A “Flexpole” fast-charger is at the center of a push for more charging in Europe from VW and BP. With a second-generation Kia Niro EV arriving in months, Kia sees a reason to keep making the first-gen Niro EV. And states and environmental groups ally in a suit against the USPS. This and more, here at Green Car Reports.
The controversy continues over a U.S. Postal Service contract that could make only 10% of the new-generation delivery trucks used by the government extension for decades fully electric. Thursday, a coalition of states and environmental groups filed lawsuits against the USPS alleging that proper environmental and cost analyses weren’t actually done before the contract was signed. The gasoline-powered replacement trucks are anticipated to be less fuel-efficient than their 1990-era predecessors did when new.
A project between Volkswagen and the oil giant BP will lead to the installation of up to 8,000 charging stations across Europe by 2024—focused on urban charging and including a “Flexpole” design that doesn’t require high-voltage hardware to provide DC fast-charging.
And the first-generation version of the Kia Niro EV is continuing on as a zero-emission taxi special in its home South Korean market, the automaker confirmed this week. The much-loved EV will be slimmed down in its seats and door trims for interior space, with the whole package tweaked for taxi, ride-hailing, or corporate fleet use. It’s the first of a new series of “purpose-built” EVs, according to Kia.
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