Friday EV News Review

While the world holds its breath and watches Russia commit unfathomable acts, the need for carbon neutrality persists. We at REACH Strategies condemn the acts Russia is committing and hope the following news is able to provide some brief reprieve to your feed and lives. Kia and Hyundai have announced more than 10 EVs in their lineups by 2030 and hope to have two million EVs on the road by that date as well, out performing their past projections. The UN has begun to develop a plastic pollution treaty that will begin to phase out unnecessary plastics from our daily lives to curb pollution and contamination in our seas. Volvo has jumped into the wireless charging experiment and is test piloting the feature in Sweden over the next three years while the California Emissions Committee has proposed the international adoption of one type of charger for EVs. Plus so much more! Let us know your thoughts @REACHStrategies and we hope you are staying safe.  

Cars/Buses/Trucks

• Jeep has announced its first EV, weeks after announcing its PHEV, scheduled to debut in 2023. They didn’t release any other details, but they are committed to their diverse EV lineup promise by 2025. 

Smart Features

• Kia EV drivers can now order a human technician to come charge their car on-demand.
• Volvo is the next company to be testing wireless EV charging with its XC40 Recharge over the next three years in Sweden as it looks to support the electrification infrastructure and become a fully electric brand by 2030. 

Legislation/Reports

• While Tesla is going through a myriad of issues, there was one positive: Tesla has made supercharging free on its charging network for anyone fleeing Ukraine.
• The CEC published a recent docket recommending international adoption of one type of charger, the ISO-15118, that has Plug and Charge and V2G capabilities. 
• As states and cities begin to utilize federal funding for EV charging infrastructure development, the next questions regarding accessible and equitable placement to ensure communities such as low-income or historically disenfranchised ones are not left behind remain

EV for Business

• Ford announced it will break its EV production into a separate entity from its ICE manufacturing with hopes that it will increase the profits and number of EVs per year the brand is able to put out on the market. 
• Hyundai is targeting almost 2 million EVs on the road by 2030, quadrupling its projection of EVs by 2025 with 17 EVs in total,  including 6 from its luxury Genesis line too. 
• KIA unveiled a plan to produce14 BEV models by 2027 including two pick-up trucks, and is projecting to have 1.2 million models on the road by 2030. 
• Rivian retracted its statement that there would be either a price increase by $12,000 to those who have vehicle reservations, or they would release a smaller battery for its vehicle to help make production demands due to the amount of backlash from consumers and other brands alike that have partnered with Rivian. 

Energy News

• While the UN is busy dealing with the atrocities Russia is committing, there was some small good news recently: a global plastic pollution treaty that will place heavy restrictions on plastic production companies, and consumers purchasing plastic products.
• After widespread greenwashing by large companies, there has been a new push for international business sustainability standards which is gathering momentum.