New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced $28.5 million in additional funding being made available to install DC fast chargers for private and commercial EVs driving along major travel corridors across the Empire State.

Funded by the federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) formula funding program, the State’s new competitive Downstate Direct Current Fast Charger (DCFC) program will improve consumer access to reliable electric vehicle (EV) charging.

This second round of NEVI funding will focus on installing new DC fast charging locations south of Interstate 84, including sites in the lower Hudson Valley, New York City, and Long Island.

“This critical federal NEVI funding supports New York State’s ongoing leadership to invest in a network of electric vehicle fast chargers, particularly in areas downstate that face heavy traffic,” explains Governor Hochul. “Making quick, reliable charging easily available will encourage more people to drive EVs that help to lower pollution from vehicles, provide cleaner air for New Yorkers, and improve health in our communities.”

The new chargers will meet all current NEVI requirements, which means they’ll be located within one travel mile of an AFC (alternative fuel corridor) highway exit, being publicly accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and having the ability to charge at least four EVs simultaneously at speeds of at least 150 kW per vehicle.

Proposals that address gaps between existing and planned charging stations, offer amenities such as restrooms and food, or have stations that provide multiple types of charging connectors (ex.: both CCS and J3400, or Tesla/NACS), will be prioritized for the new funding.

The state of New York is investing nearly $3 billion to electrify its transportation sector, which is vital to meeting the State’s sweeping climate and clean energy plan, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York is rapidly advancing measures that all new passenger cars and trucks sold, as well as school buses, be zero emission vehicles by 2035.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Governor Kathy Hochul.

Motiv Electric Trucks may not grab all the headlines, but it’s been quietly putting electric box vans to work throughout California for the past fifteen years. And, last week, the company’s commercial EV fleet logged its five millionth all-electric mile driven.

According to Motiv’s press materials, fully 45% of the electric step vans in California today are Motive Electric Trucks. That translates to more than 370 electric vans operating daily shifts throughout the Golden State, racking up not just five million miles of all-electric driving, but racking up other big stats as well.

What kind of stats? Try these: over 300 million pounds of goods delivered, more than 15 million pounds of CO2 “saved” compared to conventional diesel, nearly a ton of PM 2.5 particulate matter, and – most crucial of all – more than 98% uptime.

That’s the kind of performance that leads to high levels of customer satisfaction, and Motiv has that, too. The company says its 200-mile range step vans lead the industry when it comes to repeat and follow-on orders, citing that since delivering its first EV in 2009, fully 64% of its new vehicle sales have been to repeat customers like Purolator, Vestis (formerly Aramark Uniform Services), Cintas, Bimbo Bakeries, and Shasta Linen Supply.

“We are very appreciative of our customers for believing in us, sharing our vision of cleaner commerce, and investing clean trucking to benefit their communities,” explains Scott Griffith, CEO of Motiv. “We’re also grateful for our employees and partners who produce such high quality and safe vehicles to make this milestone possible. We’re already looking ahead to the next 5 million miles.”

Electrek’s Take

Motiv is one of those companies that you root for. They took a huge risk when they launched in 2009, and took an even bigger risk more recently when they decided to develop their own proprietary operator cab and chassis, the Argo (prototype shown in white, above).

As much fun as all that is, though, it’s comments like these (below) that really make me hope Motiv continues to succeed – because they seem to get it.

Poor air quality caused by fossil-powered trucks disproportionally affects low-income communities and communities of color, as pollution is found in higher rates near highways, warehouses and ports, where these communities abound. Long-term exposure to poor air quality causes increased death rates attributed to cardiovascular diseases and has been linked to lung cancer.

Additionally, children who grow up in areas with high levels of pollution show reduced lung function, increased rates of asthma and lower IQ levels in their teens. Each electric mile our customers drive helps reduce these public health issues, for the benefit of everyone along the route.

MOTIVE ELECTRIC TRUCKS

When vehicle manufacturers start to look at the damage that ICEs have done, and continue to do their communities, and fess up to lasting, generational impact caused by the sort of lazy and/or corrupt government policies Americans have endured for decades, it’s hard not to think of them as “the good guys.” Here’s hoping that the good guys everywhere eventually win out.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Motive Electric Trucks.

Volvo has delivered the first of its L20 Electric wheel loaders to New Zealand, with a leading landscape manufacturer putting it through its paces in an early pilot program. The verdict: Volvo’s new electric loader is exceeding expectations!

Landscape manufacturing firm Intelligro – located near Christchurch, New Zealand – makes and sells a variety of landscaping, gardening, and civil engineering supplies. Part of that business involves growing massive amounts of mulches, sands, and soil mixes for both residential and commercial customers across the South Island. The group pride itself on delivering top quality products and excellent service for their customers. And it’s no stranger to heavy equipment, either, operating sixteen loaders at its primary job site.

When it was time to retire one of their conventional diesel loaders recently, the company decided to “take the plunge” on a new Volvo L20 Electric. The results have taken them by surprise.

“At first, I was a little bit skeptical,” explains Andrew ‘AJ’ Mahuika, Retail Crew Supervisor at Intelligro. “I thought that being electric it wouldn’t have the same power or capabilities as our traditional wheel loaders. However, it’s proven to be exactly the same and it’s probably one of the most comfortable loaders I’ve driven. I think it exceeded everyone’s expectations in terms of its functionality. It’s very much been business as usual.”

Intelligro has been using its new Volvo L20 Electric in its retail yard to load soft materials for its landscape commercial trade customers. The company says its quiet, precise operation has improved the experience for its customers, as well as the machine’s operators.

“It doesn’t drive any different to any of the other loaders we use,” continues AJ, who also about remarked reduced vibration. “Being electric, it is noticeably a lot quieter. It basically produces zero noise.”

The company gets about 6 hours of continuous operation from the L20 Electric. More than enough, in other words, to put in a full day of work. “Unlike diesel machines, electric machines have zero idling time,” explains Volvo. “(That) means if you stop working, the machine stops working too, saving valuable battery life.”

Volvo L20 Electric wheel loader

“The trial of the Volvo L20 Electric wheel loader at Intelligro is important to show the significant role our electric machines can play in the landscaping sector,” explains Bertrand Collette, Head of Market Area Oceania at Volvo CE. “(That’s) an industry that is all about creating and enhancing beautiful environments from the ground up … we hope that, by sharing Intelligro’s experience, we can inspire others to see how electric solutions might fit in their organizations and help them achieve their sustainability goals.”

The Volvo L20 Electric was supplied to Itellegro by their local dealer, TDX, who has provided initial training sessions and ongoing support to the operators.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Volvo.