WattEV has just opened the first electric truck charging depot in the US to use the new Megawatt Charge System, capable of delivering up to 1.2 megawatts of power, currently the highest-speed charger available in the US, along with solar and battery backup on-site and a unique partially grid-islanded setup.
WattEV says that its charge depot in Bakersfield, CA, includes the first MCS charger in North America, and the fastest as well. Tesla has a number of its own 750kW chargers deployed “behind-the-fence” in Pepsi and Tesla facilities, but this 1.2MW charger beats those in speed and is also publicly available.
MCS is a new charge standard being worked on by charging standards organization CharIN. The standard is close to being finished, though currently there aren’t really available MCS-capable trucks, or even UL-certified charging units.
As a result, WattEV’s installation is somewhat of an experiment. The site has 50 total chargers, split between 32 grid-tied 360kW CCS chargers on one side, and 3 1.2MW MCS and 15 240kW CCS chargers on the other side, attached to backup batteries and solar and fully grid-islanded.
That latter part is particularly interesting – WattEV got grants from the California Energy Commission to create this grid-islanded setup, wherein power for the chargers is fully provided by 5MW of on-site solar (which WattEV wants to expand to 25MW eventually) and 3MWh of battery backup.
WattEV could connect the setup to the grid, but between its grant from CEC, the lack of UL-certified MCS chargers, and delays that would have been caused in the permitting and interconnection process, it decided that grid-islanding half of the site would be the right decision for the time being.
The inclusion of an MCS charger promises the ability to fill a truck in the same time as a traditional truck rest stop. While trucks don’t currently have 1.2MW charging capability, WattEV wanted to be ready for when they do.
Notably, something many operators bring up is that they’re waiting for chargers before they start building or buying trucks. Here, however, we have an infrastructure provider out in the lead – building infrastructure before trucks are being built or purchased. In a world where operators have gotten used to using infrastructure as an excuse, WattEV seems uninterested in allowing them to continue to use that excuse.
Like WattEV’s other chargers, this one will be publicly available either via membership or scanning a credit card/QR code at the site. It’s near an industrial park in Bakersfield with several distribution centers and near the 99 freeway, which services the California central valley. WattEV also offers a “truck-as-a-service” model, wherein the company offers electric trucking at a set price with lower startup costs.
The charger could be of use for those distribution centers, bringing goods in from the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and also for traffic in the valley, as there are many local farming facilities and produce delivery services (for example, OK Produce in Fresno, which has committed to full zero emission operations).
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Tesla is holding its ‘We, Robot’ event today, which is expected to be the launch of its new Robotaxi, a vehicle dedicated to self-driving.
Here, you will find our news hub for the event, which will contain all the most important information about the event and our watch party.
Before being called its ‘We, Robot’ event to “unveil the future of autonomy”, Tesla called today’s 10/10 event the “unveiling of its Robotaxi”.
The Tesla Robotaxi is a vehicle that CEO Elon Musk has been talking about for the past two years.
Since 2016, Musk claimed that all Tesla vehicles built from then on would be capable of full self-driving capabilities through future software updates enabling owners to use them as “robotaxis”.
That has yet to happen and Musk made some owners worried when he started talking about Tesla building a new vehicle dedicated to self-driving: the Robotaxi, which is also sometimes referred to as the Cybercab.
This unveiling event is not only going to be interesting as our first official look at Tesla’s new vehicle, but many Tesla owners and shareholders want to know how this new dedicated vehicle fits into Tesla’s self-driving effort.
The vehicle itself is expected to be a two-seater with butterfly wing doors, no pedals or steering wheel, and have a design inspired by the Cybertruck.
Considering the event is about autonomy, we expect Tesla to also give an update about Optimus, its humanoid robot, at the event.
There could also be a surprise unveiling of Tesla’s upcoming new vehicles, like the next-gen Roadster or two cheaper vehicles based on Model 3 and Model Y.
