Electric Vehicles

BEND, Ore.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Element 1 Corp (“e1^®”), a leading developer of hydrogen generation technology, today announced that it has licensed proprietary L-Series hydrogen generator technology to Kaizen Clean Energy (“KCE”), a leading developer of distributed hydrogen generation. Under the terms of the license agreement, KCE has been granted rights to manufacture and deploy L-Series hydrogen generators for distributed Battery Electric Vehicle (EV) charging, hydrogen production for hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs), and standby power generation in the United States.

With proven growth in the EV sector and growing interest in hydrogen fuel cell power solutions, KCE has helped align e1’s Hydrogen Generators to support multiple markets from a single modular solution. Robert Meaney, Co-CEO & Chief Technology Officer, said, “Unfortunately, grid demand charges, unreliable energy supply, and lengthy electric grid expansions are stalling billions of dollars in investments for wider adoption of EV charging. Our partnership with e1 provides companies an immediate opportunity to scale, control, and decentralize their EV charging and generate revenue from hydrogen production and power generation when there are no vehicles to charge.”

Dr. David Edlund, e1 CEO, said, “e1 is delighted and privileged to be collaborating with KCE and their strategy to displace aging energy solutions. Our hydrogen generation technology being licensed to KCE is supported by dozens of patents. Just like when phones became separated from the cord, KCE’s hydrogen generator power solutions will provide a similarly disruptive approach to EV charging and separate EV fleet owners from the grid. I anticipate our relationship with KCE to continue expanding to lower the cost of EV charging and hydrogen.”

The e1 hydrogen generators produce hydrogen from methanol and deliver on-demand hydrogen at the point of use, eliminating the need to transport compressed hydrogen gas. This significantly reduces the cost of using hydrogen as an energy product. In addition, this process can be carbon-neutral, and in some cases carbon-negative, when methanol is produced from renewable feedstocks such as captured carbon dioxide or municipal solid waste. KCE is currently developing projects with e1’s^® technology for municipalities, drayage fueling, fleet vehicle EV charging, hydrogen distribution, and hydrogen refueling stations with EV fast charging.

About Kaizen Clean Energy:

Founded in 2021, KCE is a future fuels-focused company, headquartered in Houston, TX, specializing in the design, development, and manufacture of hydrogen generators for decentralized power in transportation, power, agricultural, EV charging, municipalities, and hydrogen markets. For more information about Kaizen Clean Energy, please visit www.kaizencleanenergy.com.

About Element 1 Corp:

e1 designs and develops advanced hydrogen generation systems used to power fuel cells with broad use in mobile applications such as marine, trucking, off-road vehicles, rail, warehousing, and backup power supply sectors. e1’s proprietary technology produces hydrogen on-demand at the point of consumption, eliminating the logistical challenges and costs inherent in distributing compressed hydrogen. For more information about e1, please visit www.e1na.com.

Two electric car drivers have launched a High Court challenge to Victoria’s tax on electric vehicles, arguing the state’s levy is unconstitutional.

Victoria introduced the levy in July, which charges road users based on how much they travel. Electric vehicle drivers are charged between 2-2.5 cents per kilometre.

Lawyers representing two drivers have filed documents with the High Court, arguing Victoria does not have constitutional power to introduce the tax.

Lawyer Jack McLean from Equity Generation Lawyers said the constitution gave the power to levy consumption taxes to the Commonwealth, not the states.

“Our argument will be in the High Court that this is essentially a tax on consumption, and a tax on consumption is a tax that only the federal government can levy,” he said.

He likened the levy to the GST.

He said the current fuel tax was levied by the federal government.

“And that’s because the state government doesn’t have the power, arguably, to levy those taxes under the constitution,” he said.

Case argues levy is unfair for those ‘trying to do the right thing’

Kathleen Davies bought an electric car in 2012, and said driving it was “a breath of fresh air”.

She said she had never taken legal action before, but contacted Equity Generation wanting to be part of the challenge.

“Not only does it feel wrong from a constitutional point of view, it feels very unfair as a citizen trying to do the right thing and reduce my greenhouse gas emission,” she said.

“And it worries me it’s going to put the brakes on further EV adoption.”

Ms Davies said she used her car to get to work and for personal use but at the moment “it’s sitting in the garage not doing much” because of COVID restrictions.

The ABC has contacted the Victorian government for comment.

Detroit — As it seeks a solution to a battery fire risk, General Motors issued yet another safety recommendation Wednesday for Chevrolet Bolt owners: If you’re pulling into a parking deck, keep your car at least 50 feet away from other vehicles. 

