Toyota to build megawatt electric and hydrogen plant fueled by California bio-waste

2015 Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell, 2016 Toyota Mirai at hydrogen fueling station, Fountain Valley, CA

Toyota today is the world's most ardent proponent of using hydrogen fuel cells for zero-emission vehicles rather than large battery packs.

The huge Japanese carmaker, one of the world's four largest, now sells its Toyota Mirai fuel-cell sedan around the world, and has more hydrogen-powered vehicles in development.

As it has discussed over the last year, some of those may be heavy trucks as well as passenger cars.

Any fuel-cell vehicle, of whatever size, requires a hydrogen fueling infrastructure to operate, however, and the carmaker has had to work consistently to help authorities and private companies deliver that infrastructure in California.

Toyota announced on Thursday that it would build a renewable energy and hydrogen generation plant at California's Port of Long Beach that uses bio-waste from California's huge agricultural industry to produce water, electricity, and hydrogen fuel.

It will be, the company says, the first such site in the world to operate at a scale of 1 megawatt.

Toyota 'Project Portal' proof-of-concept hydrogen fuel-cell powered semi tractor, for Port of LA

When it is fully operational, the so-called Tri-Gen plant will generate more than 2 megawatts of electricity and 1.2 tons of hydrogen fuel a day.

That amount of electricity will power 2,350 average homes, and that quantity of hydrogen fuel will cover the daily drives of almost 1,500 hydrogen vehicles, which hold roughly 5 kg of fuel compressed to 10,000 psi.

The electricity will supply operations by Toyota Logistics Services at the Port, which will become the first Toyota facility in North America running entirely on renewable energy.

“For more than 20 years, Toyota has been leading the development of fuel cell technology," said Doug Murtha, the company's group vice president for strategic planning, "because we understand the tremendous potential to reduce emissions and improve society."

Among the vehicles to be fueled at the site will be the Toyota "Project Portal" heavy-duty Class 8 hydrogen truck to be tested in port operations.

All Toyota Mirai sedans will also be fueled at the station once they're unloaded from the ships that have brought them to North America from the car's single assembly plant in Japan.

2017 Toyota Mirai

California's ports have long sought to reduce emissions from thousands of idling diesel tractors and specialized yard trucks; a zero-emission hydrogen truck would contribute to that effort.

They have numerous projects underway to test fully electric, plug-in hybrid, and other fully or partially zero-emission vehicles to reduce or eliminate exhaust from the vehicles operating within the ports and hauling freight to and from them.

The new Tri-Gen plant has been developed by FuelCell Energy. Among entities that have supported it development are the U.S. Department of Energy, the California Air Resources Board, South Coast Air Quality Management District, Orange County Sanitation District, and the University of California at Irvine, where researchers developed some of the core technologies used at the site.

To date, Toyota has delivered roughly 2,400 Mirai fuel-cell sedans in the U.S. It is one of two hydrogen-powered vehicles on sale in the U.S., the other being the Honda Clarity Fuel Cell sedan.

California now has 31 fully operative retail hydrogen fueling stations, with more planned to bring the total to 100 by 2020.

Thus far, about 3,000 fuel-cell vehicles in total are operating on U.S. roads, all delivered within carefully defined areas of California where hydrogen fueling stations are near buyers' homes and workplaces.

Electric Car Sales Surge 63% In Third Quarter

I t’s good news, bad news time at Bloomberg New Energy Finance. First the good news. Global electric car sales (including plug-in hybrids) surged 63% in the third quarter of this year and are up 23% since the second quarter. BNEF is now confident EV sales will top 1,000,000 units this year. The bad news? China accounted for almost all those increases.

Sales of electric cars totaled 287,000 in July, August, and September with China responsible for half of them. Sales in other markets are trending up gradually, but nothing like what is happening in China. The increase in EV sales in China can be traced directly to a number of government policies that strongly encourage people to purchase an electric car instead of a conventional car. Many policy makers are worried their own incentive programs are too generous but the Chinese experience makes it clear if you want people to buy electric, you have to make it worth their while.

“The Chinese government is very focused on pushing up EV sales,” says Aleksandra O’Donovan, advanced transport analyst at BNEF and one of the authors of the report. “One reason for that is the local pollution levels in the cities, and a second is for China to build domestic heroes to compete internationally in this market.”

