Column: Electric grids need major upgrades to aid global energy transition: Maguire - Reuters.com

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LITTLETON, Colorado, March 30 (Reuters) - Modern electricity grids that can optimize clean power production from a constantly changing flux of renewable and fossil energy sources will play a vital role in enabling global energy transition efforts.

With renewable energy supplies climbing at a record pace just as global car fleets, households and businesses supercharge electricity demand, robust grids that can bridge both sides of the energy equation will be critical.

Smart grids that can instantly calibrate system needs and dispatch the maximum amount of low-emitting energy while keeping fossil-powered output to a minimum will also help curb emissions, and may slow the pace of climate change.

The problem is, such grids do not exist yet, and to construct them within the time required to make emissions targets feasible will pose an extraordinary challenge for utilities, energy service firms and governments around the world.

NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE

Currently, most global electric grids are optimized for the transmission of steady volumes of electricity generated by fossil fuels or nuclear power, which can act as the foundation for electrical systems that need constant minimal amounts of power, known as baseloads, to avoid outages.

Fossil and nuclear power systems have the added advantage of being able to generate dispatchable power, which can be rapidly throttled up when system demand exceeds baseload levels, and then quickly reduced during demand lulls.

This combination of fossil-based baseload plus dispatchable power has been the primary source of electricity for most of the world for decades, and a key driver of global economic growth.

But traditional energy producers are now under strain from a combination of constantly rising electricity demand, aging production and transmission infrastructure, and supply constraints in the form of growing opposition to new fossil-fueled power stations.

The global power sector is also a major source of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and so is incompatible with international efforts to drive pollution steadily lower from all sectors over the coming decades.

PLUMBING PROBLEMS

Replacing fossil fuels with energy derived from sustainable and non-emitting sources such as the sun and wind is much easier said than done, in part due to a mismatch between the configuration of current generation systems and the optimal setup needed to tap renewable energy sources efficiently.

Existing electricity grids are geared toward handling fixed power loads from dedicated plants located in close proximity to consumers so that transmission distances are as short as possible.

Electricity generation systems reliant primarily on renewable energy sources will need to take a different approach, as large-scale solar or wind farms require far more space than a traditional power plant.

As a result, renewable generation hubs will need to be located much farther from consumption centers than traditional plants, and be connected to consumers by long-distance lines that can handle high voltages with minimal transmission loss.

New transmission and distribution networks must also be able to accommodate sudden changes to power loads generated by renewable farms caused by reduced sunlight or wind levels, and instantly offset any deficits with electricity produced from other sources so that grid stability is maintained around the clock.

LINING UP

More widespread and longer transmission networks will be needed throughout every major economy to ensure electricity grids remain functional despite changes to power generation sources and longer distances from those sources to areas of use.

Many new types of high-voltage, long-distance lines must replace miles of current transmission lines so that they can carry the required power loads all the way from distant production centers to towns and cities.

Some line types will need to be changed from alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) to allow for higher power transmission over long distances, as AC lines typically have more line losses than DC lines during bulk power transfers.

In turn, a commensurate number of new power converters must be installed throughout each grid to ensure seamless transfer of power along transmission routes, despite changes to current types and generation sources along the way.

REALITY BITES

The International Energy Agency has estimated that investment in electrical grids will need to average $600 billion annually through 2030, which is double the current yearly spend, in order to hit net-zero emissions targets.

As eye-popping a figure as that is, funding is being made available in many countries, especially in North America and Europe, through government subsidies and aggressive investments by major energy producers.

Massive government support is also helping to fast-track the incursion of renewables into energy mixes in China and India.

However, the simultaneous surge in demand from several countries for such critical grid infrastructure has strained global supply lines of each component, some of which - including certain lengthy high-voltage lines - already have years-long waiting lists.

Many ambitious grid alteration plans are also running in to stiff opposition from powerful organisations that object to the laying of miles of new transmission lines across open areas.

Most of these objections are based on claims that the new lines will cause extensive damage to the local environment, and therefore may worsen rather than aid climate-change efforts.

Located along coastal communities in between offshore wind farms and inland cities, and in rural areas that are planned pathways for linking remote solar farms to urban hubs, these opponents present a challenge to grid planners just as complex as the technical hurdles they face.

But if renewable energy supplies surge as expected, and if those supplies are to be made available to power-hungry customers, global grids must grow in both scale and density in every major economy - and in record time.

The opinions expressed here are those of the author, a columnist for Reuters.

