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STRATEGY AND BEST PRACTICES
HOPIUM MACHINA VISION | June 14, 2022
One year after the presentation of the first rolling prototype of the Hopium Machina, the French manufacturer of high-end hydrogen vehicles today reveals its concept car called Hopium Machina Vision, and offers for the first time an immersion within the cockpit.
Designed by automotive designer Félix Godard, who studied at Porsche, Tesla or Lucid, the Hopium Machina Vision imagines the future of the relationship between man and machine.
At the front, the screen deploys a landscape of information across the entire width of the vehicle, accessible to both the driver and the passenger. It is transformed according to the desires, in a wave movement, in full or minimized version. The haptic center console offers a new sensory connection with the interface.
In the rear, passengers can enjoy the comfort of an uncompromising interior space and an unrivaled view of the sky.
All of the materials used for the passenger compartment meet quality requirements, to allow the vehicle to stand the test of time while keeping all its shine, in a process of transparency and traceability. These materials have been sourced in Europe , in order to reduce their environmental impact.
The exterior design of the vehicle is becoming clearer, the Hopium Machina Vision displays a three-box silhouette that is both athletic and elegant, in a skilful balance of proportions. We find the characteristic elements of the Hopium Machina, including the imposing grille which moves to optimize the cooling of the fuel cell system, and the light signature inspired by waves on the surface of the water.
ABOUT HOPIUM
Founded by Olivier Lombard , the youngest winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Hopium is the culmination of his experience acquired on motor racing circuits. Olivier Lombard has driven hydrogen-powered racing cars for 7 years, making him an expert in the field. An open-air laboratory, the race allowed Olivier Lombardand his team to reflect on new mobility solutions to meet contemporary environmental challenges. While the transport sector alone is responsible for 20% of greenhouse gas emissions, the company is positioning itself as a player in the fight against climate change. Hopium brings together a team of experts at the forefront of innovation in the hydrogen fuel cell and automotive engineering sectors, as well as leading partners.
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ENERGY,PRODUCTS
Nomad Transportable Power Systems Inc. | August 02, 2022
Nomad Transportable Power Systems (“NOMAD”), a company founded by U.S.-based battery manufacturer KORE Power, unveiled a portfolio of mobile energy storage systems (units); these mobile-focused, lithium-ion storage units can disrupt fossil-fuel dominated sectors by removing traditional barriers to energy storage adoption such as cost, siting, and installation.At a ribbon cutting event in Waterbury, Vt., Jay Bellows, CEO of NOMAD, hailed the arrival of mobile lithium-ion storage as a new opportunity to slash pollution and deliver reliability.
Today, we are proud to announce a trio of NOMAD products to meet this demand; with these transportable power systems, which are made right here in Waterbury with KORE Power cells, we open the door to a new day in clean energy solutions, he said.
NOMAD unveiled three units in the portfolio:
The Traveler (2 MWh)
The Voyager (1.3 MWh)
The Rover (660 kwh)
Today’s unveiling shows what is possible when you put the experience of 50 years of designing energy storage solutions towards tackling the challenges of today,” said Lindsay Gorrill, KORE Power CEO and Co-Founder. “The NOMAD is safe, efficient, plug-and-play energy that can be dispatched to wherever it is needed, for as long as it is need.
NOMAD is a first mover in the utility, commercial and industrial-scale mobile energy storage sector and was founded to meet demands for a more flexible, transportable battery energy storage system. NOMAD’s business objective is to sell mobile energy storage systems and provide energy storage as a service. The units combine a fully enclosed trailer chassis with high energy density lithium-ion battery cells and a proprietary docking system to deliver a plug-and-play energy storage solution to their customers. NOMAD units combine the benefits of a fixed-site energy storage system that can be relocated, enabling a single Unit to serve multiple locations for seasonal, intermittent (outages) or temporary use (capital deferral), increasing asset utilization versus a fixed asset.
The units have a wide range of use cases including power back-up and emergency response to peak demand management and seasonal load mitigation.
