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Recharge Wrap-up: GM, LG Chevy Bolt collaboration, Honda Energy Star plants

Green Car Reports details the relationship between GM and LG in the development and production of the Chevy Bolt. The unique relationship between the two companies began in 2008, and now sees LG producing a multitude of systems for the Bolt, many of which were designed by or with GM. LG's involvement in the Bolt has gone so deep as "defining what will this vehicle be, everything from how we are going to package it, what size it should be, what kind of performance it should have," according to Pam Fletcher, GM's Executive chief engineer for electrified vehicles. Forgoing the traditional automotive relationship for a more collaborative one doesn't just save money, but it also gives GM access to LG's suite of technologies and manufacturing capabilities. Read more at Green Car Congress. The EPA has awarded three Honda factories with Energy Star certification. The automaker's assembly plants in Marysville and East Liberty, Ohio have now earned Energy Star certification ten consecutive years. The Marysville plant added LED lighting, hydrogen-powered tow motors and forklifts, high efficiency HVAC and direct-fired water boilers. The East Liberty facility added new LED lighting and replaced a large water heater with a high-efficiency one. Honda's newest US plant, Honda Manufacturing of Indiana, installed LED lighting and used energy efficient features in its recent expansion. Honda also cites a culture of energy-mindedness – for every associate – for its success. "When everyone involved considers energy efficiency and how they can help the environment, results improve," says Karen Heyob, Honda's sustainability boss in North America. Read more from Honda. The student-led Associated Students of the University of Montana (ASUM) Transportation has ordered two Proterra electric buses. The 40-foot Catalyst Fast Charge buses will serve the campus, and will recharge with a semi-autonomous fast charger. "As part of our ongoing effort to innovate service, align with student advocacy and reduce our carbon footprint, we take great pride in our decision to go electric," says ASUM Office of Transportation Director Jordan Hess. "We hope this encourages – and challenges – other universities to seriously consider the economic and environmental benefits of zero-emission buses." Read more in the press release below. First Student-led Transit Agency in the U.S.

7 major automakers to build open EV charging network

A new joint venture established by BMW, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz and Stellantis will build a new North American electric vehicle charging network on a scale designed to compete with Tesla's industry-benchmark Supercharger network. The 30,000-plus planned new chargers will accommodate both Tesla's almost-standard North American Charging System (NACS) and existing automakers' Combined Charging System (CCS) options, effectively guaranteeing compatibility with the vast majority of current and upcoming electric models — whether they're from one of the involved automakers or not.  "With the generational investments in public charging being implemented on the Federal and State level, the joint venture will leverage public and private funds to accelerate the installation of high-powered charging for customers. The new charging stations will be accessible to all battery-powered electric vehicles from any automaker using Combined Charging System (CCS) or North American Charging Standard (NACS) and are expected to meet or exceed the spirit and requirements of the U.S. National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program." Critically, the automakers involved will have a say in how the charging tech is implemented, guaranteeing that the hardware will play nicely with each automaker's in-house charging systems. Hyundai and Kia, for example, were hesitant to jump on board the Tesla NACS bandwagon earlier this year over concerns that the Supercharger network is insufficient for powering the two automakers' 800-volt charging systems; similar tech is used by Volkswagen and Porsche.  In addition to providing much-needed capacity and high-output charging for America's growing fleet of electric cars and trucks, the new network will integrate seamlessly with each automaker's in-app and in-vehicle features, rather than forcing customers to use third-party tools and payment systems, as is the case with some existing public charging infrastructure.  "The functions and services of the network will allow for seamless integration with participating automakersÂ’ in-vehicle and in-app experiences, including reservations, intelligent route planning and navigation, payment applications, transparent energy management and more. In addition, the network will leverage Plug & Charge technology to further enhance the customer experience," the announcement said.

Here are all the EVs with 800V charging available in 2024

As technology advances, electric cars are improving their fast-charging times. That means less time spent waiting at a DC public charger when you’re out on the road. While Level 3 chargers used to provide a maximum of 150 kilowatts of power, 350-kW chargers are become more common, making for super-fast charging Â… if your car is capable of taking advantage of it. So how do automakers improve the charging speed of their EV batteries? Some are turning to higher voltage, specifically 800V charging. What's the difference between 800-volt charging and 400-volt charging? So how does 800V charging improve upon the more common 400V EVs? Put simply, the higher the voltage, the less amperage (current) it requires to charge. In other words, with more voltage, you get more wattage (power, aka charge rate) from the same amperage (current). 800V architecture is also more efficient, with less electrical resistance, so it can use thinner cables and smaller, lighter components while needing less cooling. The tradeoff is that it is more costly, and guess who that cost gets passed on to. While automakers don't break down their pricing to show how much more you're paying for that 800V system, you'll just have to evaluate any potential purchases as a whole, and make your decision based on overall pricing of the vehicle. Thankfully, the 800V EVs on sale now are generally ones we like. Now, 800V charging capability doesn't necessarily mean an EV has 800V vehicle architecture. For instance, the GMC Hummer EV and Chevy Silverado EV operate at 400V, but with their dual battery packs, can switch to 800V when charging by temporarily connecting those packs in series. Currently, there are only a handful of EVs available with 800V charging. But if you are going to find yourself taking longer trips in your EV and using DC fast chargers more often, you might want to consider choosing one with this faster charging capability. With that in mind, these are the EVs available with 800V charging, either on sale now or coming in 2024. 800-volt EVs available in 2024 Audi E-Tron GT Chevrolet Silverado EV Genesis GV60 Genesis Electrified G80 Genesis Electrified GV70 GMC Hummer EV Pickup GMC Hummer EV SUV GMC Sierra EV* Hyundai Ioniq 5 Hyundai Ioniq 6 Kia EV6 Kia EV9 Lotus Eletre* Lotus Emeya* Lucid Air Lucid Gravity* Porsche Macan Electric* Porsche Taycan Ram 1500 REV* Tesla Cybertruck *Coming later in 2024 Green Audi Chevrolet Genesis GMC Hyundai Kia Lotus Porsche Tesla Electric Lucid EV charging