Examples of Progress
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More than 40 EVs were on display at the 2019 New York auto show,
including the Mercedes- Benz EQC, Volkswagen ID Buggy, and 2020 Lincoln
Corsair (Eisenstein, 2019). Also at the auto show was a new next- generation
electric vehicle charger that can deliver 350 kW, which provides about 20
miles of range per minute of charging. The significant message for those who
viewed the new models is that customers have many more choices in 2019
and there will be even more in 2020.
Sales of EVs in Europe were up in the first quarter of 2019, with about
125,400 deliveries, and total EV sales exceeded 100,000 in a quarter for the
first time (Gaton, 2019). One of the factors that increased demand was the
availability of the Tesla Model 3. In Norway, 59% of new car deliveries were
EVs compared to 13.5% in Sweden. Plug- in electric sales were up 31%, even
though battery delivery bottlenecks reduced the availability of some models.
14.2.3 Electric Trucks
In contrast to electric cars, there is very little currently available in the form
of electric trucks. The technology from electric cars can transfer to trucks
with relatively minor adjustments, though, and this seems to be a significant area for growth. There is great interest in a new company, Rivian in
Plymouth, Michigan, which has developed an electric pickup truck, R1T, that
has a front trunk, fast acceleration, the ability to tow up to 11,000 pounds,
and an innovative design (Marquis, 2018; Torchinsky, 2019). The truck may
be available for purchase in 2020.
Conventional automobile manufacturers in the United States are also
working on electric trucks. Ford has plans to develop a plug- in hybrid
pickup truck and an all- electric pickup. The earliest deliveries may be in 2020
(Capparella, 2019). There will be battery electric and hybrid versions of the
model F- 150. General Motors has reported that it will build an electric pickup
as part of its plans for an all- electric future (Evarts, 2019c). This article also
reports that GMC will build an electric SUV, that Amazon has invested about
$700 million in Rivian, and that Tesla will report more on its plans for an electric truck in the summer of 2019.
Rivian and Ford have developed a technology sharing agreement, and Ford
has invested $500 million in Rivian (Phelan, 2019). Phelan points out that electric trucks may have value in urban communities where the distance driven is
modest so that the range of the battery is not an issue for daily work activities.
14.3 Battery Storage of Electricity
There have been continuing developments in batteries, and interest is
growing in using battery storage in management of the electrical grid because
of the growing investment in wind and solar generation of electricity. As of
131
1 3 1
More than 40 EVs were on display at the 2019 New York auto show,
including the Mercedes- Benz EQC, Volkswagen ID Buggy, and 2020 Lincoln
Corsair (Eisenstein, 2019). Also at the auto show was a new next- generation
electric vehicle charger that can deliver 350 kW, which provides about 20
miles of range per minute of charging. The significant message for those who
viewed the new models is that customers have many more choices in 2019
and there will be even more in 2020.
Sales of EVs in Europe were up in the first quarter of 2019, with about
125,400 deliveries, and total EV sales exceeded 100,000 in a quarter for the
first time (Gaton, 2019). One of the factors that increased demand was the
availability of the Tesla Model 3. In Norway, 59% of new car deliveries were
EVs compared to 13.5% in Sweden. Plug- in electric sales were up 31%, even
though battery delivery bottlenecks reduced the availability of some models.
14.2.3 Electric Trucks
In contrast to electric cars, there is very little currently available in the form
of electric trucks. The technology from electric cars can transfer to trucks
with relatively minor adjustments, though, and this seems to be a significant area for growth. There is great interest in a new company, Rivian in
Plymouth, Michigan, which has developed an electric pickup truck, R1T, that
has a front trunk, fast acceleration, the ability to tow up to 11,000 pounds,
and an innovative design (Marquis, 2018; Torchinsky, 2019). The truck may
be available for purchase in 2020.
Conventional automobile manufacturers in the United States are also
working on electric trucks. Ford has plans to develop a plug- in hybrid
pickup truck and an all- electric pickup. The earliest deliveries may be in 2020
(Capparella, 2019). There will be battery electric and hybrid versions of the
model F- 150. General Motors has reported that it will build an electric pickup
as part of its plans for an all- electric future (Evarts, 2019c). This article also
reports that GMC will build an electric SUV, that Amazon has invested about
$700 million in Rivian, and that Tesla will report more on its plans for an electric truck in the summer of 2019.
Rivian and Ford have developed a technology sharing agreement, and Ford
has invested $500 million in Rivian (Phelan, 2019). Phelan points out that electric trucks may have value in urban communities where the distance driven is
modest so that the range of the battery is not an issue for daily work activities.
14.3 Battery Storage of Electricity
There have been continuing developments in batteries, and interest is
growing in using battery storage in management of the electrical grid because
of the growing investment in wind and solar generation of electricity. As of