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Clean energy news: September 2021

Inside Arizona’s push to become an electric vehicle hub

Arizona has drawn national attention recently thanks to Lucid Motors, Nikola Corp., ElectraMeccanica and Local Motors all choosing to build their EVs in the state. Yet some observers think — or hope — that this is just the beginning. Electric vehicles offer Phoenix a chance to define its technological prowess, to move into the top echelon of American tech hubs and pave the way in electrification. The opportunity is obvious — EVs account for less than 3% of new car sales in the U.S. in recent years, according to a recent Pew survey — but wrestling control away from traditional vehicle manufacturing hubs won’t be easy. Read more >>


Where could a 234-square mile smart city be constructed in Arizona? Experts weigh in

A billionaire’s proposal to build a sustainable city in Arizona has at least one local technology leader excited, but real estate experts pointed out a few significant challenges to bringing the massive metropolis to the state. Marc Lore, the co-founder of Diapers.com and former president and CEO of Walmart U.S. eCommerce, announced plans for the futuristic city dubbed Telosa on Sept. 1. As planned, the city would consist of roughly 234 square miles and have a population of 5 million people over 40 years. Read more >>


Zero Electric Vehicles to open new HQ, production facility in Gilbert

Zero Electric Vehicles, a company that builds car electrification kits, has unveiled plans to build out a new head office and production center in Gilbert. The new 103,000-square foot space will allow the company to produce EV conversion kits for light and medium duty fleet vehicles that currently run on gasoline. The company also plans to build an electric vehicle chassis and full electric car of its own in the future. Read more >>


Could $125M land deal launch more Apple Car testing in Arizona?

A Delaware-based entity managed by Greenberg Traurig paid $125 million for the former Chrysler Proving Grounds in Wittmann in the West Valley, according to the real estate tracking website Vizzda. The most interesting aspect of the blockbuster deal for the 5,458 acres is that some reports say Apple is behind the entity, which means the site is likely to become the primary testing grounds for the Apple Car — Apple’s autonomous vehicle that has been in development for several years. Read more >>


Alternative fuel tax formula is changing

Changes to state law mean drivers who purchase alternative fuel vehicles will pay the same vehicle license tax (VLT) rate as other drivers by 2023. The change in VLT rates is phased in, starting Jan. 1, 2022. The VLT is paid during vehicle registration and is assessed in place of a personal property tax often charged in other states. The VLT funds transportation infrastructure in Arizona, including highways, bridges and local roads, and contributes to the general funds of cities/towns and counties. Read more >>


Battery manufacturer names contractor for 1-million-square-foot Buckeye facility

A national building company was selected to build the $500 million KOREPlex facility in Buckeye near MC 85 and Interstate 10, the company announced Tuesday. Yates Construction, an advanced manufacturing design-build company headquartered in Philadelphia, Mississippi, will build the 1-million-square foot facility, which is expected to employ about 3,000 people. Coeur D’Alene, Idaho-based KORE selected the land in Buckeye after a search that lasted more than two years and included more than 300 sites across 20 states. The company, which has a plant in China, is one of few battery cell developers in the world and the only one that’s wholly owned by a U.S.-based company. Read more >>


Valley startup ISA Industries has raised millions from investors. Can it deliver on its promise of being able to tap into a new energy source?

As the climate changes and humans drain the planet of finite resources, renewable energies like wind and solar power have become a growing necessity. But what if there were another, perhaps-infinite source of energy? It may sound like science fiction but such is the promise of ISA Industries, a Phoenix-based startup that claims it has created technology that produces vast amounts of previously untapped, carbon-free energy. The company claims that it has technology that can harness “underlying background energy that exists in space throughout our entire universe.” Specifically by extracting something called zero-point energy. Read more >>


Elio Motors announces plan to go electric, but Valley company could still face a rocky road ahead

It’s been a decade since Paul Elio founded Elio Motors on the promise of transforming transportation and in that time, Elio’s company has collected about $27 million in nonrefundable reservation fees for a vehicle that has yet to be delivered. The company received more than 65,000 vehicle reservations, including one from Tyler Perkins of Oklahoma City. Perkins, 28, put down a $100 refundable deposit in September 2014, but kicked it up to a $500 nonrefundable option to secure a discounted price when he thought the company was approaching production. Read more >>


Community calls for federal climate support

An intergenerational group of climate advocates, policymakers, parents and grandparents called on Sens. Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema Sept. 10 to invest in bold climate policies through support of the federal Build Back Better Agenda. In a press conference hosted by the Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans Moms Clean Air Force through the Climate Action Campaign, Rep. Andrea Dalessandro, D-Sahuarita, among others, urged the state’s senators to address extreme weather events for the benefit of future generations. Read more >>


Tucson Electric Power announces 2021 Go Green Award winners

What do recycled pillows, workforce training and a reimagined landfill have in common? They’re all among the sustainable efforts of local businesses and organizations that are being recognized with a 2021 Go Green Award this year from Tucson Electric Power. The awards are given annually to highlight meaningful work that protects our environment, preserves natural resources and promotes sustainability in some way in our community. The Go Green awards are being presented virtually again this year due to the ongoing pandemic. Read more >>


Clean energy innovators sign agreement to accelerate electric vehicle transition

KORE Power, Inc. and Zero Electric Vehicles, Inc. have signed a joint development agreement to bring together two leading U.S. clean energy innovators to design, develop and manufacture low-cost, highly configurable electric vehicle solutions that accelerate electrification of the transportation sector. KORE is a U.S.-based manufacturer of high-energy-density lithium-ion pouch cells and module configurations for the electric vehicle and energy sector applications. ZEV is also a U.S.-based manufacturer of electric powertrain solutions for fleet customers with a commercially available low-cost, fast-turnaround configuration for light-to-medium duty fleet vehicles. Read more >>

 


Visit www.aztechcouncil.org/tech-events to view all of the Council’s upcoming virtual tech networking opportunities, engaging virtual tech events and in-person tech events.


 

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