What We’re Reading
Pete Buttigieg says ‘electric vehicle revolution’ is here as White House scrambles to build nationwide charging network with $623 million grant program (Fortune, January 11, 2024)
Although Congress approved $7.5 billion in 2021 for the development and build-out of national EV charging infrastructure, progress thus far on this ambitious project has been, at best, less than optimal. Currently, only Ohio and New York have actually opened charging stations pursuant to the program.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, however, is committed to creating a national EV charging backbone consisting of a network of charging stations. To facilitate these lofty goals, a $623 million grant program was recently rolled out to boost charging and hydrogen fueling infrastructure in designated urban, suburban and low- and moderate-income communities, and along 11 highway “corridors” along roadways designated as Alternative Fuel Corridors.
“America led the arrival of the automotive era, and now we have a chance to lead the world in the EV revolution — securing jobs, savings and benefits for Americans in the process,” said Buttigieg. The new funding “will help ensure that EV chargers are accessible, reliable and convenient for American drivers, while creating jobs in charger manufacturing, installation and maintenance for American workers.”
It’s so cold, Teslas are struggling to charge in Chicago (NPR, January 17, 2024)
As frigid temperatures grasp many parts of the United States this week, Supercharger stations in Chicago are seeing long lines as Tesla owners are realizing the freezing cold temps are affecting EVs’ charging capabilities. “A charge that should take 45 minutes is taking two hours,” says Tesla owner Brandon Welbourne.
As Chicago has spent over 30 hours in below 0 temperatures, EV owners are realizing that, not only is the cold affecting the vehicles’ ability to charge, but it also seems to be draining the batteries more rapidly than normal.
While the charging issues are not unique to Tesla, the carmaker has created a Cold Weather Best Practices guide to help Tesla owners beat the extreme cold.
New York driverless truck ban proposed in senate (CCJ, January 11, 2024)
In response to widely publicized plans by self-driving trucking startups such as Kodiak Robotics and Aurora to expand self-driving pilot projects throughout the country, New York State Senator Pete Harckham has introduced legislation that would effectively prohibit these operation on New York roadways.
“The integral role of the trucking industry in our lives means we have to be proactive and vigilant about public safety and job security when it comes to technological innovations like autonomous operating vehicles. My bill requires autonomous vehicles weighing 10,000 pounds or more traveling on New York roads have a licensed driver behind the wheel,” said Sen. Harckham. “This common-sense measure will ensure greater protection for residents and property while providing job security for over 270,000 New Yorkers. I am thankful to Louis Picani and Teamsters everywhere for supporting this legislation.”
It remains to be seen whether Sen. Harckham’s bill will suffer the same fate as a similar bill passed last year in California that was ultimately vetoed by Governor Newsom.