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Tag: electric vehicles

Virginia Transformer Corp. launches EV charger module

Roanoke-based power transformer manufacturer Virginia Transformer Corp. has entered the electric vehicle market by launching a manufacturing division to create components for commercial electric vehicle power chargers, with plans to expand the initiative, the company announced Monday.

Commercial customers can build self-contained, scalable power modules from VTC’s new product, E2V. The unit includes multiple elements needed for charging stations, including transformers, switchgears, distribution circuits and breakers.

“Instead of the developer needing to source all of the items separately and then trying to piece them together onsite, we build it all together and ship it [and] a customer … can be up and running in a day instead of a month,” Virginia Transformer Director of Communications Kevin Lowery told Virginia Business.

The module will serve commercial clients who will charge fees for EV users to use their chargers, similar to a gas station model. Charging stations require transformers to provide power, connecting the station to the power grid, which is where the E2V comes in.

Each E2V unit weighs approximately 14,000 pounds and measures 8 feet by 9 feet by 14 feet.

“EV infrastructure’s biggest challenges are procurement, logistics, coordination and field integration. Virginia Transformer’s E2V solution addresses these issues by housing and connecting the main components (switchgear, transformer, breaker) into an integrated unit, allowing us to quickly deliver a plug-and-play, easy-to-install power solution supporting EV infrastructure’s rapid deployment across the U.S.,” VTC CEO Prabhat K. Jain said in a statement.

Right now, many EV owners charge their vehicles at home. Commercial chargers available at shopping centers and other locations vary in charging universality, speed and cost. The E2V unit is customizable, making it easier for commercial operators to adapt it to their needs, Lowery emphasized.

The $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that President Joe Biden signed in November 2021 includes almost $5 billion for states to build out electric vehicle charging networks. Virginia will receive $106 million of that funding over five years, starting with $15.7 million in fiscal year 2022. Federal officials generally plan to have EV chargers available at least every 50 miles along interstates and major highways. The E2V module is aimed at the companies building these new charging stations across the nation, Lowery said.

Virginia Transformer Corp. expects to create 30 jobs at its Troutville facility as it shifts its production to focus on manufacturing end products. The company will build two complete production lines in Troutville and anticipates beginning initial production on them in the fall.

“As the largest U.S.-owned power transformer manufacturer in North America, Virginia Transformer has a reputation for designing and building innovative solutions for flexible deployment,” Jain said in a statement. “With 50 years of experience and the industry’s shortest lead time, the EV market is a natural fit for us.”

With 2,000 employees, Virginia Transformer Corp. provides custom-engineered power transformers for markets including data centers, utilities and bitcoin/cryptocurrency farms.

Hyundai dealership to open in Roanoke County

A Hyundai sales and service facility is coming to Roanoke County, car dealership group Southern Team Automotive Group announced Tuesday.

The 30,000-square-foot facility will be located at 7300 Williamson Road in the Hollins area in northern Roanoke County. The two-story showroom and facility will have DC fast-charging stations for electric vehicles. Construction is set to begin in spring, with an expected completion by this winter.

This project is the 10th expansion of Roanoke County-based Southern Team Automotive Group in the last 33 years.

“Southern Team has been honored to provide the best in Hyundai sales and service to the Roanoke Valley and Southwest Virginia now for 33 years,” David Dillon, Southern Team president and general manager, said in a statement. “We are excited to announce that we will bring the latest Hyundai facility design experience and the newest technology to our Hyundai owners with this new showroom.”

Southern Team Automotive Group opened a Hyundai franchise in Roanoke County in 1988 and now offers new cars from Hyundai, Nissan, Subaru and Volkswagen.

Volkswagen to debut electric Microbus at SXSW

Herndon-based Volkswagen Group of America announced Wednesday that it would debut its electric bus during this year’s South by Southwest (SXSW) festival, which will be held March 11-20 in Austin, Texas.

