Tesla Cybertruck Test Drives Now Available

The drives are being offered at Tesla’s Service and Leasing center in New Milford. This is the Tesla page to book a test drive for any of their models.

This follows the first Cybertruck test drives offered in the state at our NorthEast Electric Vehicle Symposium last month. As the 75 or so people who drove the CT that day can attest, the handling is amazingly nimble for a vehicle of this size.

More EV Pickups Being Introduced

It is a category that has seen an increasing number of entrants from the likes of Rivian, Ford, Chevrolet and GMC. Numerous sources have reported that Cybertruck has overtaken the Ford F150 Lightning as the best selling electric pickup in second quarter. It is hard to tell exactly what the sales are because Tesla does not break out individual models. Their “other vehicles” category, which includes the Model S and X, accounted for 21,551 sales according to Inside EVs, which speculates, using indirect data such as recalls, that Tesla produced roughly 12,000 trucks, compared to 7902 for the Lightning. There are other reasons why the comparison is rough. For one thing, a sale for Ford is when the dealership takes title to the vehicle, whereas with Tesla, it is when the consumer receives it. Most of these pickup models are quite new and some have been supply-constrained.

Configurations

Tesla has stopped taking orders for the Foundation series and the configurator shows the All-Wheel Drive ($79,990) and Cyberbeast ($103,490).

The AWD starts at a low enough price that it would be eligible for the federal incentive if no options were ordered. The incentive MSRP cap is $80,000 for a pickup. There is also an income limitation of $300,000 for joint filers, which may be an issue for someone who can afford $80K for a vehicle. Anyway, that is moot for the time being. The configurator does not indicate that the vehicle qualifies. Tesla is usually very good at maximizing incentives, so it wouldn’t surprise us if things will change; we just don’t know when.

Leases and commercial transactions do qualify for the federal $7500 incentive as those are not subject to the rules for consumer purchases.

Enel X to Continue to Support Chargers…For Now

We have published a previous post and updates following the announcement from Enel X, maker of JuiceBox chargers, of their abrupt withdrawal from the North American market. The original announcement was that while the chargers would work, the software would no longer be available. Not only would that negate the smart charger functionality of the equipment, these units were approved for the charging incentives offered by Eversource and UI and they would no longer be able to track compliance with the managed charging program. Commercial chargers would be completely dead without the software.

Subsequent to the initial announcement, Enel X said they would continue to support the software for both residential and commercial for the time being. Per UI, Enel plans to auction off their North American business to a third party.

Still Solving for Managed Charging

Having some interim software support for the chargers does not equate to the utilities being able to track the data they need. UI reports that at present it has lost visibility and that  its back-end provider is working on a solution with Enel. This may take a couple of weeks. At that point, they expect to be back in business until at least the end of the year. This prospective solution may work beyond that but that is still tbd at this time.

UI and Eversource have different back-end providers, so it is not a given that there is a solution in the offing for Eversource. We have not received an update from them.

Vehicle Connection (Telematics)

If your vehicle is able to enroll via telematics, both utilities recommend going that route. For your viewing pleasure, below is a list of every eligible telematics vehicle. The list is not identical for Eversource and UI.

An Example of How Distributed Resources Create Resilience

A club-member received this text message from a friend who lives in Stuart, FL, a city on the eastern coast of the state where Hurricane Milton came through as a category 1 storm after spawning tornadoes. It is a good illustration of how EVs and distributed energy resources can contribute to resilience.

“Thanks for checking in.  Our home is fine…survived beautifully….never lost power thanks to Tesla Powerwalls.   The rest of the community and county had some major power issues.   Tornado touched down about 3 blocks away, no injuries, just more  power outages in the area. Also, some trees down and turned over a semi-truck.  Hospital (family run Vet hospital) lost power around midnight, but I powered it from the Cybertruck until the power came back around 2pm this afternoon.   At home, we had trimmed all the trees earlier this week,  so only a few branches down.  That’s about it.   Nothing like North Carolina.”

