[USA] Duke to build fleet electrification center in NC with Electrada, Daimler

On February 21, 2023, Duke Energy announced that it will build a fleet electrification center at its Mount Holly Technology and Innovation Center in North Carolina to help develop, test, and deploy zero-emissions light-, medium-, and heavy-duty commercial electric vehicle (EV) fleets.[1] According to the press release, the fleet electrification center will provide a “commercial-grade charging experience for fleet customers evaluating or launching electrification strategies.” The depot is expected to be operational by the end of 2023. Duke’s center will be able to be connected either to the utility’s grid or powered by 100% carbon-free resources through the microgrid located onsite. It is the first electric fleet depot to offer a microgrid charging option.

Duke will partner with Electrada, an electronic fuel solutions company, to develop the fleet charging center. Electrada will invest all required capital behind the meter on behalf of fleet owners and deliver reliable charging to fleet EVs through a performance contract. Daimler Truck North America (DTNA), the largest heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America and a producer of electric trucks, will be a founding participant in the fleet EV charging program. One of DTNA’s largest East Coast manufacturing facilities is located directly adjacent to the center.

[1] https://news.duke-energy.com/releases/duke-energy-to-mobilize-first-of-its-kind-microgrid-integrated-fleet-electrification-center

[USA] Biden administration releases blueprint for decarbonizing transportation sector

As part of President Biden’s goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions, on January 10, 2023, the Biden administration released the U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization, which would bring together the Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Transportation (DOT), Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector by 2050.[1] The blueprint follows a September memorandum of understanding between the four agencies to enable them to accelerate the nation’s affordable and equitable clean transportation future. The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act required the agencies to develop the plan by the end of 2022. The blueprint details how the agencies will work together to promote existing technology like battery power to cut emissions from light-duty cars and trucks, as well as research new fuel sources for hard-to-decarbonize sectors.

According to the White House, the plan is the first blueprint for the decarbonization of transportation and exemplifies the whole-of-government approach to addressing climate change. The Biden administration said that decarbonizing the transportation sector, which includes all modes of transportation in the country, would eliminate a third of all domestic greenhouse gases.

[1] https://www.energy.gov/eere/us-national-blueprint-transportation-decarbonization-joint-strategy-transform-transportation

[USA] Trump administration slashes required annual fuel economy increase to 1.5%

On March 31, 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a final rule that weakens Obama-era fuel efficiency guidelines by requiring corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) and carbon emissions standards to increase 1.5% from 2021 to 2026 rather than 5% annually.[1] The EPA and NHTSA estimate the rule will reduce the sticker price of new cars by about $1,000, but consumers can still, by choice, buy more efficient vehicles.

The March rule is phase two of the Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) rules. The first phase, issued in fall 2019, revokes states' authority to issue their own fuel standards, specifically targeting California’s fuel standards which are considered to be the biggest driver of electric vehicle (EV) deployment. In September 2019, 23 states including California sued the Trump Administration over the rule.[2] Automakers are split in their support of the lawsuit and California’s standards. Ford, Honda, BMW and Volkswagen support states' rights to set their own standards, but GM, Toyota, and Fiat Chrysler have sided with the Trump Administration's push for a single national standard. The lawsuit is currently pending, and advocates expect litigation on the second rule as well.

[1] https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/safe-final-rule

[2]https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/attachments/press_releases/California%20v.%20Chao%20complaint%20%2800000002%29.pdf