#charging-infrastructure

#charging-infrastructure

Even as auto industry executives, analysts and policy experts warn of an electric-vehicle slowdown in the United States, one crucial part of the EV transition didn't slow down at all in 2025: the nation's fast-charging network. America's EV public fast-charging network grew at a staggering pace last year, the charging analytics firm Paren reported Wednesday. The record-breaking year saw more than 18,000 new fast-charging ports installed nationwide.

The robotaxi takeover - assuming they take over - will also be a real estate story. As Waymo, Uber, Tesla, and other competitors race to flood the streets with fully autonomous cars, robotaxi operators will need to find places to park, charge, and maintain their vehicles. Voltera, a charging infrastructure company based in Palo Alto that has partnered with Alphabet-backed Waymo, is buying up real estate now to prep for the AV boom.

Food carts are a staple of New York City dining, dispensing everything from dosa and doner kebabs to dogs and dim sum in short order. But no matter how enticing the aroma of a cart's food, the smelly gas generators that keep the lights on threaten to put customers off their meals. Cart owners and customers may not have to suck on fumes much longer.

The new hybrids will help modernize an aging fleet. About 70% of the NYPD's 8,992 vehicles have passed their five-year life cycle. Hybrid vehicles, which typically operate on electricity at lower speeds and gas at higher speeds, make up about half of the NYPD's fleet. The department currently has fewer than 500 fully electric vehicles, mostly limited to school safety and traffic enforcement duties.

Building on the success of the Lion's City E family, which has seen almost 3,000 e-buses produced, the Lion's Coach 14 E combines MAN eTruck drive technology with NMC battery packs produced in MAN's Nuremberg facility. The coach offers a usable energy capacity of 320 to 480 kWh, allowing ranges up to 650 kilometres under optimal conditions, and accommodates up to 63 passengers without restricting luggage space.

Highland Electric Fleets will provide 500 zero-emission school buses for the 2028 Olympic games to be held in Los Angeles. The vehicles, normally idle during the summer months, will be repurposed to transport accredited stakeholders across venues in Los Angeles. The initiative, presented at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum with Mayor Karen Bass, LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover, and Highland CEO Duncan McIntyre, is described as a first-of-its-kind program for a global sporting event.

Prospective EV buyer Jenny Seiber (@jennylseiber) turned to the digital masses for advice after her family's Toyota Prius hybrid finally called it quits after years. "We really don't know a whole lot about them, and we don't know a whole lot of people with them," she explains before asking for input. The one condition is that whatever car they choose must be affordable for a young couple.

"The Netherlands was quite early in investing in a good charging network for electric cars. We've done this as one of the best in the world; we've truly become a leader in this area. We want to do exactly the same with flying."