Electric Vehicles

Electric vehicle (EV) subscription service Onto has launched its debut TV campaign on Channel 4 and Sky following its $175m investment drive.

Coral Gables city commissioners got the opportunity to see official renderings and a glimpse of how the Coral Gables Mobility Hub is going to change and elevate the city into the future. 

During last week’s city commission meeting, design and architecture firm Gensler presented in detail all the features the estimated $40 million mobility hub at 245 Andalusia Ave. is to offer for residents and visitors when it’s completed in the first quarter of 2024. 

The hub is to have an internal drive-thru lane for ridesharing services, retail and bicycle storage. It will also offer dockless vehicle parking, bike share docking stations, a wi-fi lounge, e-Commerce Logistics for drone package deliveries and pop-up coffee shops. 

The first level is reserved for electric vehicles, with charging stations in all spaces. Intermediate levels will be self-parking that can accommodate self-driving vehicles in the future. The open-air rooftop is to feature landscaped areas, venue space, café restaurant, lounging areas and areas to practice sports.

“As we move forward with mobility, we know there’s going to be changes, there’s a big debate in the industry, whether that’s 10 years from now, whether it’s 20 years from now, but it’s coming,” said Kevin Kinney, Coral Gables’ parking director. “It will happen, and it may be a generational thing and it may be our kids or my grandkids that have to see it through.”

The city has already signed an agreement with Weitz Company to manage the construction of the mobility hub. Construction is scheduled to begin in September of next year. 

“If you tell me we’re going to build this foundation and we’re going to build this incredible building,” Mayor Vince Lago said, “and we can possibly have two floors of commercial space that could bring significant money and attraction to the community, we could bring world-class tenants that would want to be in such a facility like this. We just want to keep our options open and just show that we’re interested in doing whatever staff can dream up. Let’s just talk about it,” he continued. 

The cost-benefit of adding commercial floors needs to be considered, said Vice Mayor Michael Mena.

“What kind of income will that generate, what’s the cost of it? You’re already incurring the costs for building the existing proposed structure, how much more is it to build another floor and how much can you generate on that? Those are all things we need to tackle,” the vice mayor said. 

Push the envelope to what’s allowed to see what can be done is necessary, said Commissioner Kirk R. Menendez. “It’s better to make decisions, forward-thinking, instead of looking back and wishing you had taken that step. I’m looking forward to seeing the price tag and how we’re going to do it, but definitely, we need to do something. Our Miracle Mile area needs it.”

“There’s a lot of opportunity moving forward. Let’s start gathering ideas and possible costs,” Mayor Lago added. 

“This concept that you basically showed us evolves into the possibility of retooling the parking hub, what is built in 5, 6, 7 years from now into something else like a commercial or office space floors. That is what will make us all proud and we could potentially be the first city to take on a structure of this magnitude.”

Taiwanese giant Foxconn, which makes the iPhone for Apple, has branched out and revealed three electric vehicle concepts.

The three EVs are a seven-seat SUV, a luxury sedan and a bus. They are called the Foxtron Model C, E and T respectively.

According to reports the vehicles won’t be badged as Foxconn but will be sold under other car brands. Foxconn will license the vehicle design and build the cars for the company, in the same way it builds electronic devices under contract for major tech companies.

Foxconn believes its electric vehicle manufacturing will be worth $US35b ($47b) in five years time.

Apple has reportedly been planning to create its own electric car for some time, with a rough production start date of 2024.

Rumours of a partnership with Hyundai Motor Group earlier this year fizzled out, but the emergence of its iPhone manufacturing partner as an EV manufacturer could signal a future Apple car.

According to UK publication Autocar the Model C SUV will have seating for seven but will be shorter than conventional full size SUVs and closer in size to part time seven-seaters.

It’ll use an electric motor and a 58kWh battery pack that will enable it to sprint from 0-100km/h in 3.8 seconds and have a driving range of up to 600km.

These numbers appear overly optimistic compared to current electric vehicles with similar battery size and specification.

The Model E has been designed by famed Italian outfit Pininfarina, which for years helped craft some of the most desirable Ferraris.

Pininfarina was dumped by Ferrari a few years ago and pivoted to designing and building its own high-end electric supercars.

The Model E is more luxury focused and compares favourably to Tesla’s ageing Model S sedan.

A big 96kWh battery with two electric motors makes a combined 560kW and helps it hit 100km/h from a standstill in 2.8 seconds. It claims a monster 718km of range.

Foxconn’s electric Model T bus has a driving range of 400km.

The manufacturer has reportedly signed deals with EV start-up Fisker and Taiwanese car company Yulon. It has also bought a car factory in the US that could be used to make EVs.

