California Energy Commission awards $9M in support of electric heavy commercial vehicle manufacturing

[kscarbel2]

Green Car Congress / April 10, 2015

As part of its approval of more than $83.7 million in grants and loans for 46 projects covering transportation, energy storage, biogas and efficiency programs, the California Energy Commission awarded nearly $9 million to three companies to encourage the manufacturing of heavy-duty electric commercial vehicles and components in California.

The three manufacturing projects awarded funding under solicitation PON-14-604 are:

Proterra, Inc.: A $3,000,000 grant to design, develop, and operate a state-of-the-art manufacturing line for battery-electric public transit buses in the City of Industry in San Gabriel Valley, California. The project will provide a high-tech manufacturing plant in the heart of the Los Angeles region, the largest bus market in the United States.

TransPower: A $2,999,880 grant to manufacture electric heavy truck components for Class 8 trucks in Poway, California. Manufactured components will include an inverter-charger unit, battery management system, automated manual transmission, and power control and accessory subsystem.

In December 2014, TransPower showcased a Class 8 pure battery-electric heavy truck which gets 60 to 120 miles of drive time under normal operating conditions, with a hauling capacity of up to 80,000 pounds (http://www.transpowerusa.com/on-road-trucks/).

Efficient Drivetrains, Inc.: A $2,990,900 grant to purchase equipment and modify a manufacturing facility in Milpitas, California. The equipment and modifications will allow for the production of powertrain components for hybrid and battery-electric vehicles, as well as the conversion of conventional vehicles into hybrid and battery-electric vehicles.

In March, Efficient Drivetrains announced the availability of a Class 3 utility truck based upon its plug-in hybrid (PHEV) drivetrain that reduces emissions and fuel use by up to 80%. EDI’s utility solution set now spans Class 3 light-duty, Class 4-6 medium-duty, and Class 7-8 heavy commercial trucks.

Related reading on TransPower:

http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/38865-transpower-electruck/?hl=transpower

http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/35887-transpower-unveils-their-latest-generation-electric-heavy-truck/?hl=transpower

[41chevy]

And in the long run the "green vehicles" are a larger polluter than conventional units. The pollutants from motor, battery and electronic manufacturing not to mention the Power Plants for battery re charge. . . Unless Cali has a bunch of the President and the EPA's electron fairies to cut the "carbon foot print" down.