News Roundup: Wireless Charging Gets a Boost, Electric Buses, and More

This week saw several updates in the world of electric vehicles (EV). From fast charging access to a closer coalition on wireless charging standards, things are heating up. With buses too, electrics see a lot of activity.

Nissan and BMW have continued their partnership for the expansion of DC Fast charging stations around the U.S. In partnership with EVgo, a charging station provider, the two automakers have added 175 locations in 33 states and are adding 50 more for 2017.

SAE International to build an SAE J2954 wireless charging test station. This is a big step towards finding a wireless charging standard for all who follow SAE standardization; which includes most automakers globally.

Researchers in Korea and the U.S. have developed an improvement for metal-air batteries and fuel cells using polypyrrole. The process improves the oxygen reactions in both metal-air (such as lithium-air and zinc-air) batteries and in fuel cells.

Viking Grace ferry to add a rotor sail, become LNG-wind hybrid. The rotor sail will be installed by Norsepower on board the Grace LNG ferry. The ferry is LNG-powered and operates between Finland and Stockholm. The rotor sail will reduce LNG usage by about 300 tonnes per year.

Blue Bird is developing a battery-electric school bus with a $9 million project aimed towards a demonstration fleet for 2019. The largest bus manufacturer in the United States is combining research funds plus money from the U.S. Department of Energy and other public and private entities to develop the EV buses.

University of California Irvine will be adding 20 electric buses from BYD, making its bus fleet entirely electric. This will make the UC Irvine campus the first in the U.S. to have an entirely electric-only fleet of buses. The Anteater Express shuttle service will purchase 20 buses at $15 million from BYD.

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