PRESS RELEASE -
Photo:
Two cars recharging at Tesla stations
Photo courtesy of Tesla, Inc.
All throughout Earth Month and every day at Target, we’re working toward ambitious goals to help keep the planet healthy.
Today, we’re taking another step forward, accelerating our electric vehicle program with the help of industry experts Tesla, ChargePoint and Electrify America. Together, we’ll expand our current program, available now at 18 sites in five states, to more than 600 parking spaces at over 100 sites across more than 20 states with charging stations over the next two years.
BUSINESS CASE -
In school, we both read Paul Hawken’s The Ecology of Commerce, and it profoundly influenced the impact we want to have in life. His book demonstrates how industry and the environment do not have to be at odds, and if we work to find the right solutions, the two can (and must) work together. We’re grateful and lucky to have Paul as Lyft’s environmental advisor.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
For the second year, Fast Company is celebrating businesses, policies, and nonprofits that are poised help shift society to a more sustainable and more equitable future with its World Changing Ideas Awards. From melted down guns to nitrogen-producing microbes, there’s quite a bit of variety among 2018’s twelve winners.
PRESS RELEASE -
EVgo, the nation's largest network of public electric vehicle (EV) DC Fast charging stations, today announced an agreement with Maven, General Motors' car sharing brand, to construct a dedicated DC fast charging network available to Maven Gig Chevrolet Bolt EV drivers. This agreement builds upon the success of EVgo and Maven's current pilot programs powering Bolt drivers in seven major US cities.
"EVgo is committed to working with fleet EV owners and operators to make charging quick and easy," said Cathy Zoi, EVgo CEO. "Maven Gig EV Bolt on-demand drivers will have access to a dedicated EVgo fast charging network so they can fully charge in the time it takes to eat lunch."
PRESS RELEASE -
Passenger electric cars get all the press, especially when someone launches one into space. But something important is going on in the world of commercial vehicles as well.
Last year Tesla announced it would produce an electric long-haul big rig. PepsiCo, Walmart and UPS promptly committed to buying a few hundred.
More recently, UPS made an important announcement about its plans to roll out 50 new midsize electric delivery trucks in Atlanta, Dallas and Los Angeles.
The headline is that, for the first time, the electric trucks are expected to cost the company no more than regular diesel vehicles. Up-front price is no longer a barrier.
But there’s a second part of the story that’s not being touted enough.
CLEANTECH -
Many corporate leaders committed to supply chain sustainability are waiting for a full range of electric vehicles to hit the market to achieve zero emissions from their heavy-duty truck fleets. But there’s no need to wait: With a new model natural gas engine now in commercial production, fleets can meet their heaviest-duty needs using carbon-negative renewable natural gas (RNG) in near-zero-emission natural gas trucks.
CLEANTECH -
In Henry Ford’s day, there was no term for environmentalist. But he had a goal of zero waste to landfill, just as we do today, based on his belief that nothing should be wasted.
Those values still hold true at Ford.
Currently, conversation is underway on setting the near-term standards for fuel economy. It is a critical one for all of us who care about the environment and our customers, and we all need to work together to ensure there is a win on both fronts.
BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
2018 has already seen a number of environmentally conscious trends — such as a switch to electric vehicles and plant-based diets — make the headlines.
PRESS RELEASE -
In Henry Ford’s day, there was no term for environmentalist. But he had a goal of zero waste to landfill, just as we do today, based on his belief that nothing should be wasted.
Those values still hold true at Ford.
Currently, conversation is underway on setting the near-term standards for fuel economy. It is a critical one for all of us who care about the environment and our customers, and we all need to work together to ensure there is a win on both fronts.
Today, our planet faces increasing challenges, the implications of which are profound: greater congestion in cities, the rise of human population, climate change and all its implications. The cost of believing it is not real is just too high.
CLEANTECH -
UN Environment has awarded seed funding to twelve young people with business ideas on how to foster energy-efficient, low-waste and low-carbon lifestyles. Each of the winners of the Asia Pacific Low Carbon Lifestyles Challenge will receive US$10,000 and mentorship to help bring their ideas to fruition.
PRESS RELEASE -
As a company committed to reducing water intensity across its global operations by 15 percent by 2020, General Motors is constantly looking for innovative ways to conserve water and increase efficiencies. This mindset has led the automaker to adopt a circular economy approach to maximizing water reuse in water-stressed regions, such as Mexico.
PRESS RELEASE -
Last week, General Motors announced that it will begin making a production version of the self-driving Cruise AV at its Orion Township assembly plant in Michigan, while roof modules for the vehicles will be assembled at the Brownstone battery plant. The automaker will invest more than $100 million to upgrade both facilities, bringing the company a step closer to its vision for future mobility.
“We’re continuing to make great progress on our plans to commercialize in 2019,” said GM President Dan Ammann. “Our Orion and Brownstown teams have proven experience in building high-quality self-driving test vehicles and battery packs, so they are well-prepared to produce the Cruise AV.”
PRESS RELEASE -
BASF’s Coatings division has won the internationally coveted iF Design Award in the category “Automobiles/Vehicles” for its functional paint technology for passive temperature management. The jury of the iF Design Award honored the specific properties of the paint system and its design potential for mobility of the future – a successful combination of functionality and design. The prize was presented during the iF Design Award Night at “BMW Welt” in Munich.
WASTE NOT -
Discussion around the future of mobility is dominated by discourse around the shift away from fossil fuels, but this is only one small part of a more complex conversation. Even clean energy vehicles have impacts on environmental and human health. China’s industry ministry, General Motors and Goodyear are taking these often-overlooked impacts into account by focusing on waste recovery and prevention approaches that seek to establish closed-loop systems.
PRESS RELEASE -
General Motors today announced an expansion of its industry-leading landfill-free program as all of the company’s manufacturing plants in Canada, Mexico and South America now recycle, reuse or convert to energy all waste from daily operations. With the addition of 27 newly certified facilities, General Motors has 142 manufacturing and non-manufacturing landfill-free facilities globally — more than any other automaker.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
Building on the success of its “Good Odds” spots released during the Super Bowl, in which it highlighted the real-life story of Canadian Para-alpine skier Lauren Woolstencroft, auto giant Toyota has released a new ad campaign “Start Your Impossible” for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018.
CLEANTECH -
Clean, efficient electricity is essential for constructing a low-carbon future, but more advanced technologies are needed to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels. Scientists around the world are rising to the challenge, delivering new energy solutions that could finally tip the scales in favor of sustainability.
CLEANTECH -
Nissan is driving the future of mobility forward with a vehicle-to-grid (VG2) demonstrator project that could prove instrumental in helping the UK transition to low-carbon transportation and a smart energy system. The £9.8 million e4Futures project will allow drivers to feed energy back into the electricity grid during peak times.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
The auto sector is facing a complete overhaul with technological disruption already well underway. In order to remain relevant in the low-carbon transition, automotive companies must rapidly adapt to address technological disruption and environmental regulation. This is the key finding of a new report from CDP, which analyzes 16 of the world’s largest publicly listed automotive companies with a total market capitalization of $790 billion.