A customer’s concern about the safety of leaving their electric vehicle in a parking garage led the automaker to provide the additional guidance to owners of the Bolts, all of which GM has recalled, spokesman Dan Flores said. 

“In an effort to reduce potential damage to structures and nearby vehicles in the rare event of a potential fire, we recommend parking on the top floor or on an open-air deck and park 50 feet or more away from another vehicle,” Flores said in a statement. “Additionally, we still request you do not leave your vehicle charging unattended, even if you are using a charging station in a parking deck.”

Workhorse Group, an electric vehicle company on the Postal Service’s shortlist to manufacture its next-generation delivery vehicle fleet, is ending its legal battle against USPS and contract award recipient Oshkosh Defense.

Workhorse withdrew its bid protest Tuesday, a day before oral arguments were scheduled before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

The vendor filed its bid protest in June, arguing that USPS “put its thumb on the scale against Workhorse” and took its prototype out of consideration over a “safety incident” caused by a USPS test track driver’s error.

Workhorse also alleges Oshkosh Defense, the USPS vehicle award recipient, submitted a prototype vehicle “entirely different” than the one selected for production, and that the winning design from Oshkosh Defense “skipped the prototype phase altogether.”

Attorneys for USPS and Justice Department asked the court to dismiss Workhorse’s case in July, on the grounds that the vendor failed to exhaust all of its administrative appeal options before filing its bid protest.

After USPS awarded the contract to Oshkosh Defense, DoJ attorneys said Workhorse sent a disagreement letter to USPS’ contracting officer, who then “issued a detailed response letter denying Workhorse’s disagreement.”

If Workhorse was unsatisfied with the contracting officer’s decision, DoJ attorneys said it could have filed a complaint with the supplier disagreement resolution official (SDR), but DoJ said the vendor didn’t do that.

“Workhorse has indisputably failed to exhaust administrative remedies required by application Postal Service regulations. As a result, the court must dismiss this case,” DoJ attorneys wrote.

Oshkosh Defense attorneys said that rather than appeal to the SDR official, Workhorse “sat idle for three months” before moving forward with its bid protest.

Oshkosh Defense also argued both its electric and fossil fuel-powered prototypes were more cost-effective and “technically superior” to the prototype vehicles submitted by other contractors, including Workhorse.

Oshkosh Defense’s attorneys said USPS ranked Workhorse’s electric battery-powered design last, both in terms of technical ranking — the most important criteria in making the award — and in terms of best value.

In contrast to Workhorse’s all-electric vehicle proposal, Oshkosh Defense told the court it “proposed a more flexible approach that utilized an internal-combustion-engine vehicle in the near term with the option to transition to an electric vehicle in the medium to long term.”

Workhorse, however, said the Postal Service’s private-sector competitors are “aggressively moving toward all-electric, zero-emissions fleets” to save money.

USPS, meanwhile, faces pressure from Congress and the Biden administration to get more electric vehicles on delivery routes.

The House Oversight and Reform Committee earlier this month approved giving USPS more than $7 billion, as part of a $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation package, to purchase more electric vehicles in its next-generation fleet.

The committee also approved giving the General Services Administration $5 billion to purchase more than 160,000 electric vehicles and set up charging stations.

The funding comes close to what USPS previously asked from Congress. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy told lawmakers in March that USPS needed $8 billion to electrify the fleet “in a shorter time frame to the maximum extent that is operationally feasible.”

DeJoy initially told Congress that only 10% of its new fleet would be electric vehicles, but later told lawmakers that figure was “a floor — not a ceiling — based upon our current financial situation.”

USPS in its 10-year reform plan expects to make a majority of its fleet electric within 10 years “with the right level of congressional support,” and become fully electric by 2035.

However, DeJoy told lawmakers electric vehicles will be more expensive to purchase than those that run on fossil fuels, and will require additional spending to build charging stations,

Electric vehicles also don’t currently meet all of the Postal Service’s needs. DeJoy told lawmakers there are as many as 12,500 postal routes in the country where the distance driven, environmental conditions or facility limitations would make electric vehicles “unfeasible or impractical.”

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Rivian has received the necessary approvals to begin delivering its first all-electric light-duty pickup truck, the R1T. 

The company confirmed in emails to TechCrunch and Bloomberg that the vehicles have been fully certified by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board.  

“Rivian vehicles are fully certified by NHTSA, EPA and CARB, and are ready for sale in all 50 states,” a Rivian spokesperson wrote in an email to Bloomberg.