Many countries are sending mixed messages about their electric car policies. On one hand, they are talking about banning conventional cars. On the other, they are complaining incentives are budget busters that disproportionally benefit the wealthy. The main issue is that EVs still cost quite a bit more than the least expensive conventional cars, the ones that many people rely on for daily transportation. Incentives may not make a big difference to wealthy buyers but they can make all the difference for low income drivers who need basic transportation to get back and forth to work.

China proves electric car incentives work. The only question is, can governments afford them? The factor that could make incentives unnecessary is battery prices. Batteries make up a large part of the price of electric cars. The less they cost, the more affordable those cars will be and the less the need will be for incentives.

Tesla Model 3 Configurator Goes Live – For the Fortunate Few

It appears Tesla is going to start delivering Model 3 units to preorder customers.

Some users on Reddit have posted that they have received an email allowing them to design their Model 3, and have shared screenshots of the online configurator. Perhaps most surprising to some is that the first production models say “delivery in 4 weeks,” suggesting Tesla is working out its production issues and will begin handing over the keys to preorder customers next month.

There are literally no surprises with the online configurator, if you have been following news of the Tesla Model 3. The first production units will all come equipped with the long range batteryoption as well as premium upgrades, bringing the total to $48,000 including the $1,000 deposit – but not including any destination fees. Those wanting the base $35,000 vehicle will have to wait until early 2018, while the dual motor all-wheel-drive option is coming in spring 2018.

Those at the front of the line appear to be current Tesla owners living in the state of California, just like the American automaker promised. For the initial production, customers get to choose their color, wheels, and whether they want Enhanced Autopilot and full self-driving capability.

Walmart, Loblaw Join Push For Electric Trucks With Tesla Semi Orders

Following earlier news that the US-based trucking firm JB Hunt would be reserving and ordering a number of Tesla’s new semi trucks, Walmart and the Canada-based grocery chain Loblaw have both revealed that they will be doing the same.

Walmart has revealed that it will be reserving and ordering 15 of the new Tesla semi trucks — with 5 slated for use in the US and 10 in Canada. And the Canada-based grocery chain Loblaw has revealed that it will be reserving and ordering a total of 25 of the new all-electric Tesla heavy-duty trucks. Loblaw is currently working towards a goal of possessing an all-electric corporate fleet by 2030.

As a reminder here, reservation deposits for the Tesla semi trucks total $5,000 a piece.

While the order of 15 trucks from Walmart is notable, it clearly just amounts to the firm putting its foot in the water, so to speak, as the company’s US truck fleet is now comprised of around 6,000 units.

Reuters provides more: “The early orders reflected the uncertainty about how the market for electric commercial vehicles will develop. About 260,000 Class-8 trucks are produced in North America annually, and that market has a value of about $28.6 billion, said Don Ake, vice president of commercial vehicles at FTR, an industry economics research firm.

“The 500-mile (800 km) range between charges that Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk promised on Thursday for the Tesla Semi is about half the range between fill-ups of a diesel Class 8 truck. Heavy batteries cut payload and add cost, potential deal killers for fleet buyers focused on operating cost per mile.”

So, clearly, there are notable limits to Tesla’s semi trucks as of now, but obviously major benefits as well — greatly reduced emissions being an important one. On that note, it’ll be interesting to see if Tesla can garner interest for the semi trucks in China, despite being an outsider, as there’s expected to be a rapid shift away from diesel and petrol/gasoline powered trucks there over the coming decade or two. But maybe BYD and other Chinese players have that market locked.

The Plug-In Hybrids Are Coming! The Plug-In Hybrids Are Coming!

News about plug-in hybrids coming to market soon was everywhere last week. Honda, Volvo, Lync & C0, and General Motors all had something to say on the subject. Some of the announcements were bold; some were partially hidden. Honda kicked things off by releasing final pricing details about the plug-in hybrid version of its multi-faceted Clarity sedan.

Meet The Clarity Plug-In Hybrid

The Clarity may look a lot like an Accord to most shoppers, but it is built on an entirely new chassis designed to accept three modes of propulsion — hydrogen fuel cell, plug-in hybrid, or pure battery electric. Honda now says the plug-in hybrid version will go on sale before Christmas and be priced at $33,400 for the well equipped standard trim version.

The Touring version with more bumpf and features will list for $36,600. Sharp eyed readers will notice those prices are many thousands less than the Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid. While the Volt is a fine car, it is a bit tight in its interior dimensions. Expect the Clarity to have more room in its comfy interior for real passengers, especially in the back seat.