Reporting by Gavin Maguire in Littleton, Colorado Editing by Matthew Lewis

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Opinions expressed are those of the author. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Gavin Maguire

Thomson Reuters

Gavin Maguire is the Global Energy Transition Columnist. He was previously Asia Commodities and Energy editor.

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Hawaiian Electric customers receive $8.1M in federal energy credits - Honolulu Star-Advertiser

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Hawaiian Electric said thousands of customers received a record $8.1 million in federal credits to reduce their energy bills, about $2.5 million more than last year.

The Hawaii Department of Human Services’ Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, assists needy households with a one-time payment towards their utility bill.

In all, Hawaiian Electric said more than 7,500 residential customers across the five islands it serves received credits from LIHEAP.

“Our goal is to keep customers connected, and LIHEAP credits provide welcome relief for thousands of households,” said Brendan Bailey, Hawaiian Electric vice president of customer service, in a news release. “With the cost of just about everything on the rise, LIHEAP and other assistance programs can make a significant impact.”

Applicants may apply only once per year, for one of two types of credit — an energy credit or an emergency crisis intervention.

The Honolulu Community Action Program, Maui Economic Opportunity and Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Council take LIHEAP energy credit applications during the month of June.

LIHEAP Energy Crisis Intervention applications are accepted year-round for households facing service disconnection, but only a limited number of approvals are granted each month.

For more information visit hawaiianelectric.com/liheap.

Click here to see our full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak. Submit your coronavirus news tip.

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What to Do While Your Electric Car Refuels - The Wall Street Journal

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Crested Butte is first in Colorado to require all-electric construction - The Colorado Sun

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This story first appeared in The Outsider, the premium outdoor newsletter by Jason Blevins.

In it, he covers the industry from the inside out, plus the fun side of being outdoors in our beautiful state.

CRESTED BUTTE — After a year-long survey of residents, a search for “the soul of Crested Butte” has led this end-of-the-road mountain town to be the first municipality in Colorado to become all-electric. 

“This is buying into our community values,” Crested Butte Town Manager Dara MacDonald said. “I mean you are coming here for here, right? Well this is what ‘here’ is. I think as mountain towns, we have not held to our principles quite strongly enough in some cases. This is holding to our values.”

Crested Butte joins Aspen with an overhaul of building codes focused on reducing the busy mountain towns’ contributions to a changing climate. With mandates to turn away from burning fossil fuels in homes, the mountain communities are pushing beyond what is required and hoping to become models for how larger cities can transform residential impacts on climate change. 

Crested Butte’s first comprehensive plan, called the Community Compass, was assembled over  many public meetings and approved last year. It is a sort of manifesto of community values that calls for urgency in the fight to thwart a warming climate. 

The town’s 2019 climate action plan set the stage for all-electric new construction, starting with town-owed affordable housing projects. So when the town updated its building codes last year, the town council approved a plan “to go above and beyond,” Crested Butte planner Mel Yemma said. 

This year Crested Butte became the first municipality in Colorado to require all new homes and commercial construction be powered by electricity, with no natural gas for heating, hot water or appliances. 

MacDonald credits the town council for studying the particulars on cost and efficiencies of an all-electric community. “In the end, it was almost like it was obvious to our town council that this was the right thing to do.” 

The compass also identifies four values that define and guide Crested Butte: authenticity, connection, accountability and boldness. “The council got to a place where we feel like we were able to really articulate clearly what Crested Butte is and what the soul of Crested Butte is,” MacDonald said.

Crested Butte Town Manager, Dara MacDonald, in her office at town hall on Feb. 22. (Dean Krakel, Special to The Colorado Sun)

The community’s five-year plan will be filtered through those values. That plan calls for addressing challenges through increased public engagement, accommodating growth while maintaining the valley’s rural feel, helping residents who live and work in the town thrive, de-emphasizing car travel, caring for the natural environment and acting with urgency to reduce the town’s impact on climate change. It’s all compiled in a glossy brochure that Yemma and MacDonald distribute in all corners of the East River Valley. 

“We are going to be the testing ground.”

For years, Crested Butte, and many other mountain towns, have been reacting, making swift responses to complex problems like the housing crisis, overwhelming crowds, a reduced workforce, the explosion of short-term rental homes, impacts to the backcountry and vehicle traffic. 