Enel X Way, Maker of JuiceBox EV Chargers That Are Part of the CT EV Charging Incentive Program, Shutting Down in North America

Update Oct. 13 – Enel X has apparently found a workaround and software service will not be disrupted. (Customer service for the hardware is offline.) This is an article in Electrek with more detail. Based on this, participants in the managed charging programs should be able to continue. We have had several members send us communications from Enel X or the utilities. Please keep us updated.

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Enel had previously announced big plans for a USA and Canada charging network, including installing 10,000 DCFC chargers by 2030. Now they are closing it down, though they are a huge company that remains in business in many other countries.

According to a statement posted on the JuiceBox website:

“After careful consideration, Enel X Way North America has decided to close its electric mobility business in the US and Canada, operated by the local subsidiary of Enel X Way USA, effective October 11, 2024.”

This is what they say about how it affects customers:

• Residential charging hardware (JuiceBox) will maintain the physical operating ability to charge vehicles, but that is it. (In other words, they become dumb chargers.)
• All Enel X Way software will be discontinued. Commercial charging stations will no longer work absent software.
• The Enel X Way App and all other Enel e-mobility apps in North America will be discontinued and removed from the App Store.
• Enel X Way customer support is no longer available, effective immediately. Any Enel X Way related questions and claims should be directed in the coming days to the claims information page (available soon). (The emphasis is theirs.)

The entire website, except for this one status page has been taken offline.

Impact on Managed Charging Incentives

There are Juicebox chargers that are approved equipment for EV charging incentives offered through Eversource and United Illuminating. Without software support, it will not be possible for the consumer to schedule charging nor for the utility to track it. The utilities were not given advance notice of the Enel decision.

We have been forwarded a few emails from members that were sent from Eversource and Enel X. Enel X is reporting that they are working to transition to the software of a third party. It sounds like they have made progress and there may be no interruption in service.

The emails we have seen from Eversource haven’t yet mentioned this. It may well be coming. But at this point, they suggest that if a vehicle is eligible for telematics, the customer can re-enroll and continue that way. Otherwise, they will be paid out through September and no longer part of the program. There is also the opportunity to subsequently re-enroll if the charger is replaced with an approved unit.

GM vehicles, which are not on the Eversource list of eligible telematics vehicles, are apparently able to connect through OnStar, which may require a paid subscription. GM vehicles are on the list of UI telematics vehicles.

The chart at the top of the post shows the number of rebates and amount of funds awarded monthly through August 2024. The reason for the dip in August is that there is only partial-month reporting available at this time.

This information is based on recent the CHEAPR board meeting.

CHEAPR Program Running Hot

As can be seen in the chart, the CT EV purchase incentive program has been running hot over the past 16 or so months. Between price cuts on the Tesla Models 3 and Y, along with new models being introduced by the legacy manufacturers, CHEAPR has dispensed $7.9 million worth of rebates this calendar year through July 30 with another $600 thousand in the processing pipeline. Last year, $8.9 million was dispensed in total and this year will clearly exceed that. Fortunately, there have been carryover funds from past under-performance, but those will be burned through by next year.

Cuts Looming

The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has budgeted $9.2 million annually for incentive payments. Incentive payouts follow consumer demand and rebate levels, and 87% of the expenditures have been going to the Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) standard incentive. The remainder is divided amongst PHEV rebates, along with supplemental rebates and used EV rebates for income limited individuals. A cut to the size of the standard rebate for BEVs will be used to slow the burn rate. While final action has not yet been taken, it is expected that the $2250 standard BEV rebate will be rolled back to $1500 as of January 1. Based on the first quarter run-rate, a further cut to $1000 is possible for July.

EVs are currently in over-supply and discounts are widely available. It might make sense to take advantage of the full rebate while it is still here.