– News.com.au

The Climate and Equitable Jobs act passed Sept. 15 will expand thousands of dollars in new electric vehicle tax credits to Illinoisans as Gov. J.B. Pritzker positions Illinois to be a national hub for electric car manufacturers. Some communities in Illinois remain “charging deserts,” however, with a lack of access to charging ports for electric vehicles.

To help make it happen, the state is offering a $4,000 rebate if you buy an EV in Illinois, and rebates of up to 80% for the cost to install a charging station, according to WBEZ. Both incentives start July 1, 2022. Buyers will need to apply for the rebates within 90 days of purchase. The incentives can be applied to new or used EVs.

Among U.S. adults, 35% would only consider purchasing an electric vehicle priced lower than $25,000, highlighting the demand for affordable options.

In addition, 63% of U.S. adults said in the survey that they do not trust self-driving vehicles.

FROM THE GRIDLOCK of the Southeast Expressway to Logan Airport and the Cape Cod bridges, traffic congestion is so commonplace in Massachusetts that it’s easy to forget transportation is also our leading cause of climate pollution.

All this movement of people and goods fuels the extreme weather trends that threaten our coastal communities, statewide economic vitality, and the very infrastructure that our cars and trucks depend on. Transportation is also responsible for dangerous pollutants that cause heart and lung disease — especially in neighborhoods that border major highways, roads, and distribution centers.

Simply put, Massachusetts cannot fight the climate crisis or achieve environmental justice without a clean transportation system. That’s why lawmakers zeroed in on transportation in the Next Generation Roadmap for Massachusetts Climate Policy. The ambitious law, enacted this year, calls for the Commonwealth to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, while establishing short-term goals to steadily but aggressively reduce pollution in specific sectors, including transportation. It’s among the boldest climate laws in the nation and boasts widespread support from major businesses that want to give Massachusetts a significant advantage in building the climate-smart economy we need to stave off disaster.

Now it’s time for the rubber to hit the road. Literally.

The targets of the Next Generation Roadmap are key legal commitments to guide Massachusetts toward its climate goals. But we won’t meet them without establishing the kinds of policies that will enable our success.

For example, Massachusetts has a goal of getting at least 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2030. Although this technology is advancing and the market is growing at an impressive rate, we are not even close to the rate of sales we’ll need to meet that goal.

As State House leaders work to shore up the Commonwealth’s leading role in the burgeoning offshore wind industry, we must remember this exciting industry is meant not just to deliver clean electricity but to help us cleanly electrify other, dirtier sectors like transportation. The next round of climate policies and investments must prioritize cleaning up how we all get around — as several bills pending in the Legislature would accomplish.

Massachusetts must make it easier to charge up. This involves better incentives to help people install at-home charging systems. But we also need a clear plan, like that contained in H.3347/S.2151, to install more public charging infrastructure — especially in environmental justice communities, where many drivers may not have easy access to at-home charging.

Massachusetts must phase out fossil-fueled vehicles. We can’t afford to have polluting vehicles on the road in 2050. Because new cars last for years, lawmakers must be well ahead of this goal. The Legislature should pass H.3541 to formalize a plan to end the sale of gas-powered vehicles by 2035.

Massachusetts must increase and expand the electric vehicle rebate. The current $2,500 rebate, while significant, trails other leading states. Moreover, a rebate is only as good as one’s ability to front the money. We must develop a system to apply the rebate at the point of sale, which will help lower-income buyers access electric vehicles, as H.3347 would require.

Massachusetts must clean up freight and delivery. Businesses are eager to meet their own climate goals and to save money on fuel and maintenance, and want to switch to electric trucks and vans. But many of those models don’t yet exist. The state should adopt the Advanced Clean Trucks and Heavy Duty Omnibus rules to set new manufacturer standards to accelerate the shift and dramatically reduce trucking pollution. The Baker administration is considering these rules, and lawmakers should also consider other policies to support these vehicles, such as building out charging infrastructure.

The focus on electric vehicles is not to downplay the need for improved public transportation or walking and biking infrastructure. These, too, are crucial, not only for our climate, but to provide better, safer, and more equitable travel alternatives. Transit vehicles, especially buses and commuter trains, must also transition to electric power as soon as possible.

But most transportation in Massachusetts still happens by automobile, and there is simply no way to clean our economy on the timeline we need without electrifying cars, trucks, and SUVs. The Next Generation Roadmap shows us where we need to go. Let’s get moving.

Joan Meschino is a state representative from Hull and Alli Gold Roberts is director of state policy at the sustainability nonprofit Ceres.