The pressures of the pandemic’s tide of newcomers to remote mountain valleys ebbed last year, giving Crested Butte’s leaders an opportunity to step back from reacting and make a plan, Yemma said, unfolding the Crested Butte Community Compass brochure.

“It’s a unique time,” she said. “We have some work to do and we want to put all these resources to good use to really retain the authenticity of Crested Butte.”

It’s not just new construction that’s ditching gas in Crested Butte. The town’s Crested Butte’s Green Deed program launched in 2021 to help residents in deed-restricted housing pay for energy efficiency upgrades. The town council recently upped its contribution to the program to $100,000 a year and there’s a waitlist of residents lined up for the efficiency grants. 

Each grant helps electrify existing buildings, which are the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the valley.  

“We thought, well our deed-restricted housing is a quarter of our housing stock so let’s restart with those to help ensure those homes can stay affordable when it comes to monthly utility bills and actually start lowering energy use too,” Yemma said. 

A Crested Butte Marshall’s patrol car charges up in the lot of the Public Works Department on February 22, 2023. The department utilizes two electric patrol cars. (Dean Krakel, Special to The Colorado Sun)

MacDonald and Yemma said studies by engineering groups that advised the town showed a 2,500 square-foot home with electric appliances and heating is cheaper to build than a home with gas when weighing utility rebates and the cost of running gas lines to the home.

One of the challenges in the electrification movement is the availability of electricians and mechanical experts who can help shepherd the town’s new building guidelines. But that’s a problem that is challenging construction across Colorado. The town is working with the Gunnison County Electric Association to create incentives to lure more electricians to the valley and offering training sessions and webinars for builders to learn more about the town’s upgraded building codes. 

The Town of Crested Butte will be the first property owner to come online with all-electric homes, with the new multi-family Mineral Point affordable housing project underway and duplexes and triplexes breaking ground this spring. All the new housing will be electric, with solar arrays and electric vehicle charging stations.

“We are going to be the testing ground for that,” said MacDonald, noting that the new housing projects will help get local builders “trained up on our dime.”

Builders in Crested Butte work on maybe one or two commercial buildings and about 20 homes a year. So the new policy will not be an instant shift.

“We are not turning off the gas tomorrow. We recognize that natural gas is here for the foreseeable future,” MacDonald said. “We are not changing the world. But we are showing that it can be done.” 

But the end of natural gas is on the horizon in Crested Butte. (Except in commercial kitchens. The town’s restaurants can still have gas.)

Grid capacity, heating concerns

Yemma said building permits are being issued and builders are adapting to the end of gas. Other communities are taking notice of Crested Butte’s new building codes and electrification plan. 

“We’ve been getting quite a few calls from different jurisdictions to present to them,” Yemma said, detailing the town’s presentations to Eagle County’s Climate Action Collaborative, the city of Denver, the Mountain Towns Solution Project and the Colorado Association of Ski Towns. 

Christine Brinker, the buildings policy manager at the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project, has spent years working with communities to develop building codes that reduce impacts and consumption. She calls Crested Butte “a trailblazer” in the move away from natural gas and she’s especially excited to see the effort in a cold-climate town. 

There’s a lot of hand wringing over electric heat pumps in very cold weather and the ability to keep a building warm without a gas-fired furnace. Brinker calls that fretting “outdated.” Newer heat pumps can work down to 20 below zero, she said. 

“We are working to correct outdated information and we think it’s exciting to see a community in a cold climate like Crested Butte proving that it can be done,” she said. “This move to electric is realizable, feasible, practical and beneficial and Crested Butte is showing us how to get it done.”

Brinker hopes Crested Butte’s electrification can be a model. While the town spent many months vetting its new building codes in the community, the effort pales to proposed shifts in urban communities, where advisory groups and committee meetings can slow transitions away from fossil fuels by many years. 

Opposition to a hastened rejection of natural gas can  slow the process too. Gas companies, not surprisingly, are urging a more careful shift, especially in colder climates. 

Atmos Energy, which delivers natural gas to about 120,000 customers in Colorado and around 1,000 in the East River Valley, warned the Crested Butte council that abandoning natural gas would spike costs and greenhouse gas emissions with increased demand for electricity produced by coal-burning power plants. 

The company’s vice president of marketing, Rob Leivo, sent a letter to Crested Butte’s council in July, urging a slower rollout of the electrification plan. Leivo said the all-electric mandates “leave the community no choice but to face increased challenges in the area of energy reliability and resilience.”

He warned that household energy costs could increase by $1,000 a year under the new electrification plan. 