Tesla is holding the event on Warner Brothers’ studio lot in Los Angeles, which has non-public streets. Some have speculated that Tesla is holding the event there to do some self-driving demos without getting a self-driving permit, which the automaker has avoided getting in California for years.
The event is set to start at 7 PM local time or 10 PM ET, and it will be live-streamed here:
Here’s our Tesla Robotaxi unveiling news hub, where you can find our articles about the most important news that comes out of the event (refresh the page for more stories):
We are also hosting a very informal watch party with myself, Fred Lambert, and Jamie Dow. Some other Electrek staff members might join too.
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Rivian’s (RIVN) electric pickup is getting unique new accessories. Worksport (WKSP) is releasing aftermarket accessories for the Rivian’s R1T, including its solar-powered SOLIS tonneau cover.
Known for its tonneau covers for trucks, Worksport is quickly expanding its lineup. The company announced plans to develop aftermarket accessories specifically for the Rivian R1T this week.
Worksport said its existing tonneau cover lineup, fitted for the Rivian R1T, is almost complete. The covers are designed to improve efficiency, protect the vehicle against outside elements, and provide a safe space to store stuff.
Building on its existing products, Worksport claims its SOLIS is “the world’s first folding solar tonneau cover.”
According to Worksport, the solar-powered truck bed cover can provide up to 650 watts of clean energy.
Combined with its COR battery system, Worksport’s SOLIS cover can harness solar energy and store it for later use. The bundle could be used to upgrade your next camping trip, work site, or anywhere off-grid.
Rivian R1T (Source: Rivian)
Rivian R1T to get a new solar-powered tonneau
Worksport claims that, with expected Level 2 charging capabilities, the solar cover will be able to act as a last-mile range extender.
Steven Rossi, Worksport’s CEO, said, “Rivian owners deserve an exceptional bed cover and power system to go further and truly do anything.”
Rivian R1T electric truck (Source: Rivian)
The company said its SOLIS solar-powered tonneau cover will be made at its West Seneca, NY, production facility, where it manufactures current accessories.
Rivian’s R1T is not the only electric truck set to get Worksport’s solar-powered tonneau cover. In February, Worksport announced it was developing a solar and battery storage system for Ford’s F-150 Lightning.
Rivian EV production at its Normal, IL plant (Source: Rivian)
After delivering another 10,018 vehicles in Q3, Rivian’s deliveries reached 37,396 through the first nine months of 2024.
Rivian aims to deliver between 50,500 and 52,000 vehicles this year, slightly higher than the 50,122 handed over last year. The EV maker will launch its smaller, more profitable R2 in early 2026 as it expands into new markets.
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Tesla has announced that it will permanently hire 500 temporary workers at Gigafactory Berlin, a win for the local worker council.
Tesla made the announcement today (via Reuters)”
Tesla on Thursday said it would give permanent jobs from Nov. 1 to 500 temporary workers at its German gigafactory near Berlin, in what the U.S. electric carmaker called an “optimistic assessment of the further development of e-car production”.
The move was made at the request of the worker’s council at Gigafactory Berlin.
In Germany, there’s a sort of union structure where employees form local worker councils to negotiate management. They are not necessarily linked to a broader union, but unions can be influential within a worker’s council.
Tesla. which is notoriously anti-unions, made sure to let everyone know that IG Metall had nothing to do with this decision to permanently hire 500 current temporary workers.
It’s more about the company’s confidence in its business. Tesla said:
At a time when many companies are talking about job cuts and plant closures, the news that a further 500 people will be offered a long-term perspective at Tesla in a permanent position is particularly pleasing.
At Gigafactory Berlin, Tesla is currently only producing the Model Y for European markets. The production rate is believed to be about 5,000 units per week.
The company employs about 12,000 people at the factory.
CEO Elon Musk said earlier this year that Tesla might bring production of the Tesla Semi, its electric class 8 truck, at the factory for European distribution.
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