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A new bill introduced Friday by US Senator Angus King of Maine could unlock the true potential of electric school buses and provide stability to communities in need. The BIDIRECTIONAL Act would “create a program dedicated to deploying electric school buses with bidirectional vehicle-to-grid (V2G) flow capability.”

Zero-emission electric school buses are being deployed nationwide as state leaders and school districts look to protect the children and communities they vow to serve. New information shows school districts that replace just one diesel school bus with an electric one can reduce toxic emissions by 54,000 pounds a year.

However, the benefits of electric school buses don’t stop there. The massive batteries they utilize also make perfect energy storage devices. Several automakers and charging companies are experimenting with vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology that enables vehicles to send energy back to the grid.

Manufacturers of electric pickup trucks (like the Ford F-150) and other EVs have dived into bi-directional charging, but this technology makes even more sense for electric school buses because they have large batteries that sit most of the day. To illustrate this point, Thomas Built Buses partnered with Proterra to show two electric school buses can send 10 MWh total back to the grid, enough to power around 600 homes.

Senator King wants to capitalize on this ability with the BIDIRECTIONAL Act to promote the widespread deployment of electric school buses with V2G capability to improve community stability.

electric-school-buses-v2g-1
Electric school bus with V2G capabilities Source: Proterra

The BIDIRECTIONAL Act is designed to accelerate adoption of EV school buses while using them for more than just a ride to school.

According to Senator King, the BIDIRECTIONAL Act will:

  • Establish a Department of Energy (DOE) program to roll out electric school buses designed with V2G capabilities in communities that need them most.
  • Require the DOE to report on current V2G initiatives (such as Thomas Built and Proterra) while also requiring electricity providers to consider bi-directional integration.

Senator King commented on the initiative, stating:

Vehicle-to-grid school buses are another common sense tool that can help to create a reliable grid, promote clean energy, and cut costs for local towns and school districts.

Adding:

The BIDIRECTIONAL Act will assist school districts across Maine and America transition to electric buses and make sure these vehicles provide greater stability to their communities. Combined with electric bus investments in the Inflation Reduction Act, this will be an important step towards unlocking America’s clean energy future. It’s a simple, win-win bill and I hope it can get bipartisan support across Congress.

Several major electric school bus makers and other organizations are backing the bill, such as Blue Bird, Highland Electric, Lion Electric, Nuuve, Proterra, and Xcel Energy.

Electrek’s Take

Electric school buses with V2G are a no-brainer. Not only will they reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protecting the communities they serve, but they can also play a key role in providing energy stability to communities in need.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) just announced it would be nearly doubling EPA clean school bus program funding to $965 million in its initial round . Federal funding is a huge first step, but strong state leadership is also necessary if these clean machines are going to become widely adopted. Virginia, for example, just surpassed 500,000 electric school bus miles driven thanks to a state initiative to roll out 13,0000 electric school buses in 2019. They now have the nation’s second largest fleet of electric school buses.

I believe Senator King is wise in proposing this bill. I truly believe electric school buses have unlimited potential waiting to be unlocked, and the BIDIRECTIONAL Act can do just that.

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Mercedes-Benz EVs to get Tesla Supercharger access in February

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Mercedes-Benz EVs to get Tesla Supercharger access in February

From February 2025, US Mercedes-Benz EV drivers will be able to charge their cars at over 20,000 Tesla Superchargers in the US and Canada.

Drivers based in Canada will gain access to the Tesla Supercharger network later in 2025.

Authorized Mercedes-Benz dealerships will provide a free software update for compatible vehicles to ensure smooth and easy Plug & Charge operation at Tesla Superchargers. Customers with vehicles in scope
will be contacted directly to schedule their software update.

The Mercedes me Charge service will integrate drivers into the Tesla Supercharger network, enabling easy Plug & Charge functionality when they charge at Superchargers. Mercedes me Charge also offers public charging at Mercedes-Benz High-Power Charging, IONNA, Electrify America, EVGo, ChargePoint, and more.

Mercedes me Charge gives drivers charger locations, real-time charger availability, status, and pricing for all in-network charging points through both the Mercedes-Benz app and the MBUX infotainment system. Charging can also be initiated via the Mercedes-Benz app or the MBUX infotainment system.

Tesla Superchargers will be integrated into Mercedes-Benz’s “Navigation with Electric Intelligence”. This feature automatically navigates drivers to the most efficient, time-saving route, including transparent charging stops and charging times.