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This release replaces the previous one that was issued on October 18, 2021 to correct the date Electric Last Mile Solutions began trading under on the Nasdaq Stock Market.

The pioneer in electric commercial delivery and medium duty vehicles modernizes its manufacturing capabilities with SAP S/4HANA® and RISE with SAP

ANDOVER, MA / ACCESSWIRE / October 18, 2021 / “Starting up” in any industry can be extraordinarily challenging. Consider the astronomical complexities of becoming a new manufacturer in the electric vehicle (EV) space. Troy, Michigan-based Electric Last Mile Solutions (ELMS) is a dynamic case in point. Poised for leadership in electric light cargo vans, ELMS’ signature vehicle, the Urban Delivery, is the first Class 1 commercial electric vehicle in the U.S. market. To successfully pioneer in the emerging EV market takes more than great products and manufacturing excellence, however, and that includes going with SAP S/4HANA®, a world-class ERP solution to run, manage and scale the business.

To facilitate the EV company’s SAP S/4HANA implementation, ELMS selected the business-transformation-as-a-service offering, RISE with SAP. ELMS also turned to SAP Gold Partner, Dickinson + Associates, a Navisite company, for the proverbial last mile with SAP S/4HANA to help ensure all deliverables and milestones come together proficiently and rapidly, on target from both budgetary and deliverables standpoints.

The overall undertaking has been essential to ELMS advancing its strategic plan. The company began trading under on the Nasdaq Stock Market in June under the new ticker “ELMS” or “ELMSW.”

Ramping Up the Roadmap

“Our selection of SAP S/4HANA for our digital core took into account many considerations beyond preference for a tier-one solution in the automotive industry,” commented ELMS Deputy Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer Rob Song, who also emphasized the importance of fast time to value in an industry on the verge of explosive growth. “Establishing the right foundation to manage our business, scale with the organization, and serve as a platform for growth was an absolute imperative. Dickinson + Associates is helping us accomplish this, guiding us through critical aspects of deployment, providing support quickly and decisively while leveraging deep related knowledge and core competencies.”

Story continues

With Dickinson + Associates, ELMS centers on becoming an intelligent enterprise that goes well beyond the vehicle level, encompassing digital advantages in every respect – from planning, logistics and supply-chain management to engineering, production and delivery. Quality standards and best practices coalesce as the company connects all operations for maximum efficiency, value and performance.

Turning the Key to Full-Scale Manufacturing

The SAP S/4HANA implementation is occurring in two phases, the first of which finished in only 10 weeks – two weeks ahead of schedule. The second phase of implementation is scheduled to be completed in January 2022 as ELMS ramps up production of its Urban Delivery commercial EV. “ELMS is building its EV future with a sharp focus on integrated, deep-data analytics and sustainable engineering,” explained Dickinson + Associates Vice President of Sales and Corporate Development Brad Wolfe. “We are in lockstep as they look to enable clients with commercial delivery networks for the e-mobility businesses of the future.”

About Electric Last Mile Solutions, Inc.

Electric Last Mile Solutions, Inc. is focused on defining a new era in which commercial vehicles run clean as connected and customized solutions that make our customers’ businesses more efficient and profitable. ELMS’ first vehicle, the Urban Delivery, is the first Class 1 commercial electric vehicle in the U.S. market. The Company expects to begin production of its second vehicle, the Class 3 Urban Utility EV, in the second half of 2022. The company is headquartered in Troy, Michigan. For more information, please visit www.electriclastmile.com.

About Dickinson + Associates

Dickinson + Associates, a Navisite company, is a leading SAP systems integrator that delivers transformational SAP business solutions and Enterprise Support in North America and globally. With deep expertise in SAP S/4HANA^®, SAP Analytics, SAP Customer Experience, SAP Business Technology Platform for integration, automation, and other custom solutions – our team of seasoned industry experts in Manufacturing, Wholesale Distribution, Chemicals, Consumer Products, Life Sciences, and Financial Services provide clients innovative SAP business technology solutions focused on delivering competitive advantage and improving business outcomes. Our unique, business-driven approach emphasizes measurable business results because we are Business People who Know SAP.

SAP and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP SE in Germany and other countries. Please see https://www.sap.com/copyright for additional trademark information and notices. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Lynette Bohanan
CommCentric Solutions (for Dickinson + Associates)
813-727-0196 | lbohanan@commcentric.com

SOURCE: Dickinson + Associates

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https://www.accesswire.com/668641/CORRECTION-Dickinson-Associates-Helps-Position-Electric-Last-Mile-Solutions-to-Secure-Leadership-Role-in-Commercial-Electric-Vehicle-Market