Climate Change Bill Hits Ride Share.

What’s the deal? in Washington State’s HB 1075 (2021 | WA), a provision requires the state Department of Ecology to set mandatory emission reduction targets for ride-hailing services. It’s the California system from 2018.

Why should we care? Studies have shown that ride share increases emissions. The bill will require companies to report annually on emissions reductions.

How can this impact me? Requiring private companies to report on compliance is popular in the state quest for information and the cleansing power of sunlight.

CrossCut | Uber, Lyft would need to cut emissions under WA state plan

New EV Partnership. Houston + Uber + BP

What’s the deal? This week Houston’s mayor  announced the partnership to forward the deployment of BP’s rapid electric vehicle (EV) charging hubs & help the city’s Uber drivers make the transition to EVs. 

Why should we care? EV is a replete with partnerships and opportunities. So many moving parts, the infrastructure, the electric distribution, the vehicles, the drivers, the transportation stakeholders, the environmental aspect. Let’s not forget the Texas Medical Center and the healthcare stakeholders who say that if Houston were to electrify its transportation system by 2050, it would save 148 lives; prevent 3,333 asthma attacks; and spare $1.7 billion annually.

How can this impact me? There’s no going backwards as more companies announce moves to EV only and announce their own carbon neutral policies and goals.

Smart Cities Dive | Houston, Uber and BP partner to aid EV transition for drivers

GM all EV by 2035

What’s the deal? GM announced that it will move to all EV vehicles by 2035.  BY 2040 GM looks to have all global products and plants to be carbon neutral.

There’s a snazzy Super Bowl ad with Will Farrell. He wants to take his American indignation to Norway who is has gone all EV. In the commercial Will Farrell ends up in Sweden and not Norway. Geographically closer than the usual Sweden – Switzerland mixup. GM signed the UN’s signed the Business Ambition Pledge for 1.5-degree Celsius.

Why should we care? BP has announced its move from fossil fuels. GM is leaving gas cars in the dust. Times are changing. We either stay still and let it pass us by or we move forward.

How does this impact me? Unless you can fly, which would be super cool, then you’re going to need access to a car.

Governing | General Motors Aims for All Zero Emission Vehicles by 2035

Net Zero Carbon Fuels

What’s the deal? Amazon is investing big in a startup, Infinium, that is all about net zero carbon fuels for transportation for long hauls of big trucks or air travel. Its part of Amazon’s $2 Billion Climate Pledge Fund

Why should we care? Amazon created the $2 Billion Climate Pledge Fund in June. It’s moving fast to each the goal of net-zero by 2040.

Why does this matter to me? Every major company is either writing a sustainability report annually, being asked to talk about, or their investors are asking them to act.

Geek Wire | Amazon invests in startup producing ‘net-zero carbon fuels’ for transportation

CNBC | Start-up tackling decarbonization of trucking sector gets funding from Amazon climate fund, Grantham

Which Came First the EV or the Charging Network?

What’s the deal? Harvard Business Review is deep diving into the 2 methods of EV manufacturers. There’s the Tesla style, slow rollout of models that simultaneously built a network of charging stations. The other style is every other manufacturer that is solely focused on building a better EV.

Why should we care? Two parts of an industry are playing 2 different games. And to paraphrase Picasso, you’ve got to know the rules of the game to play it well.

Why does this matter to me? Whether EVs are about platform of charging stations or building the best EV, the stakeholder pool is deep and wide: utilities, local governments, generators, manufacturers, batter makers, charging station platforms, construction…

HBR | How Tesla’s Charging Stations Left Other Manufacturers in the Dust

AI meets EV. Artificial Intelligence Saves Charging.

What’s the deal? Google announced the use of Artificial Intelligence to give EVs the best routes to limit charging needs.

Why should we care? Streamlining EV use means less charging. Utilities, charging station owners, charging station manufacturers and more benefit from EV charging.

Why does this matter to me? EV use is growing. EV innovation is growing. EV regulations and legislation are at their nascent. Opportunity abounds.

The Verge | Google’s using AI to plan electric car trips because EV charging is still a nightmare

Recycling EV Batteries. New Frontier

What’s the deal? As the number of electric vehicles grows, so does the need to recycle electric vehicle batteries.

Why should we care? There could be an incentive program attached to recycling EV batteries. Environmental concerns of contaminating water and soil, if EV batteries are not recycled. Less than 5% are currently recycled.

Why does this matter to me? Opportunities. Innovation. New Rules. New Incentive Programs. 3 states have extended producer responsibility laws mandating that manufacturers take back lithium-ion batteries.

Route Fifty | Electric Cars’ Looming Recycling Problem

Anatomy of an Electric Bus Fleet Infrastructure Upgrade

What’s the deal? NYC Port Authority is welcoming electric buses. Electric buses means stations need room for charging stations.

Why should we care? Electric fleets are expanding. Cost effective rationale is that electric vehicles have a lower cost to maintain.

Why does this matter to me? Maybe you represent a company the offers electric fleets, construction, utilities or charging stations. Lots of stakeholders in the land of electric buses.

NY Daily News via Governing | N.Y.C. to Upgrade Bus Terminal for Space, Electric Chargers

Trucking Regulations and Warehouses

Where: California

The proposal: Warehouse Actions and Investments to Reduce Emissions hold warehouses accountable for the use of zero- or net-zero-emissions trucks at their facilities

Who would it apply to?

  • operators of warehouses
  • warehouse size at least 100,000 square feet of indoor space, contained in a single building

Examples of how warehouses would earn points?

  • Own a truck fleet= 126 WAIRE points by acquiring at least one zero-emissions (or net-zero-emissions) Class 8 truck
  • 51 points = annual number of truck trips taken to and from its facility by those trucks, even if the truck belongs to another party
  • Point awards will vary for different truck classes, and the warehouse would be responsible for tracking all truck trips.

Transport Dive | California proposes points system to track zero-emissions trucks at warehouses