Designed to recall the iconic Type 2 Microbus introduced in 1967, the ID. Buzz is Volkswagen’s second noncommercial electric vehicle. The vehicle’s modern incarnation uses the company’s Modular Electric Drive Matrix (MEB) platform. With a VW fast-charge system, the bus can recharge about 80% of its energy capacity in 30 minutes at 150 kilowatts.

“The VW Microbus has been emblematic of cultural ideals that have inspired change and driven progress, both in the U.S. and globally,” Volkswagen Group of America President and CEO Scott Keogh said in a statement. “South by Southwest’s commitment to innovation and technology, coupled with its access to culture and creativity, makes it the perfect venue for the ID. Buzz to make its first-ever public appearance.”

The company will host “Buzz Stops” throughout the city, and the ID. Buzz appearances are part of a three-year sponsorship agreement between Volkswagen and SXSW.

Volkswagen first revealed the ID. Buzz concept in January 2017 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. In October 2017, the company announced it planned to sell the vehicle in the U.S., Europe and China in 2022. The ID. Buzz concept includes an autonomous “I.D. Pilot” mode that could go into production by 2025.

Later this year, North American manufacturing for Volkswagen’s ID.4 EV line of electric SUVs will shift to Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Two Va. projects are finalists for $100M U.S. EDA grants

Two Virginia projects — one to make Central Virginia an advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing hub and one to support the transportation and logistics cluster in Southern and Southwest Virginia — are two of 60 finalists for the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge, which will provide awardees with up to $100 million each.

The pharmaceutical project is based in Central Virginia.

“We’re thrilled to have the Richmond MSA’s proposal on advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing selected as among the top 10% of all proposals submitted,” Jennifer Wakefield, president and CEO of the Greater Richmond Partnership, said in a statement. “This is a critical win for the region and an important next step in the work to revolutionize how pharmaceuticals are made here in the U.S.”

A Richmond-based coalition of public and private organizations proposed the Advanced Pharmaceutical Cluster Growth Project, which aims to develop and scale the advanced pharmaceutical industry in the Richmond/Petersburg region. The initiative’s founding leadership board includes Activation Capital, AMPAC Fine Chemicals, the city of Petersburg, the city of Richmond, Civica Inc., the Community College Workforce Alliance, the Greater Richmond Partnership, Medicines for All Institute at Virginia Commonwealth University, Phlow Corp., the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, Virginia’s Gateway Region and Virginia State University.

“Growing the advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing industry in Central Virginia will benefit not only the region, but the nation, as it is an issue of national security, as many of our country’s most essential medicines are currently being produced overseas,” Activation Capital President and CEO Chandra Briggman said in a statement.

As a finalist, the coalition will receive $500,000 to develop a plan to scale the existing pharmaceutical manufacturing and research and development cluster. The plan has six component projects that would invest in infrastructure, workforce development and education, as well as construct a pharma manufacturing demonstration facility and expand a wet lab space in Activation Capital’s VA Bio+Tech Park in Richmond.

The VA Bio+Tech Park is a life sciences and emerging technologies development. With 1.2 million developed square feet on 34 acres, the park is home to nearly 70 companies, research institutes and state or federal laboratories.

Virginia Tech proposed “The Future of Transportation and Logistics” project to support the local transportation and logistics cluster in the area and to accelerate the adoption of electric and automated vehicles. Tech’s plan uses three projects to provide more accessible technology testbeds and networks for tech transfer, business development support and talent development services.

The proposal builds upon the regions’ existing strengths in vehicle manufacturing, digital technology research and development and vehicle test and evaluation, Tech said in its proposal.

The U.S. EDA received 529 applications in the challenge’s first phase. In the second phase, finalists will compete for implementation assistance, and the EDA will select 20 to 30 winners to receive up to $100 million to implement three to eight projects that support an industry sector. The Build Back Better Challenge uses $1 billion of the $3 billion in supplemental funding that the agency received under the American Rescue Plan.