“More than three-quarters of homes in Colorado consume natural gas, illustrating that nearly all Coloradans with access to natural gas choose to use it, so we strongly encourage the communities we serve to preserve customer choice and focus on the true goal of reducing emissions rather than supporting specific fuels or technologies,” Atmos spokesman Kurtis Paradisa said in an emailed statement. 

Brinker, with the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project, said large energy grids are built to withstand huge air conditioning demands in regions where summer temps can hover above 100 degrees. 

“They have a lot of capacity in the winter to add increased heating loads,” she said. 

She does not expect to see electrical grids overwhelmed by small community transitions and a focus on electric power for new home construction. 

“The rate at which we are adding electrification matches the ability to add capacity,” she said. 

Gary Hartman has been designing homes in Gunnison County since 2004. The architect isn’t sure the technology is there to handle the demands for heating in the valley. 

Look at Dallas, the architect said. It can be 105 degrees outside and air conditioners work to keep homes around 70 degrees. In Crested Butte, gas-fired furnaces work to keep homes at 70 degrees when it can be 20 below zero outside. 

“I think we may be pushing heat pumps beyond their capacity. I don’t know if the grid can handle the additional demands,” he said. “We are talking about frozen pipes; burst pipes. And potential people freezing to death if power demand can’t be met.”

Hartman said electric rates will start climbing as utilities work to meet the increased demand without coal-fired power plants. 

“Crested Butte is really pushing the envelope because it’s the politically correct thing to do and they want to be that aggressive community that sets an example, regardless of whether they are right or wrong,” Hartman said. “I hope that when they evaluate the risks that are coming down the pipeline, they will react the right way.”

Crested Butte is one of a dozen towns where voters approved a real estate transfer tax before the 1990 passage of the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, or TABOR, which limits government spending. That transfer tax coffer is overflowing. The town’s sales and lodging tax collections are up 70% from the 2018-19 ski season through the 2021-22 ski season. Summer sales tax collections are up 32% from 2019 to 2022. 

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State and federal grants supporting affordable housing are rolling in. It’s a once-in-a-generation surplus of funds. 

“We are trying to invest in the things that are most meaningful for our town,” MacDonald said, noting that the town is spending millions on water and wastewater infrastructure and is “digging deep on transit, transportation and mobility.” 

“We are about to launch a big planning effort around transportation and I would expect we will see some pretty bold moves … trying to get people out of the cars.”

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Electric bill increasing soon — what it means for you - WJW FOX 8 News Cleveland

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I've owned an electric car for four months and not used a public charger once - Autoblog

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I’ve owned an electric car since mid-December and haven’t used public charging once. The full spaces at the nearest Electrify America station and/or the broken screens at the nearest Electrify America station have been of utterly no consequence to my family’s daily use of our 2023 Kia Niro EV. This is a point that just doesn’t get made enough in the conversation about EVs: Most of their charging happens at home. Specifically, about 80% of it, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Putting aside that it’s cheaper to charge at home (versus a gas station and public charger), the convenience of doing so is one of the most appealing parts of EV ownership. Instead of going to a gas station every so often, something exactly 0% of the population likes to do, you just plug the car in every night or, as we do, once every couple of days when the charge gets low-ish. Do I miss my visits to the nearest 76 station? Can’t say I do, especially since I’ve moved from Oregon and no longer get to sit nice and comfy in my car while a law-mandated 76 employee fills my tank.

Early on, charging at home was admittedly a tad janky. First, I had to buy a universal 120-volt charge cord off Amazon since Kia does not provide one with their electrified vehicles. More on that in a moment. Next, I had to duct tape that charger to the garage rafters because the only electrical outlet close enough to reach the Niro was the one used by the garage door opener. My Z3 didn’t seem to mind. Charging with this basic cord and home electrical outlet required keeping the Niro plugged in every night or at least every other night, but I can’t say that impacted my life. That said, a quick turn-around after a longer drive would’ve been an issue and almost certainly would’ve sent me to that EA station.

Inevitably, I would’ve at least installed a 240-volt outlet closer to the front of my garage to greatly decrease charge times (and jankiness), but was instead given the opportunity to test a new Wallbox Pulsar Plus home charging unit. Admittedly, unlike testing a Yakima roof box or electric bicycle that go back to the manufacturer after a few weeks, a home charger is a rather permanent thing. There are electricians, permits and inspectors involved, and you know, bolting something to my garage wall and wiring it into my home’s electrical panel. I’ll be telling more of that story at a later date, but suffice it to say, I’m getting to experience for free something that would normally be much pricier than a simple 240-volt outlet installation. The Pulsar Plus 48A retails for $699 and installation and permits were $1,645. Yeah, not cheap.