The Clarity PHEV will come with a 17 kWh battery — large enough to qualify for the full $7,500 federal tax credit unless and until Republicans in Congress repeal the tax credit entirely. Honda says it has an electric only range of 47 miles, nearly as much as the Volt. Recharging time is given as 2.5 hours using a 240 volt charger.

Volvo and Lync & Co. Will Offer Plug-In Crossovers

Lync & Co 01 top; Volvo XC40 bottom

Volvo and Lync & Co, both owned by Geely, say they are close to bringing plug-in hybrid crossover models to American shores. Sales of the Volvo XC40 PHEV are expected to begin in the second half of 2018. The Lync & Co 01 will debut in China next year before heading to showrooms in Europe the following year. Sales in the US will begin sometime after the European introduction.

Kissing cousins beneath their separate badges, both will both share a plug-in hybrid powertrain with 31 miles of electric range backed up by a 1.5 liter three cylinder gasoline engine. There are reports that a version with 50 miles of range will be offered as well.

A Stealth Reveal For General Motors

Speaking to the Barclays 2017 Global Automotive Conference last week, General Motors CEO Mary Barra said her company has up to 20 electrified models in the pipeline. While she spoke, the image seen above appeared on the screen behind her with a caption reading “New CUV entries — two entries by 2020.”

Fox News was quick to point out that the image bore a remarkable resemblance to the exciting Chevy FNR-X concept unveiled at the Shanghai auto show earlier this year. See for yourself. Notice the resemblance?

Barra made no reference to the image behind her and we don’t know whether it will be built on the Chevy Bolt electric car chassis or the Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid platform. Clearly GM has an economic interest in leveraging the investment made in both by applying it to other models in its corporate lineup.

Electric car advocates dislike plug-in hybrids because they have internal combustion engines, but they may well be an important — if temporary — part of the transition to electric vehicles that is gathering momentum worldwide. Sometimes 50% of something is better than 100% of nothing. Especially if some of those plug-ins are crossover utility vehicles which happen to represent the hottest part of the new car market right now.

New York Helping UPS Convert Its Delivery Fleet To Electric Trucks

With help from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, UPS is planning to convert many of its diesel powered delivery vans (UPS calls them “package cars”) into battery electric trucks beginning as soon as next spring. UPS currently has more than 2,200 trucks plying the streets of New York City. It expects 1,500 of them be electric by 2022.

The program is part of the governor’s program to reduce greenhouse gases within New York by 40% by the year 2030. Alicia Barton, president and CEO of NYSERDA said in a press release, “This project is a prime example of the State’s investment in new and innovative technology that can help us meet Governor Cuomo’s nation-leading clean energy goals. I applaud UPS and Unique Electric Solutions for their leadership in developing this system that can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and has tremendous potential to be used by the entire delivery industry.”

“Public-private partnerships help push innovation forward and transform industries,” said Carlton Rose, president of global fleet maintenance and engineering for UPS. “This program will help UPS develop and deploy electric delivery trucks faster and more affordably. Because they are cleaner and quieter, electric vehicles are ideal for dense urban environments like New York City and are a critical part of our strategy for the future.”

NYSERDA will provide $500,000 in funding. The money will be used to pay for the development of an electric drivetrain provided by Unique Electric Solutions and to begin the conversion process. At the heart of the  drivetrain is a 225 kW switched reluctance motor (SRM) with a high voltage back bone optimized for the duty cycle of UPS delivery trucks. It says its motors are simpler, cheaper and better suited to use in electric vehicles than conventional induction motors. In addition, they do not use the rare earth elements found in permanent magnet motors. The company claims is propulsion system provides more miles per battery charge, reduced charging times, and up to 20% greater efficiency.

Efficiency plays a vital role in making UPS profitable. So does being a good corporate citizen. The company has more than 8,500 alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles in its fleet worldwide, including 770 electric or hybrid electric vehicles that are used primarily in urban settings.  The company says by the year 2020, a quarter of all the new vehicles it purchases every year will use alternative fuels or advanced propulsion technology. It has invested more than $750 million in alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles — including fueling stations for alternative fuels — since 2009.

