. And across 13 different countries. Aside from charging hardware and services, Blink’s Network uses cloud-based software. Which in turn operates and tracks connected charging stations, and gets all the data that it provides.
The IQ 200 has immediately become a popular EV charger for Blink. Given the recently announced plans to deploy thousands of them to the front and back of the house at GM dealerships, across Canada and the United States. Additionally, Blink looks to further expand its IQ 200 EV chargers network at Bridgestone retail locations, too.
Moreover, as part of the partnership, Blink will implement its IQ 200 EV chargers at 25 Bridgestone service centers. While the company works to address the increasing needs of drivers for electronic vehicles, according to Tire Business.
The initial EV charger rollout will cater to 25 locations of Firestone and Wheel Works. As they will each receive a dual-port, Blink IQ 200 Level 2 charging station.
At CES EV Truck Technology Takes Center Stage
Electric truck companies showcased how far the EV technology has evolved during CES 2022.
Blink Charging makes electric vehicle charging stations for passenger cars and commercial trucks. The company had several charging stations on display. And used the conference to debut its 50kW DC Fast Wall station for fleets.
Fleet managers can now track different analytics, like consumption and when drivers are using the charging stations.
The Blink Fleet Management Portal can be integrated into existing fleet management software.
Blink 80-amp chargers will ready GM dealerships for Cadillac Lyriq, GMC Hummer EV
The Blink IQ 200 19.2-kilowatt Level 2 charging stations are already shipping to dealerships. With orders placed for more chargers to be delivered over the next several months.
So, that means the new hardware will coincide with the rollout of the 2022 GMC Hummer EV pickup truck and 2023 Cadillac Lyriq SUV.
With more electric trucks on the way, GM service bays and dealerships will need higher-capacity chargers such as these.