So why bother with the fancy charger when my father-in-law had his electrician install a 240-volt outlet in his garage for $75? The home charger is much quicker, and this particular one allows you to alter the amount of amperage flowing into your car (good for avoiding peak electricity rates or overtaxing your house’s electrical box), monitor charging with an app, schedule charge times, keep track of how much you’re paying for electricity, and potentially future-proofing yourself for later EVs that’ll be able to charge even quicker than those today. Already I’ve turned up and down amperage based on various test cars’ charging capability (the Niro can max it out at 40 amps). It also has an extra-long 25-foot-long charge cord that’s been huge for plugging in various press cars with different charge point locations.  

Mostly, though, we just plug the Niro in and forget about it. The 120-volt Amazon charge cord hasn’t left the Niro’s frunk since we had the Pulsar Plus installed, somewhat vindicating Kia’s decision to not include one, and again, we have yet to use a public charging station. Same goes for those various electric press cars that I test for a week at a time.

Now, there is another, albeit lesser part of not needing to use one of those notoriously unreliable public fast charging stations: The few longer trips we’ve made have been covered by a car powered, at least in part, by gasoline. Dun dun dun. Personally, I don’t see this as a problem or hypocritical. Our electric car has taken over the vast majority of routine trips, meaning a lot of gas has not been burned and CO2 sent into the atmosphere. Isn’t that the point? Don’t let perfection be the enemy of progress. Removing one gas burner from a two-car household amounts to quite a bit of progress, especially when you limit the remaining gas burner’s mileage (which wouldn’t be such a bad thing for its maintenance and longevity).

Here in suburban Los Angeles County, it’s certainly not uncommon to see double Tesla driveways, but our two-car household combination of EV and gas burner is anecdotally far more prevalent. Heck, just looking out my window as I type this, one neighbor has a Tesla Model 3 and a Jeep Cherokee, another a Model 3 and a Ford Explorer, while yet another (the coolest neighbors) have a Mustang Mach-E and a Bronco Badlands. And they say Californians don’t buy American cars. I definitely see the EVs leaving more often, and if anything, I’d wager using them as the primary car eases the eco guilt and financial impact of choosing their cool, not-at-all-efficient second car.

Not every gas-burning second car has been as cool as an Aston Martin DBX707; neighbors get close with Bronco Badlands.

Ultimately, I don’t think the biggest problem facing electric vehicle charging is the insufficient and unreliable public fast charging network. Now, that’s definitely a problem that must be addressed by the private charging companies (seriously Electrify America, get your act together) and, to a lesser extent I’d argue, various government entities. Instead, it’s the rarity of “home” charging in apartment and condominium buildings. Whether we’re talking smaller buildings like those dotting Los Angeles or bigger towers with multi-story parking garages, installing chargers is a complex and expensive challenge.

It is not an impossible one, though. As just one example, Wallbox is in fact a Spanish company that does the lion's share of its business in multi-family locations, including high-density buildings. Rather than outfitting every parking spot with a charger, buildings install a certain number of common chargers controlled with a management platform dubbed My Wallbox that allows for multiple users to pay for and keep track of charging. Every building would assuredly be different, but each would have to deal with the very real problem of what to do with fully charged cars squatting indefinitely at charger spaces. I struggle to come up with a more viable solution than “hire Larry the Valet,” which would be good for national employment but not so good for your condo dues.   

This is where government infrastructure money can really make a difference. Not paying Larry the Valet, but grants to outfit multi-family dwellings such as apartments and condominiums with charging units. Tesla, Electrify America, EVGo and other private companies show that the market is taking care of fast charging to at least some extent, but apartment building owners and condo boards obviously don’t have access to that level of capital.

So let’s continue to hold Electrify America’s feet to the fire for being unreliable, but let’s not dwell too much on the current inefficiencies of public fast charging. It’s bound to improve, especially in terms of volume. Just think how much Tesla accomplished in a decade building Superchargers. Let’s instead remember that most charging happens at home, doing so is a great thing, and that the definition of “home” can’t just be single-family houses with white-picket fences. Or in my case, shitty landscaping.

