GM, PG&E Developing Ways to Use EVs for Home, Grid Power Backup
March 8, 2022 - General Motors is teaming up with PG&E, one of the nation’s largest utilities, to see if battery-electric vehicles can help address the increasing strain on the country’s electric grid.
A growing number of new battery-electric vehicles are being equipped with “bidirectional charging.” Also known as “vehicle-to-load,” or “V2L,” it allows an electric vehicle to reverse the flow of current, using its current to power lights, appliances, even a whole home. Eventually, energy could be fed back into the grid itself, supplementing traditional energy sources.
With the typical California home using 20 kilowatts of energy per day, a vehicle like the Chevrolet Bolt EV, with a battery pack of about 60 kilowatt-hours, could keep the lights on for up to three days.
NAFA’s Electrifying Supplier Webinar Series
Understanding How to Leverage Incentives & Rebates to Electrify Your Fleet
Presented by Blink Charging
Effective Electric: Enhancing Performance with Electric Vehicles
Presented by Fleetio
The Looming EV Revolution: Optimizing Sustainability While You Wait
Presented by Donlen
Webinar: Vehicle Fleet Technology for Local Governments
Join Agile Fleet’s free live webinar, "Vehicle Fleet Technology for Local/County Government Fleets," Thursday, March 24 at 2 p.m. Eastern, featuring fleet expert Ron Katz of Agile Fleet and representatives from the fleet of Scott County, MN.
This timely webinar will focus on how government organizations are using technology to maximize the utility of their fleets, realize savings and get back more money when remarketing assets, and balance unexpected change and decentralization in innovative ways.
NHTSA 2020 Crash Data is Grim — ‘We Have a Deadly Crisis on Our Nation’s Roads’
Despite a downturn in vehicle crashes and injuries from the previous year, the occurrence of fatal crashes increased in 2020, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which just released its annual traffic crash data.
There were 38,824 lives lost in 2020 crashes, the most road fatalities since 2007. This was in spite of the fact that total vehicle miles driven decreased by 11% in 2020 from the previous year (from 3,261,772 million to 2,903,622 million).
In nearly half of these deadly accidents, speeding, alcohol, or failure to wear a safety belt played a major role.
Ford + ‘Reimagines the Future’ with Ford Model E and Ford Blue Divisions
Under the Ford + plan, as introduced last May by Ford President and CEO Jim Farley, the company will continue its global automotive business evolution with the formation of two distinct divisions.
Ford Model e will focus on the development and growth of electric and digitally connected vehicles, while Ford Blue will be dedicated to both existing and newly developed internal combustion engine vehicles (ICE). Both divisions will tap Ford’s well-established legacy regarding engineering and manufacturing capabilities.
“This isn’t the first time Ford has reimagined the future and taken our own path,” said Ford Executive Chair Bill Ford