Established in 1993, the Virginia Biotechnology Research Partnership Authority, dba Activation Capital, is an ecosystem development organization. Its mission is to grow life sciences and other advanced technology innovation by promoting scientific research and economic development that attracts and creates jobs and companies.

Sonny Merryman taps new president and CEO

Beginning Aug. 9, Caley Edgerly will take the wheel as president and CEO of Lynchburg bus dealer Sonny Merryman Inc., as current CEO Floyd Merryman III moves into his new role as executive chairman of the family business started by his father nearly 55 years ago.

Edgerly previously served as president and CEO of North Carolina-based school bus manufacturer Thomas Built Buses for six years, presiding over the debut of the Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley electric school bus. In 1994, Edgerly joined Detroit Diesel as a quality control engineer. He went on to hold multiple positions with the Daimler Trucks North America LLC affiliate, including serving as general manager of remanufacturing for its parent company.

Merryman said in a statement, “Our team here at Sonny Merryman has been leading the electric school bus revolution — not only in Virginia but across the country as well. Caley’s wealth of experience and expertise will be a key asset to continuing our company’s growth in the electric bus industry.”

In 2019, Merryman accepted the Thomas Built Buses Dealer of the Year award from Edgerly.

“I’ve known Floyd and the Sonny Merryman team for nearly 10 years,” Edgerly said in a statement. “From first meeting him and getting to know the dealership, I learned that not only are they some of the most knowledgeable and skilled in the industry, but above all else, their customers are their priority. I’m thrilled and honored to be part of a team with those core principles.”

Merryman is a longtime donor to the Virginia Tech Pamplin College of Business, where an athletic facility bears the family name. He and his family committed $2 million to be split between Pamplin and the school’s athletic program in 2019.

Sonny Merryman also recently added the first non-employee member to its board of directors: John Dooley, former CEO of the Virginia Tech Foundation.

Founded in 1967 by Floyd W. “Sonny” Merryman Jr., Sonny Merryman Inc. is headquartered in Lynchburg, with additional bus centers in Chesapeake, Ashland and Manassas. Along with schools, the company partners with public transit agencies, Head Start agencies, child care centers, private schools, senior living communities, churches and others. In 2018, Sonny Merryman won a contract from Dominion Energy Virginia for the first phase of an electric school bus rollout to Virginia school systems.

VW named to Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential Companies list

Volkswagen Group, with its North American operations based in Herndon, was named this week to Time magazine’s inaugural 100 Most Influential Companies list, receiving accolades for its move into electric automobiles.

The German automotive corporation has set aside $54 billion for electrified vehicles over the next five years, with plans for six new battery factories and 18,000 charging stations throughout Europe, according to Time’s entry on Volkswagen. VW sold 231,600 electric vehicles last year, three times its sales in 2019, and is aiming for 1 million in 2021, Time writes.

The rest of Time’s most influential companies list includes large, familiar corporations like General Motors, Facebook, Google and Amazon.com Inc., as well as “pioneers” such as Savage X Fenty and Headspace.

Time solicited nominations across health care, entertainment, transportation, technology and other sectors, and nominees were judged on several key factors, including “relevance, impact, innovation, leadership, ambition and success.”

Volkswagen is the only listed company headquartered in Virginia.

Volkswagen Group of America pulls ‘shocking’ April Fools’ prank

Calling it a “public declaration” of its priority on electric vehicles, Herndon-based Volkswagen Group of America Inc. unveiled a new company name, Voltswagen of America, accompanied by new branding, in a news release Tuesday. There was just one problem — the U.S. sales arm of the German automaker confirmed to news outlets Tuesday evening that it had just been engaging in a shocking early April Fools’ gag to generate free publicity for its new electric SUV.

“The renaming was designed to be an announcement in the spirit of April Fools’ Day, highlighting the launch of the all-electric ID.4 SUV,” company spokesman Mike Tolbert said in a statement.

