The governors of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin are joining forces with a new bipartisan plan to accelerate vehicle electrification in the in the US region.

The plan is called REV Midwest, or Regional Electric Vehicle Midwest Coalition, and aims to reduce toxic emissions while boosting the regional economy and improving public health.

All five governors have now signed the REV Midwest agreement , which lays out the steps the states will follow to coordinate their electrification efforts.

First up, the participating states want to increase the number of medium and heavy-duty electric vehicles by expanding the charging network with standardized charging regulations and operations across the region.

Given the low number of charging stations in these states (903 in Illinois, 300 in Indiana, 740 in Michigan, 542 in Minnesota, and 452 in Wisconsin), the completed network promises to make life easier for current EV drivers and to incentivize those who are still hesitant to make the switch due to range anxiety.

Equally important is the plan’s aim to attract private investment and additional federal funding in order to capture a larger share of electric vehicle production, which would also see the creation of new job opportunities.

Lastly, the governors have highlighted the importance of reducing harmful emissions as a way to make “all communities more sustainable, healthy, and equitable places to live […] including historically disadvantaged communities.”

Some of those communities are located near main highways or freight and shipping facilities — areas where the switch to electric power would decrease the negative impact of carbon emissions.

While the REV Midwest agreement doesn’t disclose any specific targets regarding EV sales, it has the potential to boost the adoption of electric vehicles, which are rather underrepresented across the region.

As of June 2021 , the five states combined have a sum of 60,300 registered EVs, which translates to a 5.92% share of the total EV registrations in the US.

Compared to the East and West Coast states, led by New York at 3.25% and California by 42%, the Midwest coalition has still a lot of effort to make.

So if it plans to become a serious competitor of the more fast-pacing states, it should also consider the ban of petrol or diesel vehicles and follow California’s and New York’s suit.

HT – npr

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Report: Hyundai and Kia slam the brakes on Apple Car rumor

Despite persistent rumors and leaks, Apple’s supposed electric and autonomous car is becoming more and more elusive every day.

Last week , things seemed to substantiate after a number of reports claimed to have solid insight into who Apple was talking to, to produce its vehicle.

All eyes were on the semi-conjoined South Korean automakers, Hyundai and Kia. However, an article from Bloomberg published this morning has cast new light on the situation saying that the South Korean carmakers deny being in talks with the Cupertino tech giant.

Citing people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg says Apple, Hyundai, and Kia stopped talking about a deal to build an autonomous vehicle together weeks ago.

Apparently, Hyundai and Kia are in talks with a number of other companies, discussing the potential for autonomous EVs, but nothing has been decided.

It seems Hyundai is doubling down on its commitment issues. About a month ago , the company was connected to discussions about the Apple Car. Soon after, it revised its statement multiple times, back peddling on its involvement and effectively friend-zoning Apple. For now, at least.

We won’t have to hold our breath too long, though. The one thing that does seem certain for the Apple Car, is that another rumor will be along before this tea gets cold.

For a deeper dive into the Apple Car rumor mill, check out SHIFT’s coverage here .

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Feast your eyes upon BMW’s new electric scooter

Yes, folks, it’s here.

The long-awaited BMW CE 04 escooter has finally been unveiled, and, yes, it was worth the wait since 2017, when it was firstly showcased as the BMW Motorrad Concept Link.

Today the company took the wraps off its new all-electric two-wheeler , which marks the German brand’s triumphal debut in the escooter market.

Modern design

Design-wise the BMW CE 04 does look sleek and future-oriented. In its standard version it comes in Light White color with matt black sections in the the front and side areas as well as the seat.

In its Avantgarde Style variant it’s dressed in Magellan Grey metallic color with a black/orange seat, an orange wind deflector, and body graphics.

The scooter’s motor a has maximum output of 31kW, which enables it to go from 0 to 50km/h in just 2.6 seconds. There’s also a reduced output version offering a 23kW drive power. As per BMW, both versions can reach a top speed of 120km/h on a single charge.

But speed shouldn’t be a problem, as the scooter is claimed to have a cutting-edge braking system, consisting of twin front disc brakes with a single rear disc brake and ABS. To control braking on bends through braking sensors, BMW offers ABS Pro as an extra.

The CE 04 runs on a 8.9 kWh capacity lithium-ion battery that can be juiced up from zero to 100% within 4 hours and 20 minutes, using the standard 2.3 kW charger. However, with the optional 6.9 kW fast charger, the time can be reduced to 1 hour and 20 minutes.

With this 8.9 kWh battery, you can expect the scooter to have a range of approximately 130km, which drops to 100km for the reduced output version.

“Eco,” “Rain,” and “Road” are the three standard modes that enable the riders to personalize their driving experience. There’s also the optional “Dynamic” mode that helps the scooter accelerate when it runs at a swifter pace.

The escooter comes equipped with a 10.25-inch TFT color screen with integrated map navigation and smartphone connectivity.

It’s also all about LED technology, used for the head and rear lights as well as for the turn indicator lamps. What’s more, riders can choose the Adaptive Headlight Pro for better road illumination when cornering, or even s pecial light functions such as “Welcome” and “Good Bye” – I guess, if one’s feeling playful.

Overall, the BMW CE 04 looks like a beautiful – and eco-friendly – beast, but we’ll have to wait some more before we get to know its price or the launch date. Don’t worry about it, we’ll keep you updated.

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