Mari McClure, CEO of Green Mountain Power, which is NOMAD’s first customer, said GMP was immediately interested in the NOMAD portfolio when they learned it was in development. “At Green Mountain Power, we are always on the lookout for innovations that will help Vermonters and continue to build on the clean, reliable energy system we have here. Mobile storage will add to our fleet of existing storage, increasing resiliency as we address climate change, while also cutting costs and carbon for customers.”
“We have communities across Vermont whose populations swell seasonally, so their electricity demand surges at very particular times. Having an energy product that we can dispatch to meet these seasonal spikes, will enable us to better ensure demand can be affordably met without straining the grid.”
-Kerrick Johnson, Chief Innovation and Communications Officer with VELCO
Vermont Rep. Peter Welch praised the Vermont team that built NOMAD, I am thrilled to join NOMAD and KORE for this ribbon cutting. This project is grounded in Vermont’s values: working hard to strengthen our communities, protecting our environment, and innovating right here in our state. I look forward to continuing to work with the incredible KORE Power and NOMAD teams to help them thrive as they develop solutions to our energy challenges.”
NOMAD said it will be delivering 10 units by the end of 2022 and has a pipeline of additional interested customers.
About Nomad Transportable Power Systems Inc.
Nomad Transportable Power Systems, Inc. (“NOMAD”), is a Delaware-based company formed by KORE Power in 2020 to provide the energy industry with a standardized mobile energy storage platform. NOMAD is the first entrant into the mobile lithium-ion energy storage space and combines its patent-pending, over-the-road storage units with a standardized docking platform capable of interconnection with any distribution or transmission utility. The NOMAD system was designed from the onset to provide its customers all the benefits of fixed site energy storage, while eliminating both the capital commitments and long-term obligations that traditional energy storage requires.
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INDUSTRY UPDATES,TRANSPORTATION
Xcel Energy | August 03, 2022
Xcel Energy announced a new transportation vision that drives toward providing the infrastructure and energy to run all vehicles in its service area on carbon-free electricity or other clean energy by 2050. Expanding upon the company’s existing 2030 electric vehicle (EV) vision supports its overall goal to become a net-zero energy provider by 2050. By enabling a zero-carbon transportation future, the company’s clean energy can also help customers save billions of dollars in fuel costs and deliver cleaner air for everyon
“Xcel Energy is making incredible progress and has already reduced power sector carbon emissions by 50% since 2005, As we expand our clean energy leadership to transportation, which is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the nation, we know that electric vehicles are a key component of our comprehensive strategy to be a net-zero energy provider by 2050.”
-Bob Frenzel, chairman, president, and CEO of Xcel Energy.
Xcel Energy’s zero-carbon transportation vision for 2050 includes:
Providing the fueling infrastructure and energy system to run all vehicles in its service area on carbon-free electricity or other clean energy.
Ensuring all customers can access affordable, convenient electric vehicle charging at or within one mile of their homes and that underserved communities have opportunities to participate in Xcel Energy programs and the economic development benefits associated with zero-carbon transportation.
Operating a zero-carbon Xcel Energy fleet.
Xcel Energy was the first in the industry to set ambitious greenhouse gas goals across all the ways its customers use energy: electricity, heating and transportation. The new vision complements the company’s interim goal of enabling one out of five vehicles in the areas it serves to be electric by 2030 which was announced in August of 2020. Under its 2050 vision, all vehicles would run on zero-carbon fuel, which may be electricity or other clean energy like carbon-free hydrogen for future fuel cell electric vehicles.
To avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change, we must drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the coming decades, said Jason Albritton, director, climate and energy policy, The Nature Conservancy. Meeting this challenge will require all companies to reduce emissions from their own operations and work collaboratively with governments, NGO partners, and customers to drive innovation and climate action. A carbon-free transportation sector is essential for meeting climate goals and will provide significant health benefits, particularly in urban areas. Today’s commitment from Xcel Energy is an important step and will hopefully serve as an example to businesses from all economic sectors while spurring additional state and federal policy action to address the climate crisis.