In the fake release put out earlier on Tuesday, Volkswagen Group of America had said that its increased focus on electric cars was driving the change. The company wants to “build [electric vehicles] for the millions, not just millionaires,” President and CEO Scott Keogh said in the announcement.

Some advertising influencers and journalists were immediately skeptical, pointing to another a fake name change announcement made to gather free publicity: IHOP, the International House of Pancakes, falsely claimed in 2018 that it was changing its name to IHOB in order to promote its burger menu.

However, media outlets including The Associated Press, The Washington Post and CNBC had reported the name change as fact, with some of the outlets saying that company officials had told them the name change was legitimate. The false news also raised Volkswagen’s stock prices for a few hours.

“The Associated Press was repeatedly assured by Volkswagen that its U.S. subsidiary planned a name change, and reported that information, which we now know to be false,” AP spokeswoman Lauren Easton said, speaking to the AP for an article about the hoax. “We have corrected our story and published a new one based on the company’s admission. This and any deliberate release of false information hurts accurate journalism and the public good.”

Volkswagen Group of America said its first long-range electric SUV, the ID.4, was arriving in dealerships this month. It also noted that it was the first major automaker to support the goals of the Paris Climate agreement, and had set a goal of net-carbon neutrality by 2050. Volkswagen plans to launch more than 70 electric models across its brands by 2029, according to the announcement.

Founded in 1955, the company has made Fairfax County its North American headquarters for more than 10 years. In October 2020, the company signed a 20-year lease agreement for 196,000 square feet in a building under construction at Reston Town Center.

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Dominion joins initiative to create electric vehicle charging network

Dominion Energy Inc. and five other major utilities announced a plan Tuesday to create a network of charging stations for electric vehicles across major highway systems stretching from Washington, D.C., to Chicago to West Texas and the Florida Heartland.

The newly announced Electric Highway Coalition — made up of American Electric Power, Dominion, Duke Energy Corp., Entergy Corp., Southern Co. and the Tennessee Valley Authority — aims to create a semi-national network of direct-current fast charging stations for electric vehicles that would allow drivers the ability to travel without interruption.

The member utilities are seeking charging station locations along major highway routes with easy highway access and amenities for travelers. Charging stations will be capable of getting drivers back on the road in approximately 20 to 30 minutes.

“Dominion Energy is committed to equitable and reliable charging access so our customers may experience the benefits of electric transportation, including reduced carbon emissions,” said Dominion President and CEO Robert M. Blue in a statement. “We’re excited to collaborate with our utility partners on this important initiative to connect customers to charging resources and encourage electric vehicle travel.”

The announcement marks the public debut of the coalition. Reached by email, Dominion spokesman Rayhan Daudani said that Dominion’s total investment in the initiative has yet to be determined.

“All companies are in the process of determining sites,” he said. “The partner utilities have started discussions to collaborate on site location needs, with each utility further refining items such as site partners, site design, equipment selection, deployment schedule and other details. We plan to begin deployment this year.”

Dominion is a Fortune 500 utility with more than 7 million customers in 16 states.

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Volvo electric trucks to be produced at NRV plant in early 2021

Volvo Trucks North America’s plant in Pulaski County will manufacture its new battery-powered VNR Electric truck model starting early next year, the company announced Thursday.

The largest Volvo truck plant in the world, the Dublin facility currently employs close to 3,000 people and builds heavy-duty trucks of multiple models. The Volvo Class 8 VNR Electric heavy-duty truck, entering the North American market next year, runs on battery electric power and produces zero tailpipe emissions.

“The Volvo VNR Electric marks a significant step forward for electromobility in an industry that we are committed to leading as it undergoes rapid, significant change,” Volvo Trucks North America President Peter Voorhoeve said in a statement. “Volvo Trucks believes and invests in sustainable electromobility. Our deep understanding of the transportation ecosystem — the technology, infrastructure and applications in the trucking industry — have enabled us to deliver a solution that is both advanced yet easy to own and operate.”