“The fast-growing network of charging points available in Mercedes me Charge will now expand to over 110,000 public charging points across the United States and Canada, providing Mercedes-Benz drivers with an industry-leading charging experience whenever and wherever they choose to charge,” said Franz Reiner, chairman of the board of management at Mercedes-Benz Mobility AG.

Mercedes says a North American Charging Standard NACS to CCS1 adapter for current CCS1-compatible EVs will be available at authorized Mercedes-Benz dealerships for purchase in the US for $185 in Q1 2025. Customers will be notified when adapters are available to purchase. They’ll be available from Canadian dealerships in Q2 2025, with pricing to be confirmed closer to market introduction.

The German automaker says it will introduce NACS ports in its EV lineup beginning in 2025.

Read more: The latest US EV sales and charger growth – in numbers


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Model Y Juniper refresh spied uncamouflaged for first time in winter testing

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Model Y Juniper refresh spied uncamouflaged for first time in winter testing

Tesla’s Model Y “Juniper” refresh has been spotted for the first time undergoing winter testing in China, in anticipation of an imminent reveal.

The refreshed Model Y has been expected for some time, and is expected to include many of the improvements of the 2023 Model 3 refresh. The headline features of that vehicle are a new front-end, more efficiency, and a quieter cabin. But there were a lot of other interior improvements as well (and one big de-provement, the deletion of steering column stalks).

And we know that it’s coming soon, because there have been plenty of sightings and leaks lately, though all have been camouflaged to hide front and rear end design changes.

In October, Chinese social media said the refresh was about to enter trial production, and just days later we saw a photo of the refreshed Model Y outside the Shanghai factory. Then last month, we heard that mass production would start in Shanghai in January, so we can expect that very soon as well.

And while Tesla said in 2024 that there’s no Model Y refresh coming “this year”, 2024 is over now, and there have been plenty of recent indications that the refresh is imminent.

Well, now that time has apparently come, and photos were posted today of the vehicle undergoing uncamouflaged winter testing in Northeast China.

As expected, the refresh gets rid of the “duck lips” of the previous Model Y, just as Tesla did with the Model 3 refresh, and as camouflaged photos have suggested. The rear end also matches previous leaks we’ve seen, with a sleeker rear end and use of the “TESLA” text badging rather than the Tesla logo (which is also not present on the rear of the Model 3 refresh).

The front end is a more dramatic redesign than the Model 3, though, which gained a lower nose but still retained traditional headlights. The Model Y goes further with a Cybertruck-like light bar across the whole front end, rather than the distinct headlights of the Model 3.

Social media rumors also suggested that an official unveil is imminent, so we may find out more within days. Stay tuned.

What do you think of the look of the Model Y Juniper?


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Tesla board members officially settle excessive compensation case for nearly $1 billion

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Tesla board members officially settle excessive compensation case for nearly  billion

A judge has officially approved a settlement in a case brought by Tesla shareholders against board members who will now have to return stock, cash, and give up on stock options worth a total of nearly $1 billion.

Let me start this article with a quote from Tesla CEO Elon Musk:

Tesla will never settle a case where we’re in the right, and never contest a case where we’re in the wrong.

Today, Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick approved a settlement agreement between Tesla and all its board members from 2017 to 2020 and the Police and Fire Retirement System of the City of Detroit on behalf of Tesla shareholders over what the shareholders believed to be excessive compensation.

The agreement was first reported in July 2023, but it is only now being officially approved and we learn a few more details.

Shareholders believed that members of Tesla’s board were compensating themselves excessively with hundreds of millions of dollars between 2017 and 2020 when the average compensation of a board member of a S&P500 company is just north of $300,000.

Under the settlement, the board members agree to return to Tesla $277 million in cash, $459 million in stock options and to forgo $184 million worth of stock options awarded for 2021-2023.

That adds up to nearly $1 billion.

The board members include Kimbal Musk, Elon’s brother, Brad Buss, Ira Ehrenpreis, Antonio Gracias, Stephen Jurvetson, all close friends of Elon Musk and people who have financial dealings with Musk outside of Tesla, Linda Johnson Rice, Kathleen Wilson-Thompson, Hiromichi Mizuno and Larry Ellison, the co-founder of Oracle Corp and also a close friend of Musk.

As part of the settlement, Tesla or the board does not admit to any wrongdoing.

Musk didn’t take compensation as part of the board, but he is embroiled in a similar case over his own $55 billion CEO compensation package, which was rescinded by the same judge after she found that it wasn’t negotiated or presented to shareholders in good faith.

The board members who received this “excessive compensation” also happened to be the one who “negotiated” Musk’s CEO compensation package.

The case is heading to the Delaware Supreme Court, as reported earlier today.

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