R.J. Scaringe, Rivian’s chief executive, issued a tweet Tuesday saying the company’s first customer vehicle was driven off the assembly line in Normal, Illinois. “After months of building pre-production vehicles, this morning our first customer vehicle drove off our production line in Normal!  Our team’s collective efforts have made this moment possible. Can’t wait to get these into the hands of ourcustomers!,” the tweet said.

Reviews for the R1T truck have been great. Car and Driver and Consumer Reports gave the 2021 Rivian R1T solid reviews late this past year. More recently, Motor Trend drove the 2022 R1T in late August and called it the “most remarkable pickup [they’ve] ever driven,” and asked readers “are you ready for the electric truck revolution?”

Rivian, which is backed by

Amazon.com,

recently filed documents with securities regulators to raise money in an initial public offering. The company was said to be seeking a valuation of around $80 billion.

Write to editors@barrons.com

The battery in your electric vehicle is like the battery in your phone. When you step into your electric vehicle and turn it on, you’ll see a battery percentage icon on the dashboard. Much like your phone, your vehicle tells you not only the percent at which your EV battery is charged, but also a range estimate, updated in real-time, of how many miles you have until you’ll need to charge again.

Charging is like fueling, but without the smell of gasoline. Your battery has now dipped below 5 percent and you need to charge your vehicle. To find a charging station, most new electric vehicles inform you of the nearest EV charging station right on the dashboard using GPS, but EV charging stations can also be found at www.plugshare.com.

The charging network in Maine is increasing in size with every passing day, but it can take some orientation to know what to look for.

There are three well-established charging levels, each with a different speed. You’ll find that you don’t always need to charge fast to make an EV work for you. Home and work are the most common places people charge, and Level 1 charging and Level 2 charging are often sufficient to get you charged up overnight or during the workday.

Level 1 charging uses a standard 120V AC outlet and charges vehicles at a rate of 4 to 5 mph.

Level 2 charging uses 240V AC power and charges a vehicle at a rate of 12 to 80 mph. Level 2 chargers are also common at businesses and places where you might spend an hour or more.

For those longer trips, or any time you need a quicker charge, there is Level 3 charging, also known as DC fast charging, which uses 480V-plus power and can typically charge a vehicle to 80 percent in approximately 20jj to 30 minutes. These chargers tend to be located along popular travel corridors such as interstates, and are increasingly found at quick-stop locations, such as gas stations or eateries.

There are universal EV charger connectors, but not all vehicles use the same ones. There are five connector types used in the United States.

The J1772 connector is the most widely used and works with any EV on the market for Level 1 and Level 2 charging. The NEMA14-50 connector is less frequently used, but is sufficient for Level 1 and Level 2 charging at home. The CHAdeMO connector is used for Level 3 charging on Nissan and Mitsubishi models. The CCS Combo connector is used for Level 3 charging on every other make besides Tesla.

Tesla has their connectors unique to their own vehicles and prevent any other vehicle from charging, however, their network is incredibly widespread.

Charging for charging

Occasionally, EV charging is free and you can simply plug in and get a charge, but increasingly EV chargers require payment to charge. Much like you would pay for fuel by the gallon, you pay for electricity by the kilowatt hour (kWh). On average, it costs about half as much to drive an electric vehicle. There are many different networks, from EVgo to ChargePoint, who typically allow you to pay for electricity right at the station or on an app on your phone.

Be mindful of any rules or time restrictions. Similarly to the idea that you wouldn’t leave your vehicle parked in a fueling spot at a gas station, it is courteous to pay attention to your vehicle’s charging level and remove it from a spot when it is finished charging. Be sure to read any signage associated with the charger before using it, as there may be rules or time restrictions on an EV charger.

Our Sustainable City is a recurring column in the Sentry intended to provide residents with news and information about sustainability initiatives in South Portland. The Sustainability Office is located on the first floor of city hall. Follow the Sustainability Office on Instagram and Facebook @soposustainability.

Cashel Stewart is sustainable transportation coordinator for South Portland. He can be reached at 207-767-3201, ext.7546 or [email protected]

Electric vehicles (EVs) have made quite a huge impact in the last couple of years and many have rightfully termed them as the future of mobility. Besides offering notable benefits to their users, electric cars are also good for the environment. To further motivate people to buy e-cars, the Indian government offers various subsidies under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME) Scheme.

It looks a win-win situation in more ways than one for common users, as you can do your bit for the environment while commuting to office. But, remember, electric cars are not like petrol or diesel cars, and before you rush to buy one, consider these factors.