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5 of the hottest electric cars rolling into dealerships in 2023 - CBS News

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Electric vehicles, or EVs, had their best-selling year in 2022. Their market share surpassed 5% according to Edmunds data, which is nearly double than 2021. In 2023, EV sales should continue to soar. But more importantly for consumers, there will also be a larger selection of models to choose from, including electric sedans, SUVs and luxury models. Here are five of the most intriguing new EVs, sorted by price, rolling into dealerships this year, according to Edmunds.

2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 

Chevrolet will launch two electric SUVs with familiar names: the Blazer EV and the Equinox EV. Of the two, the smaller Equinox could be the more significant simply by virtue of its price; Chevrolet estimates it will start around $30,000. That undercuts all of its rivals and is not much more than the gas-powered Equinox, with which it has nothing in common but size.

With a starting price of $30,000, Chevrolet's Equinox EV  is not much more than the gas-powered Equinox, with which it has nothing in common but size. Edmunds

For that low price, the Equinox EV provides an estimated 250 miles of range, which should be suitable for many EV shoppers. Chevy will also offer a larger battery pack that gets about 300 miles and a more robust 290-horsepower powertrain with all-wheel drive. If you enjoy technology, then you'll be pleased to know that the Equinox EV will offer an optional massive 17.7-inch center touchscreen display. You can also add Super Cruise, General Motors' hands-free highway driving assist system.

Estimated starting price: $30,000 
Launch date: Fall 2023

2023 Nissan Ariya

Many are familiar with the Nissan Leaf, one of the first mass-produced electric vehicles. Now Nissan is adding to its portfolio with the Ariya. It's a compact electric SUV that's about the size of the electric Ford Mustang Mach-E and Volkswagen ID.4.

The Nissan Ariya is a compact electric SUV that's about the size of the electric Ford Mustang Mach-E and Volkswagen ID.4. Edmunds

The Ariya's lineup will start out with an unremarkable range of 216 miles on a single charge. Fortunately, there's a larger battery pack that boasts more than 300 miles of range and produces up to 389 horsepower with all-wheel drive. Inside, you'll be greeted by a stylish interior and many technology features, including dual 12.3-inch screens, a head-up display and Nissan's ProPilot Assist system, which helps make highway driving easier.

Starting price: $44,485
Launch date: On sale now

2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6

The Ioniq 6 will stand out from everything else on the road when it hits the streets later this year. It's an electric sedan from Hyundai that sports a futuristic, low-slung design. Unlike most electric vehicles that are SUVs, the Ioniq 6 is one of the few non-luxury electric sedans that will compete with the Tesla Model 3.

When released, Hyundai's Ioniq 6 will offer a 225-horsepower rear-wheel-drive model that has an outstanding estimated driving range of up to 361 miles. Edmunds

It's closely related to the Ioniq 5 SUV, sharing most of its componentry. When released, the Ioniq 6 will offer a 225-horsepower rear-wheel-drive model that has an outstanding estimated driving range of up to 361 miles. The more powerful 320-horsepower all-wheel-drive model is rated at 316 miles. Compatibility with the most powerful DC fast-charging stations, for superquick charging, will be another draw for this upcoming EV.

Starting price: $42,715
Launch date: Spring 2023

2023 Mercedes EQE SUV

The EQE SUV is one of Mercedes' latest all-electric models. It's based on Mercedes' EQE sedan and is about the size of the gas-powered GLE SUV. The EQE SUV is smaller than the EQS SUV, and when it hits dealerships, it will compete with the Audi e-tron and BMW iX.

Mercedes' EQE SUV is smaller than the EQS SUV, and when it hits dealerships, it will compete with the Audi e-tron and BMW iX. Edmunds

Driving range estimates have yet to be released, but Edmunds expects the most efficient EQE 350+ model to have a range of more than 300 miles. The EQE will also offer a more powerful 536-horsepower EQE 500 model, and a 617-horsepower AMG performance model down the line. As with the EQS models, the EQE will offer Mercedes' massive Hyperscreen, which consists of three screens spanning the width of the dashboard.

Estimated starting price: $79,050
Launch date: Spring 2023

2023 BMW i7

The large and luxurious BMW i7 is the all-electric equivalent to the completely redesigned 7 Series sedan. The brand's most expensive electric car goes toe-to-toe with its Mercedes equivalent, the EQS sedan, and the Tesla Model S.

