The Amped EV Podcast Babcox Media

Efficiency is a critical pillar in EV powertrain design. Ideally, EV components manufacturers want to convert every single available kilowatt stored within the battery into energy capable of driving the vehicle, and getting as close to perfect as possible is one of the holy grails of design. That's why engineers spend endless hours finding ways to mitigate the effects of heat and friction, because even seemingly tiny saves in these areas can make a huge difference when it comes to an EV's performance.

With over 2.5 million electric drive systems (and counting!) delivered, GKN Automotive knows this as well as anybody. 

"It's really critical that the EV powertrain is designed to consume the least amount of waste possible to increase the range availability of the vehicle and give the driver a better experience when it comes to things like range anxiety or charging," says Ben DeLand, director of electrical hardware engineering, GKN Automotive. "In EVs, a mountain of R&D money and effort has been spent, and I think over the past 10 years we've seen massive gains in efficiency."

In this episode of The Amped EV Podcast, DeLand gives his thoughts on the overlap and complexity in EV and all-wheel drive systems, how GKN Automotive aims to provide versatility in its EV powertrain solutions, the significant EV powertrain advancements that have been made over the past decade, and more.

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Fleet electrification is tricky. Many fleet locations never planned to one day convert their vehicles to run using electric powertrains, and therefore lack the adequate electrical infrastructure to easily make the switch. The good news is that upgrade solutions are typically available, and today there are lots of partners out there who can help fleets get started. The bad news is that the upgrade process can involve lengthy wait times – sometimes up to two years – due to factors like utility management and equipment shortages.

Tom McCalmont, CEO and co-founder of Paired Power, says his company has developed what he calls a novel solution that both circumvents the need for extensive grid upgrades and also significantly accelerates the installation process: PairTree, a pop-up solar canopy that offers freedom from costly construction and infrastructure upgrades required by traditional solar canopy installation.

"Over the last 10 or 12 years, solar has gotten dramatically cheaper, but the one type of solar that has not gotten dramatically cheaper is solar carports. And the reason they haven't is ... because they have a massive foundation, with steel and concrete going into the ground. It's a very labor-intensive process to construct the actual overhead canopy and it's slow," McCalmont says. "So, we thought about that problem. The PairTree has a ballasted foundation with a light attachment. It can be attached to the ground with ground screws, but it's not a massive foundation like you would do with a traditional canopy. All of that can be accomplished in one day with two workers."

In this episode of The Amped EV Podcast, McCalmont discusses the challenges related to fleet electrification, why some fleets are turning to microgrid EV charging systems, and the adaptability of these charging systems to different geographic conditions.

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First Student isn't messing around when it comes to its ambitions for school bus electrification – 30,000 school buses by 2035. At first glance, it may seem a bit pie-in-the-sky, but Kevin Matthews, head of electrification at First Student, assures that school buses may be the area that makes the most sense when it comes to fleet electrification opportunities in the U.S.

"That number was not a 'throw darts at a dart board approach.' We also believe this [growth will be] a little bit shallower than a hockey stick, where when you get to around the year 2029 or 2030 we'll see a real uptick in the percentage of buses that become electric," Matthews says. "The yellow school bus has been the redheaded stepchild of the automotive industry for a long, long time. But as we transitioned to electrification, we've actually moved toward the tip of the spear."

In this episode of The Amped EV Podcast, we discuss how mandates for electric school buses in various states line up with the natural replacement cycle of school buses, the dual approaches districts adopt in electrifying their fleets, and shed light on the timelines and complexities involved in transitioning to electric school buses.

Electric vehicle charging and grid management are both critical factors when it comes to handling the increased adoption rates of EVs. The fragmented nature of the electric utility industry mixed with the necessity for the intelligent management of EV charging on a hyperlocal level isn't an easy hurdle to cross – and it's hard to do it alone.

The good news is that the industry is intimately aware of this, and partnerships are cropping up to intersect well-designed hardware with advanced grid management. The partnership between Wallbox and Weavegrid is one of those.

WeaveGrid, a software company that enables rapid electric vehicle adoption on the electric grid, and Wallbox, a leading provider of electric vehicle charging solutions, recently announced their joint effort to expand access to utility-managed charging programs for North American Wallbox owners, beginning with Xcel Energy’s Charging Perks Program in Colorado, where Xcel Energy currently serves around 1.3 million residential customers.

"There's a very academic approach one can take to this sort of problem: It's looking at vehicles purely as batteries on wheels and drivers as just sort of an inconvenient human element to this problem of balancing out the batteries on those vehicles," says Yakov Berenshteyn, director, automotive & charging partnerships, Weavegrid. "I think that's a perspective that Wallbox and Weavegrid both have, and it's part of that shared value that led to this partnership. We need to make sure that this is a good driver experience and that's going to be manifested in this partnership."

In this episode of The Amped EV Podcast, we discuss the need for renewable energy generation, the benefits of managing EV charging intelligently at a hyperlocal level, and how the partnership between Wallbox and Weavegrid is making strides in Colorado's growing EV market.

The Buzz: www.thebuzzevnews.com

Electric vehicles have been steadily rising in popularity in the US for around a decade now, so surely consumers have had plenty of time to research and understand the differences in aspects like maintenance costs, range and government incentives, right?

...Right?

The truth is, there are plenty of misconceptions about the current state of EVs, a topic that has recently been researched in-depth by CDK Global in the company's recently published whitepaper "EV Confusion Carries On."

"When we talk about EVs in general as an industry, we know a lot of things are true and we talk about them on shows like this, on LinkedIn, all those things. But we have to understand the American consumer is not following any of that," says Dave Thomas, director of content marketing and industry analyst at CDK Global. "What they mostly see about EVs is what's in the mass media or from friends in their networks. And the one thing they all know is EVs are more expensive overall. They cost more to buy. Tesla started all off as a luxury brand when it started. That's kind of core to their belief.

"As we know, it's a core benefit of an EV that maintenance costs are lower, there are no oil changes and brakes should last much longer," he continues. "All those kinds of things should pay off for the consumer in the end. But, EV shoppers ranked maintenance as being more expensive, so it's all over the place."

On this episode of The Amped EV Podcast, we speak with Thomas about EV maintenance, EV tax credits and the effect that social networks have on one's knowledge and interest in EVs.

The Buzz: www.thebuzzevnews.com

The U.S. energy grid is a complicated, dynamic system involving a vast infrastructure, power generation, transmission, distribution, substations, and so much more. Thus, it would be easy to assume that creating your own, personal microgrid – something that fleets across the country are beginning to experiment with – would be a hair-pulling, blood-boiling process.

The truth is that establishing a microgrid can be an intimidating experience, but doing so can be well worth it for fleets making the transition from diesel- to electric-powered vehicles. Setting up a microgrid allows the fleet to create a localized energy systems that offer control over power generation, involving components like batteries, solar panels, and software solutions. Microgrids integrate batteries, solar panels, and generators with software solutions, granting control over start-stop functions, scheduling and historical records.

"To call something a microgrid can make it kind of daunting, but in reality, it's just the way you get power onto your property," says Terry O'Day, the chief operating officer and co-founder of InCharge Energy, a company that works with fleets to establish microgrids and renewable energy charging capabilities. "We can get you in business with a microgrid in nine months, and that will solve the problem of fueling on site."

On this episode of The Amped EV Podcast, we speak with O'Day about the benefits of microgrids for fleet managers, such as providing fueling for EVs on-site and allowing for better control over charging schedules. We discuss the key factors fleet owners should consider when evaluating the feasibility of integrating microgrids, including fleet size, power needs, and available real estate.

The Buzz: www.thebuzzevnews.com