Increases for Plus Rebates

If cuts are made to the standard rebate, the tentative plan is to increase the size of the plus rebates. These rebates are for people who have a household income of no more than 3 times the federal poverty rate, or are enrolled in a qualifying state or federal government assistance program, such as food stamps or free school lunches, or live in an environmental justice community or distressed municipality. (This is the page that details these criteria.) For a new BEV, the Plus incentive would increase to $3000 from $2000, for a total incentive of $4500, assuming the standard incentive is rolled back to $1500. There would be increases in the PHEV incentive, and used BEV/PHEV incentives as well.

Increasing the Plus rebates will not break the bank as there are relatively few of them.

The legislature authorized increasing the size of the Plus rebates to up to 200% of the standard rebate level, which is what this would be if the standard rebate were to be cut to $1500. It is not clear to us how the Plus incentive could be further increased without exceeding the 200% threshold.

The same legislation called for a program goal to dispense 40% of the funding to EJ/distressed communities by 2030. Currently, the closest proxy we have to that number, the Plus rebates, sits at about 6%, looking at the data since the end of June. That is a lot higher than it used to be, but nowhere near 40%. Clearly, a direction has been set for the program and we should expect to see changes between now and then.

One of the changes that has driven higher participation in the Plus rebate process is the option of a pre-qualification voucher. That way, the buyer knows they’re approved before the purchase, and the incentive can come off the invoice price (as opposed to a post-purchase reimbursement which is what it was initially).

Will The Marketplace Change In A Way That Affects This?

Much of the non-Tesla part of the manufacturing side of the industry has announced pullbacks in their BEV expansion plans and a revived emphasis on plug-in hybrids. The numbers in the CHEAPR program aren’t showing this to this point, though there is a lagging effect in terms of announcements relative to consumer adoption. The point is that if PHEVs gain market share, it will slow the burn rate. Unlike in the Inflation Reduction Act, PHEV incentives in CHEAPR are much lower than BEV incentives, $750 vs $2250 at current rates.

Fleet Incentive Postponement

A major program enhancement passed in the 2021 legislation and codified in Public Act 22-25 is the implementation of a very inclusive incentive for fleets – commercial, non-profit, municipal, and tribal. There had been $2 million budgeted for this in 2024, but the program is still in the design phase and will not launch this year. As indicated by the $2 million (which is not necessarily the number going forward), this is a finite resource. Equity will be prioritized for fleets, but it is not the only consideration. The tentative rubric that was developed for prioritizing the submissions is described in this earlier blog post from the time of the legislative session.

Rebates by Make/Model

This is the number of rebates by make/model for available Q3 data. Keep in mind that qualifying vehicles must have a base trim-level MSRP of no more than $50,000. (This is different than the Inflation Reduction Act federal incentive MSRP definition, where the price cap includes factory-installed options.)

Vehicle to Band

Heard at the NorthEast Electric Vehicle Symposium, dateline September 16, 2024…

An important partner for the EV Club is the PACE organization (People’s Action for Clean Energy). PACE president, Mark Sculley, plays in a band, Temporary Sanity, that had an outdoor gig at Burlington Tavern Day over the weekend. Since there was no power near the stage, a gas generator was used, which unfortunately, ran out of gas midway through the set. Talk about range anxiety!

However, the band’s sound tech drives a Rivian R1T, so no problem! They just plugged the equipment into the vehicle. It worked seamlessly and barely made a dent in the battery state of charge. Let’s think about this – what would use more energy, powering an electric guitar or moving a 7,148 pound vehicle?

It’s not quite “Where’s Waldo,” but the truck is a little hard to spot – it is on the right side of the photo, powering zero-emission tunes.

EVs are hard to beat, but they also have a good beat and you can dance to them.

New Rivian Test Drive Center

Rivian recently opened a service and test drive center in Blauvelt, New York. Blauvelt is just across the Mario Cuomo (Tappan Zee) Bridge in Rockland County. The recently opened service center in Shelton does not offer test-drives. That is why it was a treat to have them join us at the Symposium to offer test-drives locally.