Waymo Pushing Forward With Level 4 Self Driving Taxi Service - VIDEO

Waymo, the self driving arm of Alphabet which in turn is the parent company of Google, is feeling confident the autonomous cars it has created in cooperation with Chrysler are now ready for their first real world use without a human driver on board. After months of testing in and around Phoenix, Arizona, the company says it will soon be ready to begin allowing those cars to provide ride hailing services to paying customers in Chandler, a suburb of Phoenix. It then plans to extend the service to the entire Phoenix area, which is larger in area than London (although much less densely populated.

Waymo CEO John Krafcik gave demonstration rides to members of the press, including Darrell Etheridge of TechCrunch, on November 7. He writes, “Waymo’s stated goal is to ensure safer roads for everyone, and after having spent some time in the fully driverless Pacifica that will be operating in Chandler, I’m more convinced than ever they’re on a path to make this happen. Bringing that truly driverless Level 4 experience to public roads and public riders is a huge step, and a sign we could be hailing an autonomous ride sooner than you might think.”

By using the Waymo app, customers in the Phoenix area will be able to summon a self driving Chrysler Pacifica to their door to go shopping, get to school, or drive to any destination within the defined area of operation. They also will be able to use the app to communicate directly with a member of Waymo’s customer service staff at any time. Early in the experiment, each Pacifica will have a Waymo employee on board who has access to an emergency stop button, but the company plans to move quickly beyond that phase to true Level 4 autonomy where the only humans in the vehicles are customers.

Waymo has ordered up another 400 autonomous Pacificas from Chrysler, bringing the total in their fleet to 500. Waymo now appears to have the early lead in the self driving ride hailing sweepstakes. Expect this service to expand beyond the Phoenix area rapidly if the experiment there proves successful. Check out the video below for a glimpse of what the world looks like inside a self driving Pacifica taxi.

Daimler To Introduce Electric School Bus To US In 2019

The yellow school bus is a social icon. It projects an image of bright eyed children eagerly anticipating the acquisition of knowledge during the upcoming school day as they wend their way through the cities and towns all across America. We think of them as zones of safety for our most precious cargo, but in fact they are enclosed metal tubes that subject school children to all the same diesel pollutants that got Volkswagen into so much trouble recently.

Why we throw our arms up in horror when Volkswagen sells diesel powered cars that exceed legal limits for tailpipe emissions and put those responsible in jail for their actions but happily consign school children to riding in diesel powered vehicles to and from school every day is a great mystery. Do we think the diesel engines in those buses run cleaner than the passenger car engines in those Volkswagens? It is to laugh.

In addition to carbon dioxide, the diesels in school buses spew huge quantities of NOx and sulfur dioxide emissions out their tailpipes. As they sit idling outside at the end of the school day, they create a massive cloud of atmospheric crud our kids have to inhale as they clamber aboard. Not only that, each one consumes about 23,000 gallons of diesel fuel each year. Multiply that by the nearly half a million school buses on the road in the US and your are talking about a massive amount of money taxpayers have to spend for the fuel to keep them running.

In the fight to lower pollution from internal combustion engines, the biggest environmental rewards come from electrifying the vehicles that depend most heavily on diesel engines — garbage trucks, delivery trucks, freight trucks, and school buses. Electric school buses are just starting to become available. Massachusetts this year committed to $1.4 million to an electric school bus pilot program for four communities. Just like passenger cars, electric buses cost more to buy but can save communities money in the long run thanks to lower fuel and maintenance costs. Plus, there are the benefits that come from breathing cleaner air.

Motiv Power is introducing electric school buses in California, where 13 will be operating shortly. Now Daimler, which owns Thomas Built Buses, says it will begin selling an electric school bus with a range of 100 miles beginning in 2019. Thomas currently is the dominant manufacturer of school buses, with a market share just under 40%. So this announcement could have a major impact on the US school bus market going forward.

The Verge reports the electric school bus from Thomas will be built on the company’s standard Saf-T-Liner C2  chassis. Nicknamed “Jouley,” it seats 81 children and is powered by a 60 kWh battery. Fleet operators who need longer range can opt for additional battery packs. Since most school buses are used for short periods of time in the morning and the afternoon, keeping the batteries charged up shouldn’t be an issue.

This is another important step in the electrification of the US transportation fleet. Since children are so impressionable, riding in a clean, quiet electric school bus during their early years will make them less tolerant of smelly, noisy cars later in life. An appreciation for electric vehicles may be an important life lessons for America’s future leaders.