The truck will run on 264-kWh lithium-ion batteries, which charge up to 80% within 70 minutes and have an operating range of up to 150 miles, according to Volvo. The single-axle truck has a gross vehicle weight rating of 33,200 pounds, and other configurations carry up to 66,000 and 82,000 pounds.

The electric truck is the outcome of the Volvo LIGHTS (Low Impact Green Heavy Transport Solutions) project, a collaboration between Volvo, South Coast Air Quality Management District in California and other organizations and businesses to support electrification of commercial trucking, which would reduce harmful emissions. The project included fleet trials and development of dealership-based service and maintenance of vehicles, as well as best practices for battery-charging infrastructure for heavy-duty trucks.

Earlier this year, the Volvo VNR Electric model was certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board, allowing the vehicle to be commercially sold in all 50 states, and the LIGHTS project will continue to collect data in 2021 as trucks are sold. Volvo Trucks North America was awarded $20 million in grants in October to deploy 70 VNR Electric trucks in California as part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Targeted Air Shed Grant Program. The vehicles will be delivered to fleet operators next year. 

 

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Dominion launches electric school bus program

Earlier this week, Richmond-based Dominion Energy Inc. and Evington-based bus dealer Sonny Merryman Inc. rolled out the first Jouley electric school buses as part of the Dominion Energy Electric School Bus Program. 

“Once again, Virginia is leading the way in promoting electric vehicle technology and improving our environment,” Gov. Ralph Northam said in a statement. “This innovative electric school bus program is one of many steps we are taking to make electric vehicles accessible to all Virginians, and we look forward to working with Dominion as they bring electric school buses to communities in all corners of our commonwealth.”

Through the first stage of the program, 50 electric school buses will be delivered to Virginia localities at the same price of traditional diesel buses, with Dominion Energy offset the additional cost for the buses and associated charging infrastructure. The first school systems to receive the buses will be Charles City,  Chesterfield, Fairfax, Loudoun, Louisa, Middlesex, Pittsylvania and Prince William counties, as well as Alexandria, Chesapeake, Hampton, Virginia Beach and Waynesboro.

“Jouley is the most exciting development in the North American pupil transportation industry since yellow paint,” Floyd Merryman, president and CEO of Sonny Merryman, said in a statement. “Our team is thrilled to partner with Dominion Energy to bring transformative electric buses to Virginia’s public schools.”

High Point, North Carolina-based bus manufacturer Thomas Built Buses and Proterra, a Burlingame, California-based electric bus designer and manufacturer, also partnered with Dominion and Sonny Merryman on the project. Built by Thomas Built Buses, the buses are powered with Proterra batteries. Sonny Merryman is an exclusive dealer of Thomas Built Buses.

“Virginia Beach City Public Schools is anxiously awaiting the arrival of the eight electric Thomas Built Buses with the Proterra powertrain,” David Pace, Virginia Beach City Public Schools executive director of transportation and fleet services, said in a statement. “We are looking forward to a continued relationship in the future to place more electric eco-friendly school buses into service. These buses will provide the children of Virginia Beach with a greener way to get to and from school.”

Aside from the environmental benefit of using electricity over diesel fuel, the electric buses can be used as portable batteries, and when not in use, can be tapped as an energy resource through vehicle-to-grid technology. Batteries can provide stability to the grid when energy demands are high. Batteries can also serve as mobile power stations in times of power outages or emergencies. 

“From the environmental benefits of cleaner air, to the cost savings for school districts, to making our electric grid stronger through energy storage technology, this program is a win-win-win for the customers and communities we serve,” Dan Weekley, Dominion Energy vice president of innovation policy and development, said in a statement.

With state approval, Phase 2 of the program would deploy at least 1,000 additional electric school buses by 2025 — with the goal of Phase 3 to have 50% of all diesel bus replacements in Dominion Energy’s footprint to be electric by 2025 and 100% by 2030.

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