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Consumers have been adapting to electric vehicles, but the rollout has been slower for the commercial market.

President Biden recently signed an executive order to transition federal infrastructure to zero-emission vehicles by 2030. In the same timeframe, he wants half of all vehicles sold in the United States to be electric or plug-in vehicles. His $1.2 trillion infrastructure plan is poised to spend $7.5 billion on charging stations for electric vehicles (EV), and there will likely be incentives for both consumers and commercial fleets to switch to EV.

It’s clear the EV transition is happening, and one company, Ideanomics, is leading the way. The global company is driving the adoption of commercial electric vehicles and associated energy consumption.

“From California to Kuala Lumpur, Ideanomics is accelerating the transition to commercial electric vehicles,” says Alf Poor, CEO of Ideanomics.

Their cutting-edge solutions can help fleet operators reduce both the total cost of ownership and harmful greenhouse gas emissions. EV is an environmentally cleaner option, as commercial vehicles idle a lot and contribute harmful diesel into the air — and in the long term, it’s a cheaper way to do business since it saves on fuel costs and maintenance.

“If you’re a commercial fleet operator, your business and the problems you’re trying to solve are the same if you’re in Beijing, Berlin, or Boston,” says Poor. “You have a cargo hold or a passenger hold that makes you money. And you need the vehicle to be on the road because otherwise, you’re not making money.

“You need reliability, you need performance, you need to manage fuel costs, and many other things because you transport people or goods.”

Ideanomics’ subsidiaries and investments are focused on three key pillars: energy, vehicles, and charging.

Energy

U.S. Hybrid, an Ideanomics subsidiary in Torrance, specializes in the design, manufacturing, and distribution of zero-emission powertrain components for electric, hybrid, and fuel cell transportation applications.

Vehicles

Solectrac, a subsidiary headquartered in Santa Rosa, provides climate-smart electric tractors — 100 percent battery powered tractors — helping lead the transition to zero-emission agriculture and utility operations. 

“A little electric tractor is extremely green, capable of outperforming the diesel and it’s much cheaper to run,” says Robin Mackie, president of Ideanomics mobility. “It’s a very attractive opportunity for small and large operators and we’re working with a number of them to shape what this technology is going to look like in the future.”

The Solectrac e70N electric tractor, which is equivalent to a 70HP diesel tractor, doesn’t produce harmful emissions but has all the power farms and vineyards need. It’s four-wheel drive, has instant torque with only one moving part, and provides 4-8 hours of operation from a single charge.

Charging

Another subsidiary, Wireless Advanced Vehicle Electrification (WAVE), is a leading developer of high-power inductive charging solutions for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. Benefits of the wireless charging systems include reduced maintenance, improved health and safety, and expedited energy connection.

WAVE is working on a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) electrified powertrain project to develop the 1-megawatt wireless charging system for Class 8 electric trucks. Their technology — 12 WAVE wireless chargers over 100 square route miles — has helped power the Antelope Valley Transit Authority in northern Los Angeles County, the largest battery-electric bus fleet in the United States.

The WAVE system features fully automated hands-free charges to vehicles during scheduled stops, eliminates battery range limitations, and enables fleets to achieve driving ranges that match that of internal combustion engines. The wireless in-route charging maintains battery life and facilitates greater route lengths with smaller batteries.

A project at the Port of Los Angeles will power 10 Class-8-yard trucks with 125kW WAVE chargers. WAVE also powers the tram tour at Universal Studios.

The Ideanomics team is excited for the transition to EV and what the future holds for this technology.

Learn more about Ideanomics at ideanomics.com.

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