Xcel Energy’s goal for a zero-carbon transportation sector in their service territory by 2050 is the type of ambitious commitment needed to decarbonize one of the highest emitting sectors of the economy,” said Armond Cohen, President of Clean Air Task Force (CATF). “CATF looks forward to seeing concrete programs developed and implemented to achieve this goal—including further details on enabling an equitable transition and providing zero-carbon fuels like hydrogen for the transportation sector—and we hope to see other utilities pursuing similar commitments.
With Xcel Energy increasing the amount of renewable and carbon-free energy on its system, an electric vehicle powered with Xcel Energy electricity in 2021 was over 55% cleaner than a conventional gasoline-powered vehicle and is expected to be at least 80% cleaner by 2030, under its plans for reducing carbon emissions. Lower cost is another key benefit – charging an EV during off-peak rate periods currently costs the equivalent of about $1 per gallon of gasoline or less, saving customers $1 billion annually on fuel by 2030.
Xcel Energy has been a national leader in both decarbonizing its generation fleet and promoting forward-leaning policies on transportation electrification for the past several years, and now it is taking the conversation to a new level,” said Phil Jones, Executive Director, Alliance for Transportation Electrification (ATE). “In addition to its bold vision, Xcel Energy is also proposing specific and tangible programs in its States to accelerate progress now. The utility must play a key role in enabling this market transformation, engaging with its host sites and customers, and managing the charging data in a way that benefits both the customers and the overall electric grid. That is why ATE and I support this plan strongly and will work to bring these programs and tariffs to a tangible reality soon.
To help make its clean transportation vision a reality, Xcel Energy will continue expanding programs, including those that make charging EVs at home, at work and on the go convenient and affordable for all customers. Its transportation vision supports everyone in the communities it serves to experience the benefits of electric transportation, whether they own an EV, use public transit, or benefit from improved air quality. The 2030 interim goal also aligns with several state targets in its service areas, such as those of Colorado and Minnesota.
“Xcel Energy is embarking on a vision to place diversity, equity and inclusion at the center of this strategy and sets a path forward to provide access to clean transportation for all, We view this effort as a step towards a vision for a cleaner and greener transportation future benefitting all communities.”
-Terry Travis, managing partner of EVNoire.
Expanding electric vehicle programs and public charging
To help drive toward this clean transportation future, the company today filed proposals in Minnesota and Wisconsin for new and enhanced electric vehicle charging programs to make charging at home easy, fast and more affordable for all customers. The proposal also includes expanded solutions supporting public charging, businesses, multifamily buildings, community charging, transit and electric school buses.
The proposal would significantly increase the number of public EV charging stations in Minnesota and Wisconsin, making it easier for drivers to charge on the go, by adding about 750 high-speed charging stations across the two states, including up to about 1,500 charging ports total by 2026. This expansion positions the Upper Midwest as a national leader in accessible, affordable charging options, allowing Xcel Energy to work with interested communities and site hosts to locate charging stations in both urban and rural areas, particularly along interstates, state highways and other traffic corridors.
The proposal also enhances the successful EV Accelerate at Home program, which provides a turn-key option working with local electricians to install a home charger, in both states to better meet customers’ needs and expands programs and charger options to help businesses provide EV charging for employees, renters, fleet vehicles and the public.
These proposals are in addition to existing offers in some of Xcel Energy’s states that support the vision. In 2021, the company launched a record 14 new clean transportation programs in Colorado and Minnesota, and this year, rolled out a suite of new EV programs for customers in New Mexico. The new programs are in addition to those already offered to customers in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
In Minnesota, an electric school bus pilot is also proposed, as part of the company’s partnerships, research and innovation initiative. Through the school bus pilot, Xcel Energy will help address the significant upfront cost and operational challenges of transitioning to electric buses and better understand how these buses can most efficiently support and integrate into the electric grid, among other research objectives. Pending regulatory approval, the 32 buses will be used in a vehicle-to-grid demonstration project to help maximize the benefits of electric buses to schools and to the electric grid.
About Xcel Energy
Xcel Energy (NASDAQ: XEL) provides the energy that powers millions of homes and businesses across eight Western and Midwestern states. Headquartered in Minneapolis, the company is an industry leader in responsibly reducing carbon emissions and producing and delivering clean energy solutions from a variety of renewable sources at competitive prices. For more information, visit xcelenergy.com or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
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