With a starting price of $120,295, the large and luxurious BMW i7 is the brand's most expensive electric car and goes toe-to-toe with its Mercedes equivalent, the EQS sedan, and the Tesla Model S. Edmunds

The i7's estimated driving range of 296-318 miles is less than most of its rivals but more than the Porsche Taycan. If that sounds disappointing, don't worry — the BMW packs a potent 536-horsepower electric powertrain and offers very impressive tech features such as the optional 31.3-inch screen for rear passengers that slides down from the ceiling and power front and rear doors that fully open and close with a push of a button.

Starting price: $120,295 
Launch date: On sale now

This story was provided to The Associated Press by the automotive website Edmunds.

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Ford Explorer 2023: Compact, Stylish, Electric - WIRED

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After months of teasing a coming lineup of all-new EVs, Ford has finally revealed its new Explorer; an all-electric family SUV that sits between the Volkswagen ID.3 and Volkswagen ID.4 in size. What's more, it's Europe-only.  

Speaking of Volkswagen, the Ford Explorer is the first electric Ford to use the Volkswagen MEB platform and the first electric car to be built at scale at the company’s Cologne factory in Europe. A more sporting, MEB-based electric Ford compact crossover is confirmed for arrival in 2024.

Though the Explorer majors much more on practicality, somehow Ford has managed to turn a fairly bluff front-end styling and generally boxy silhouette familiar to properly sensible family SUV into an attractive design. Ford, it turns out, was keen to avoid being boring—something that it was accused of by customer focus groups when the brand started to put plans for the Explorer together.

“That ‘boring’ bit from customers really hurt us,” Amko Leenarts, design director for Ford of Europe told WIRED. “So Explorer is really about an adventure spirit. The design is unashamedly American-inspired, as we really decided that we’d been a bit shy about celebrating that we are American, but Explorer is also not aggressive. There’s a certain simplicity to the design, as we took away some lines that are distracting, and we really worked on the purity. Our feedback has suggested that the Explorer looks very gender-neutral to customers, too, which is hard to do—and we’re very pleased about.”

European, Born and Bred

Despite the Explorer’s bold, American-influenced stance, it is a European model that’s been designed for the European market, with no intentions to bring it to the USA.

“My American colleagues love it,” says Leenarts, “I wouldn’t design a car that the mothership doesn’t like. But it is very much a European product. We were adamant about making it compact and parkable for our customers over here. For instance, keeping it short—it’s only a couple of centimeters longer than a Focus but has more luggage space than a Mondeo.”

Practicality is a big factor with the five-seat Explorer. There’s a roomy three-person rear bench with through-loading, of course, and a boot with over 400 liters of space, but there’s also a big center storage area up front that’s large enough for a laptop. There’s also what the company describes as “a private locker” hidden behind the adjustable, 14.6-inch touchscreen.

The screen moves mechanically rather than electrically and can be pushed upward or to the side, either to access your “locker” or maybe just to reduce glare or give slightly better screen access to a passenger. Whatever the reason, it seems a simple and sensible idea, even if having the screen’s adjustable mount meant that it couldn’t take the physical, rotary volume dial features on the Ford Mustang Mach-E. 

Leenarts claims that the screen “has a very well-damped movement, like the switches on an old hi-fi. We purposefully didn’t make it electric. We wanted it mechanical, with great resistance and damping to the movement. The feel of that screen movement is a visceral message that we wanted to send about the entire car.”

A Spaceship on the Dash

A "private locker” is hidden behind the Explorer's adjustable, 14.6-inch touchscreen.

Photograph: Ford

The Ford Explorer EV will get the company’s latest Sync Move infotainment software, which will include Alexa voice recognition, intelligent charger search function, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and over-the-air software updates. There’s also a soundbar that sits on top of the dash and has been designed “to look like a spaceship that’s landed on the dash.” But the actual audio, for now, will be supplied by Ford’s own speaker systems rather than any third-party companies.

Other tech highlights include more-advanced autonomous features than we’ve yet seen on any Ford, including Assisted Lane Change, which will see the car changing lanes for you when you indicate, provided the system is active and it deems the maneuver to be safe. Just like Tesla’s automated land-change system, essentially.

300-Plus Miles but No Fancy Handles

Photograph: Ford

Performance, driving range, and battery specifics are yet to be confirmed for the Ford Explorer, which is due to go on sale in the UK later this year. We do know that it will be available with a range of up to 311 miles, will be able to rapid charge from 10 to 80 percent in 25 minutes, and is likely to be offered with both rear- and four-wheel-drive variants. Pricing is also still to be confirmed, but it’s expected that the Explorer will cost from under £40,000 ($48,785) in Select trim—the cheaper of two trims initially offered on the vehicle.