Choose the right driving range: The driving range is the most important factor to consider before purchasing an electric vehicle. Your EV would cover as much distance as its battery would allow it — in one-time charge. You don’t need to bother much about that with conventional vehicles because you can easily refill them with fuel at the next gas station. But that’s not the case with charging stations. Their numbers are gradually increasing across India, but you would still find it difficult to locate them near you.

Electric vehicles can be charged in two ways – fast and slow charging. In fast charging, usually, it takes 60 to 120 minutes to charge your car. Slow or alternate charging takes more than 5 to 6 hours.

Car manufactures also provide specified driving range figures, but to get a clearer idea you should look for real-life reviews. Usually, an electric car with a driving range of 100km should be enough for your office commute, but if you are looking for inter-state travel, then there are some high end cars which can offer a driving range of over 400km.

Price and tax benefits: E-cars come with a hefty price tag. Thanks to complex technology and expensive batteries, electric cars are far more costly than conventional ones. A small electric hatchback may cost you more than Rs. 7 lakh.

To ease the burden, you can avail benefits and incentives offered by the government, and cut down the overall cost of your car. Check all incentive schemes and benefits, such as reduced GST. You can also discuss these aspects in detail with car dealers to get a fair idea. Remember, that it is because of their high rates that e-cars have not yet been able to get many customers. Efforts are on to replace cobalt batteries with nickel ones, but it could take some years before we see that happening.

Specifications & Software updates: You need to pay attention to specifications to choose an e-vehicle which matches your needs because they are available in a wide range of battery packs and electric motors. An insufficiently powered electric car can ruin your aspirations and cause much trouble for you.

Things which ensure a smooth e-car journey, are there in the technical details – go through them thoroughly. Once you have the car, always keep an eye for software updates. Because of their complex and advanced technology, manufacturers regularly release software updates or patches to enhance performance. Usually, these updates are offered free of cost to owners, but in some cases manufacturers charge for them. They are a must to ensure 100% efficiency for your car.

Charging Infrastructure and battery life: You might see e-cars dominating the passenger vehicle market in the coming years, but at present the charging infrastructure in the country is inadequate. There are charging stations in metro cities, but you won’t find any in rural India. Consider this fact before making the final decision.

Just like an internal combustion engine in a conventional car, the battery is the heart of your e-car. These batteries are very expensive, and replacement could cost a huge amount. Pay utmost attention to the battery life before investing in an e-car.

Maintenance and other costs: Owning an electric car means that you need to maintain it properly to ensure reasonable efficiency and longevity. Any sort of lapse in maintenance could cost you dearly because spare parts of these vehicles are very expensive as compared to conventional cars. This technology is still in the nascent stage in India, and it can be handled by only a few mechanics.

Manufacturers also offer maintenance services but that would cost you a huge amount. Depending upon the charging infrastructure in your city, additional costs could also shoot up significantly because you need to spend extra money on home-charger or charging station installation. Besides, there is a charging station maintenance cost that would come with it.


Brands and e-car models: You are not spoilt for choice of e-cars in India. There are only a few options available at the moment, and you can finalise the best suited based on affordability. According to the CarDekho website, currently, there are 9 electric cars on sale in India. Among these, the Strom Motors R3 is the cheapest EV while the Mercedes-Benz EQC is the most expensive electric car in India. Upcoming e-cars in India include Audi e-tron GT, Mercedes-Benz EQA & Renault Zoe among others.

(Source: CarDekho.com)

Bloomingdale hopes to entice electric vehicle drivers to shop in the village by adding free charging stations.

Village officials said that Volta Charging has approached the village about allowing electronic message centers on charging units to allow advertising and offset the costs.

If it allows electronic message centers, Bloomingdale would be able to expand the number of electric vehicle charging stations in the village. The charging stations also would be free to use.

Currently, there are 12 charging stations in Bloomingdale, with locations at Walgreens, Best Buy and Woodman’s Food Market.

Sean Gascoigne, Bloomingdale’s director of community and economic development, said the village is not going to install charging stations. However, the move should help businesses that are adding their own.

Village President Franco Coladipietro said adding charging stations would encourage more residents to buy electric cars. It also would compel people driving through the area to shop where charging stations are available.

“We’ve got a chance to get ahead of the curve on all of this,” Coladipietro said.

Currently, Bloomingdale does not allow electronic message centers near charging sites.

Volta’s primary source of revenue is advertising. The company has asked if Bloomingdale trustees would be willing to consider amendments to the village code to allow electronic message centers.

Trustees are expected to review the proposal later this month.