THE GOOD OLD EV
THE NEXT GENERATION ON THE HORIZON
Is this a crossroads, or momentum toward zero emissions targets? The OwlVoices team has been sharing a look at electric avenues, and how dynamic – on the fly – charging can either be a valuable add-on solution, or the next, best one.
This week, Ford announced it is cutting its F150 Lightning pickup truck production by half next year. In the US, the introduction of that EV alone sparked more hope than all others combined. Americans like their trucks. The ICE F-150 has been the best-selling vehicle for 41 consecutive years, with one sold every minute, 24/7.
But it’s no surprise that the popularity has not transferred. Power and reliability are not negotiable in a utility vehicle. EVs used on the job could make a big dent in carbon reduction, but that segment is not gaining significant traction, and the why is also no surprise.
In 2021, the US Congress approved $7.5 billion for states and the charger industry to tap into. How many have been built so far? Thousands! Just kidding. Go with your first guess. ZERO. Red tape is blamed.
Many of the companies tapping into this market came in with the simple idea of piggybacking on existing fueling stations. Not so simple, it turned out, when local permitting takes up to 18 months. If you’re not familiar with how municipal governments work, at least in the US, these decisions typically go before a planning commission, and those are often made up of volunteers with no expertise. Well-meaning and afraid to make the wrong move, they overthink and undermine, or just say no.
The difference with electric roads is the public-private partnerships that fuel them. Sure, there are a lot of hurdles here, too. But it’s a different beast when innovators and decision-makers are collaborating.
A potentially big hurdle is the modifications needed to add receivers to vehicles, and the added cost to users. Car buyers will likely see wireless charging hardware as an optional upgrade, with early estimates of up to $4,000. Experts say it’s a serious (pricey) retrofit for current EV owners, which we can only guess will translate to bigger bucks.
Of course, this is not free-to-all charging. Electreon, for instance, says it will likely require a monthly subscription plan for users to gain access to charging while cruising. We saw that coming, but it's fair. The question is, how much of a premium price will we have to pay, and will it become another hindrance to the EV transition?
Okay, that was two questions. But there are a lot more, and none of them are stupid, because we’re breaking new ground here.
Post yours, and let’s see if we can find the answers.
I’ll start.
What if you want to do both? Innovators are developing their hardware. Do we need to buy multiple systems, and will that even work?
Sustainably scaling up battery production also requires a shorter supply chain. As manufacturing ramps up to meet climate target demands and continues to meet replacement needs.