The top-spec Ford Explorer Premium will add massage seats and various other “luxuries” to the heated seats and keyless entry that every Explorer gets, although we notice that the Mustang Mach-E’s novelty handleless doors have been dropped in favor of conventional door handles on the Explorer.

There’s no shortage of electric rivals in this price range, from the smaller VW ID.3 to the bigger Skoda Enyaq iV, not to mention the Kia Niro EV and various new contenders such as the also-new-to-Europe BYD Atto 3.

But, to our eyes, the styling of the Ford Explorer has more appeal than most, with something of an “electric Evoque” feel that the Blue Oval can certainly capitalize on, since Land Rover isn’t due to launch any pure electric cars until 2024. Particularly if it can sustain sub-£40,000 pricing in the UK beyond the initial launch frenzy, Ford’s European electric SUV could be a winner despite the abundant competition.

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Ford releases fully electric, sub $50k Explorer SUV…in the wrong market - Electrek

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Ford finally took the sheets off its new mid-size electric SUV, a tribute to the automaker’s best-selling Explorer. The fully electric Explorer, built on Volkswagen’s MEB platform, is expected to start at less than $50,000 (€45,000).

The American automaker had a big year in 2022 after selling 61,575 EVs in the US and becoming the second largest EV maker in the states behind Tesla.

However, Ford is looking to carry its success overseas with a new generation of fully electric vehicles.

Ford partnered with Volkswagen in 2020 to use the German automaker’s modular electric drive matrix (MEB) electric vehicle platform with plans to launch two fully electric vehicles and help expand its position in Europe.

Ford’s current EV passenger car lineup consists of the F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E, two remakes of some of the company’s most iconic brands. Now, Ford is reinventing another classic.

After teasing its newest mid-size SUV based on VW’s MEB platform for several months with the hashtag “#ExploringReinvented,” Ford finally unveiled the new, all-electric Ford Explorer Tuesday.

electric Ford Explorer (Source: Ford)

Meet the fully electric Ford Explorer SUV

Ford took the iconic American SUV known for its durability and ability to be the everyday vehicle and unleashed a bold reinterpretation for the modern, electric era.

The new five-seat family SUV combines American design with top-notch German engineering resulting in a futuristic, stylish mid-size crossover. There won’t be a 7-seater offered, at least initially, in what would appear to be a missed opportunity.

Ford says its new electric SUV is fully equipped for family road trips with a supersized movable touchscreen, around 470 liters of storage, and advanced driver assistance technology.

electric Ford Explorer (Source: Ford)

The new Explorer will be the first model to be built at scale at Ford’s new Cologne EV facility in Germany.

Martin Sander, GM of Ford Model E Europe, commented on the release, saying:

Explorer is a trailblazer for a new breed of exciting Ford electric vehicles. Steeped in our American roots but built in Cologne for our customers in Europe, it is road trip-ready for the big adventures and fully loaded with everything our customers will need for their daily drives.

The electric SUV will come in two different trims – the Explorer and Explorer Premium, with the base level expected to start at less than €45,000 (roughly $48,500). In addition, it will be available in rear-wheel and all-wheel drive variants.

electric Ford Explorer (Source: Ford)

Ford says you will be able to charge the vehicle from 10 to 80% in just 25 minutes with access to 500,000 charging stations next year across Europe.

The new EV is part of Ford’s push into the European EV market with plans to become an all-electric brand by 2035, including nine electric vehicles in its lineup. Ford plans to sell 600,000 EVs annually in Europe by 2026, and the electric Explorer will play an integral role in getting there.

Electrek’s Take

Ford’s new mid-size electric Explorer embodies both the automaker’s roots and what it strives to become in the future with a clean aerodynamic design and modern features.

The only thing wrong with the vehicle is the market where it’s launching. Although an electric Explorer will likely sell in Europe, it would more than likely be a huge hit in the US. Just look at the hype the Kia EV9 and EV5 are getting while people are chomping at the bit for a Rivian R1S. The Explorer is already one of Ford’s best-selling cars in the States. Why wouldn’t they bring it over…or more realistically make one here?

What do you think? Should Ford launch the electric Explorer in the States, too? Maybe with enough interest, Ford will reconsider.

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