A new, all electric Peterbilt 579EV is in-service at Honda’s Lincoln, Alabama assembly plant, where it’s busy transporting newly-built Honda cars from the plant to a nearby railhead for shipment to dealers across the country.

Part of a pilot program between Honda, Alabama Power, and Virginia Transportation Corp., the new electric semi truck will help stakeholders gather data about the practicality and performance of the battery-powered Pete and use it to generate case studies for broader electrification initiatives. Other supporters of the pilot project include the Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition and, of course, Peterbilt.

“We remain committed to delivering for our customers and the environment,” offered Leo Doire, owner and CEO of Virginia Transportation Corp. “Our new Peterbilt 579EV model will be tested to determine how well it performs against the high productivity demands of our operations. The partners we have at the table will help us maximize this opportunity and prepare to scale up if we get the results we are hoping for.”

The truck itself has been spec’ed to be perfect for the kind of short haul and drayage applications Honda has in mind. This particular Peterbilt 579EV is fitted with PACCAR’s 400 kWh battery and a 670 hp electric motor good for an impressive 2,050 lb-ft of peak torque at 0 rpm.

The truck offers 150 miles of operating range and can be charged in about 3 hours on a 120 kW charger installed specifically for that purpose. A charger, it should be noted, that was partially paid for by Alabama Power.

“Alabama Power’s ‘Make Ready’ program provides businesses with valuable rebates to help reduce the upfront costs of installing EV infrastructure,” says Alabama Power Electric Transportation Manager Hasin Gandhakwala. “We are committed to partnering with customers who are exploring state and federal grant opportunities. Alabama Power is dedicated to advancing EV technologies to better serve the needs of our customers.”

The electric semi is a continuation of a decarbonization project Honda initiated in 2011, when the company recruited Virginia Transport Corp. to help find ways to reduce emissions at its Alabama facilities. VTC’s efforts have led to changes that displaced more than 475,000 gallons of diesel in 2023 alone.

Electrek’s Take

With the big Pete’s 82,000 lb. GVWR and 150 miles of range between charging sessions, it seems like these guys will be making a lot of back-and-forth runs between the Honda plant and the CSX terminal to me. Here’s hoping they see the benefits of electrifying the rest of their vehicle transport fleets somewhat sooner than later.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Alabama Power.

Tesla is now using ‘Tesla Electric’, its electric utility service in Texas, to help sell cars with a new incentive.

After gaining experience through its virtual power plants (VPPs), Tesla took things a step further with the launch of “Tesla Electric” back in 2022.

Instead of reacting to specific “events” and providing services to your local electric utilities, as Tesla Powerwall owners have done in VPPs in California, Australia, and a few other markets, Tesla Electric is actively and automatically buying and selling electricity for Tesla Powerwall owners – providing a buffer against peak prices.

The company is essentially becoming an energy retailer.

Tesla Electric is currently only available to Powerwall owners in Texas and the UK, but the company has plans to expand its products through this new division.

The company has been growing its Tesla Electric userbase in Texas and now it plans to use it to help sell cars.

Tesla has two different plans under the program:

The first one enable you to charge your electric car for just $15 a month.

With this new incentive, Tesla is brining that down to $5 a month for a year for people who take delivery by the end of the year:

Get $5/mo Unlimited Overnight Charging With Tesla

To get unlimited overnight charging for $5 per month per vehicle for a full year, you must complete the following steps by December 31, 2024:

1. Order and take delivery of a new Tesla vehicle
2. Sign up for the Tesla Electric Fixed Plan

To be eligible, you need to live in an area of Texas that allows you to choose your electricity provider, be a new Tesla Electric member and take delivery of a new Tesla vehicle. Promotion is subject to change at any time.

This appear to be part of Tesla’s effort to deliver a record number of more than 515,000 vehicles in Q4 in order for its annual deliveries not to be down for the full year.

ver the last few weeks, we have been reporting on a series of sale incentives that Tesla has put in place to make sure it has the demand to achieve this record quarter.

In Europe, it includes a year of free Supercharging and heavy discounts.

In the US, there are also good inventory discounts, 3 months of free Supercharger and FSD, FSD transfer, and more.

And everywhere, Tesla is heavily subsidizing loans with lower interest rates.

But it’s the first time that Tesla is using such a targeted incentive, at the state level, and using its Tesla Electric program.

It’s interesting.

The all-electric Ram 1500 REV pickup will not launch by the end of 2024 as expected. Ram’s first electric pickup is being delayed as Stellantis works to manage the “significant” workload ahead of it.

Ram’s first electric pickup will now launch in 2025

After unveiling the Ram 1500 REV (Revolution Battery-electric vehicle) concept at CES 2023, Ram’s electric pickup stole the show.

Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares claimed Ram’s EV pickup would “outperform all competitors” in the areas that matter most, including range, payload, towing, and charging times.

Although Stellantis planned to launch the Ram 1500 REV by the end of the year, that will no longer be the case.

After launching its new STLA Frame platform on Tuesday, Tavares confirmed that Ram’s first electric pickup will be delayed until the first half of 2025.

Tavares told reports on a call (via Bloomberg), “We are just facing a very significant amount of workload,” and the company wants to be “prudent” in the validation process. “So we take our time,” Tavares added.

According to Stellantis’ head chief, the company is “managing the peak between the products that we have ahead of us.”

The peak will include several highly anticipated EV launches, such as the electric Dodge Charger Daytona, Jeep Wagoneer S, and Ram 1500 REV.

Tavares boasted the new STLA Frame platform, designed for upcoming Ram and Jeep EVs. The platform delivers up to 500 miles of range. For range-extended electric vehicles (REEVs), like the upcoming Ram truck, it provides up to 690 miles of range.

Powered by a 168 kWh battery pack, the Ram 1500 REV is expected to have a range of over 350 miles. It will also have a maximum towing capacity of up to 14,000 lbs and a 2,700 lb max payload.

Electrek’s Take

Stellantis, like most automakers, are bracing for the impacts of President-Elect Donald Trump taking office.

Trump has already vowed to loosen fuel economy regulations that prompted many companies to invest in US manufacturing. According to Reuters, His transition team is also reportedly preparing to kill off the federal EV tax credit.

Stellantis is already struggling to keep pace in the US, with sales slipping 17% through the first nine months of 2024.

The automaker still only has one fully electric passenger vehicle, the Fiat 500e, rolling out in the US. That will change next year when the first Jeep, Dodge, and Ram electric models hit the market.

Meanwhile, other automakers like Hyundai and Kia are gaining market share with several long-range, fast-charging electric models already available.

Even GM, after launching the new Chevy Blazer, Equinox, and Silverado EVs, sold a record 32,095 electric vehicles in the US in Q3.

Tavares claimed US buyers may not be ready for EVs, saying the company will pay fines or buy regulatory credits if needed.

“It depends on if there are enough customers to buy the ZEV vehicles — if there are, we are just fine, we’ll be where we expected to be,” Tavares told reporters. He added, “Not to say we expect to have a very strong demand, because we see the market is not reacting very fast.”

Stellantis will need to get its electric models into customers’ hands before it decides there is insufficient demand. Delaying Ram’s first electric pickup will only put it further behind rivals like the Tesla Cybertruck, Chevy Silverado, and Ford F-150 Lightning.