Vespa Electric Scooter Arrives Next Year With 62 Miles Of Range

Vespa told us last year at this time that it was working on an electric scooter. This year, the company brought its electric offering —  the Vespa  Elettrica — to the Milan Motorcycle Show, where it revealed lots of details about its latest zero emissions scooter except for the price. The Vespa Elettrica will be available sometime next year, although the company has not said exactly when.

Piaggio, the parent company of Vespa, tells The Verge its electric scooter will have a range of 100 kilometers or 62 miles. That’s about a third that of the Vespa Primavera, the 50 cc model that is the price leader in the company’s gasoline powered lineup. But the Vespa Elettica is not intended for long distance commuting. The company calls it “perfect for city environments” and it probably is exactly that. The torque of its electric motor should offset some of the machine’s lack of range with performance that is superior to a traditional 50 cc machine.

Charging the battery takes 4 hours from a “normal wall outlet,” which in Italy is 220 volts. In North America, charging time would be longer. Piaggio says the battery is good for  about 50,000 to 70,000 kilometers — equivalent to about 10 years of use. The battery is expected to have 80% capacity remaining after 1,000 charging cycles. There is no information available about whether the battery can be replaced or how much a replacement battery might cost.

For those who are concerned about range, Vespa will sell a hybrid model with a gas powered range extender generator that will boost range to about 200 kilometers or 124 miles.

As befits an electric vehicle, the Vespa Elettica will come complete with a 4.3 inch touchscreen that displays information such as speed, range remaining, and battery state of charge. A smartphone app will allow drivers to connect to the electric scooter via Bluetooth to access texts and incoming phone calls. The app will also have a map feature and make diagnostic information available to the driver. Vespa will offer a Bluetooth-enabled helmet with built-in microphone and speakers for hands free communication during any journey.

The Vespa Elettica comes standard in silver livery with electric blue trim but the buyer can choose from 7 different colors when ordering one. The company has released no information about availability in North America yet.

Workhorse CEO: $300 million in preorders for plug-in hybrid pickup trucks

Workhorse W-15 extended-range electric pickup truck

Over seven years of plug-in electric cars and 20 years of hybrids, the pickup truck sector remains largely untouched. GM sold hybrid Chevrolet and GMC pickups for a few years, and Ford plans an F-150 hybrid in 2020. A startup company now called Workhorse (nee AMP) noticed that white space and made a bold play for the market with its W-15 plug-in hybrid pickup truck.

With an estimated 80-mile range on electric power and 32 mpg highway and 28 mpg city with the gasoline engine, Workhorse leads in crowding segment. Though the truck isn't on sale yet, CEO Steve Burns says the company has received $300 million in pre-orders for its plug-in hybrid truck. At an estimated price of $52,500, that's a lot of trucks, but Burns stressed that getting orders up front is a calculated strategy in an interview with Autoblog.

Workhorse W-15 plug-in truck

Although the company had the desire to build a plug-in pickup truck, Burns admits Workhorse didn't have the resources to do it. "We couldn't build it and hope [customers] came," after the announcement. "We wanted to make sure there was an audience of customers." Potentially to his surprise, the audience poured in; Workhorse received 4,560 letter-of-intent preorders at its reveal in May.

Workhorse developed the W-15 with compromise in mind since an all-electric truck may "disappoint" customers in capability, per Burns. The CEO says an all-electric truck's estimated range diminishes as payload and towing ratings increase—it also allows Workhorse to keep costs down with a smaller battery pack with a plug-in hybrid powertrain.

And the W-15's specifications aren't poor, either. Dual electric motors provide 460 horsepower, its payload rating sits at 2,200 pounds and it will tow up to 5,000 pounds.

Workhorse W-15 plug-in truck

The battery also serves as a mobile power supply with a standard outlet present to power electric tools. Workhorse wants to deliver its first trucks by late 2018, but it won't necessarily be alone in the market. Canadian company Havelaar plans to build its all-electric Bison; Tesla has said it plans an electric pickup truck in two years; and Bollinger wants to build a a pickup version of its B-1 electric Class 3 utility truck.

None of those companies is a traditional maker, but there's also the chance that one or more large global carmakers could change course and debut its own mass-market electrified pickup. The demand for the Workhorse plug-in hybrid pickup truck speaks volumes, however. After the company satisfies its initial fleet orders, Burns said it will likely turn toward individual customers, whose pre-orders he said could be filled sometime late in 2019.