WattEV To Break Ground On Solar Charging Station For Heavy-Duty Trucks
California-based WattEV will begin construction next month on that state’s first solar-powered charging station exclusively for heavy-duty trucks up to 80,000 lb GVWR. Located in Bakersfield, it will feature a 5 MW solar array plus battery storage using second-life battery packs. On its website, the company says, “WattEV is speeding up the transition of US trucking transport into zero emission faster than anyone could expect. We use a combination of business and technology innovation to create infrastructure and data driven workflow that provide truckers and fleet operators the lowest total cost of ownership. Our goal is to get 12,000 HD electric transport trucks on the road in California by the end of 2030, exceeding existing forecasts.”
The Bakersfield installation will take 2 years to build. Initially, it will have 12 truck chargers with a total capacity of 4 MW and will cost $10 million to build, with $5 million of that provided by a grant from the California Energy Commission. Other participants in the project include the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, the Central California Asthma Collaborative, Greenlots, and Power Electronics, among others.
Courtesy of WattEV
Eventually, the 110 acre site will cost $30 million to complete and will feature 40 chargers, 25 MW of solar plus storage, and 40 MW of charging capacity. It will offer drivers a choice of 250 kW, 350 kW, and 1 MW chargers. The 1 MW units will deliver 320 miles of range to a Class 8 tractor in 30 minutes, according to PV Magazine.
The Bakersfield site is located just 1 mile from an Amazon fulfillment center and 12 miles from a Walmart distribution center. In addition to the Bakersfield project, WattEV reported it is in the planning stages for similar projects in San Bernardino and Gardena in Southern California. Both will serve the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach, where goods coming into the country from overseas are transported to warehouses and distribution centers nearby.
Transportation As A Service
WattEV is about much more than charging stations. Its core business is operating a transportation as a service (TaaS) network of heavy-duty trucks, some of which it will own and some of which it will manage for other companies. It has ordered 50 Tesla Semis and 6 VNR Electric Class 8 trucks from Volvo. The VNR has a 264 kWh lithium-ion battery, a range of 150 miles, and the ability to charge to 80% capacity in 70 minutes. The company says it wants to have 12,000 trucks under management by 2030 and a system-wide charging capacity of 1 GW. For more on WattEV’s TaaS model, watch the video below.
WattEV has signed its first electric truck “transportation as a service” contract with TTSI for 16 trucks that will haul loads from California ports to regional destinations. TTSI will use WattEV’s trucks, charging infrastructure, and EV management services.
Moving goods from ports to end users is usually a job for big, snorting diesel-powered trucks. WattEV is taking the lead in transitioning those heavy trucks to pollution-free electric models in southern California and harnessing sunlight to keep them charged up and ready to work. That’s good news for the Earth. The switch to electric trucks can’t happen fast enough, particularly for those who live and work along transportation corridors in the Golden State.
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Norway has signed a contract with Ventyr Energi to develop Sørlige Nordsjø 2, its first commercial offshore wind farm.
Norway’s energy minister, Terje Aasland, and wind consortium Ventyr Energi representatives signed the contract. Aasland said:
This marks an important milestone in Norway’s commitment to renewable energy. I firmly believe that Sørlige Nordsjø II can be a catalyst to achieve our ambitions for the offshore wind industry in Norway.
Ventyr Energi, a consortium formed by Parkwind and Ingka Investments, won Norway’s first auction to develop offshore wind in Sørlige Nordsjø 2 (Southern North Sea II) last month.
The Norwegian government opened the application window for Norway’s first offshore wind auction in March 2023. It offered a capacity of 1.5 gigawatts (GW) at Sørlige Nordsjø II and 1.5 GW at Utsira Nord.
In February, five groups qualified to participate in the auction: Aker Offshore Wind, BP, and Statkraft; Equinor and RWE; Norseman Wind, a subsidiary of EnBW; Shell, Lyse, and Eviny; and Ventyr.
Norway’s aim is to achieve 30 GW of offshore wind power by 2040.
Read more: This ‘spider’ crane enables an offshore wind turbine to virtually build itself
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Chinese EV maker NIO is denying rumors of a second round of layoffs circulating on social media. The speculation comes as several EV makers recently announced plans to scale back.
NIO announced in November it was trimming its staff by 10% amid “fierce competition,” according to a memo reviewed by Bloomberg.
The letter from CEO William Li said the company was eliminating duplicate and inefficient roles. Furthermore, projects not expected to generate earnings within the next three years were delayed or omitted from the plans.
“This is a tough but necessary decision against fierce competition,” Li said, adding, “Our journey is a marathon on a muddy track.”
NIO’s job cuts came after market leaders like Tesla and BYD aggressively slashed prices all year. NIO cut prices by up to $4,200 in June as it looked to keep pace.
After opening orders for the new ET7 this week, all NIO models are now underpinned by its updated NT 2.0 platform.
NIO clarifies no new layoffs are planned
After reports of a new round of layoffs began circulating, NIO set the record straight. The rumors were started by foreign bloggers, making their way to Chinese social media.
The rumors claimed NIO was implementing another round of layoffs. Reports cited falling sales and increased competition. Li said he was unaware of the situation.
Rising competition and higher interest rates are making it harder for EV makers to compete. Several automakers have announced plans to reduce their workforce or scale back.
Rivian announced plans to cut another 1% of jobs after revealing it was laying off 10% of its salaried employees in February.
The news comes after Tesla revealed it was reducing its global workforce by over 10% this week.
Meanwhile, NIO’s sales rebounded in March as new models launched. NIO delivered 11,866 vehicles in March (its highest monthly total in 2024) for 30,053 in the first quarter.
NIO topped estimates after trimming delivery forecasts just days before the release. Refreshed models like the 2024 ES8, ES6, EC6, and ET5T fueled the growth.
The EV maker expects the momentum to continue in the second quarter with the 2024 ES7, ET7, and ET5 rolling out.
NIO’s (NYSE: NIO) stock is down over 50% this year as the EV sector has slipped into a downward trend. NIO shares are down over 90% from the all-time high of over $62 set in February 2021.
Source: CnEVPost, NIO
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