Truck-Powered Presentations

For those of you who saw the Sunday presentations delivered from the bed of a Ford F150 Lightning pickup, the mic and PA were powered by the truck, courtesy of our sponsor, Earthlight Technology. Below is Bryce Jones of Pirelli Tires speaking about what goes into an EV tire.

It was nice harmony that we were able to have a representative from Pirelli Tires present at the Hotel Marcel, which in a previous life served as a Pirelli manufacturing facility and headquarters.

Bryce Jones of Pirelli Tires presenting 0n the bed of a Ford F-150 Lightning under a solar canopy.

Photo: Shawn O’Sullivan

Hotel Marcel, formerly Pirelli Tires HQ, with solar canopies in foreground.

NorthEast Electric Vehicle Symposium Set for September 15th and 16th

We thank our Gold Sponsor: BMW

Sunday – EV Test Drives

Sunday will feature test drives with 10 EV models:

• BMW i4, i5, iX
• Tesla Cybertruck
• Rivian R1T, R1S
• Alfa Romeo Tonale
• Kia EV6, EV9, Niro

Sunday – EV Showcase

There will be a showcase with approximately 50 vehicles. These include many late-model EVs, such as a BMW i7 and a Tesla Model X, an electric garbage truck used by the City of New Haven, and 2 electric police patrol cars from Westport.

Sunday – “Sage on a Stage” Short Presentations

We will be using the bed of an electric pickup truck as our stage! Here is the agenda.

Monday Policy Symposium

• 9:00 – New Haven Mayor Justin Eliker welcomes attendees
• 9:15 – Rep. Jonathan Steinberg introduces Marissa Gillett
• 9:25 – Marissa Gillett, Chair, Public Utilities Regulatory Authority discussing transportation electrification and the equitable modern grid
• 10:15 –  Claire Coleman, CT Office of Consumer Counsel
• 10:45 – Break
• 11:00 – Moderator Matt Ferrell of the YouTube Undecided Channel leads a panel discussion of people from a municipality, condo association, commercial enterprise, and an installation contractor, who describe their experiences navigating incentives, wrangling the utilities, and other challenges. This is a ground-truth level look at the intersection of policy and lived experience.
• 12:00 Lunch
• 1:00 – Brandon Smith of EVNoire discusses how workplace charging promotes fair access to EVs.
• 1:45 – Daphne Dixon of Live Green CT discusses Model EV Zoning Regulations that have been developed in concert with the federal Department of Energy.

This is a free event. The location is the Hotel Marcel in New Haven. Free registration is here.

EVA-EVInfoSheet-20240818

Above photo is a wrapped Cybertruck which ships with the stainless steel body panels. We have seen lots of folks having fun with wrapping it.

First Public Test Drives of a Cybertruck to Be Offered at NorthEast Electric Vehicle Symposium

Tesla has confirmed that they will offer supervised Cybertruck test drives. This will be the first public test drive of the Cybertruck offered in the state. We hope you can join us!

Steer By Wire, High Voltage Architecture

While there are many strong opinions about this polarizing vehicle, Tesla has introduced features that have not yet been rolled out to other models. The vehicle is reportedly extremely nimble due to 4-wheel steering and steer-by-wire. A little bit of pressure on the steering wheel sends a signal down the wire to the motors, making for extremely responsive handling. This ~6500 pound vehicle will handle like a compact car.

The truck has an 800-volt architecture which, for high-power EVSE, will make for blazingly fast charging speeds. The other thing 800 volt architecture does is reduce the amount of wiring needed.

The not so low-voltage battery is a 48 volt lithium ion battery. We have been living with 12-volt since the mid-fifties (before then, the standard was 6-volt). Over the past 70 years, way more electronics have been introduced into vehicles. It is only a matter of time until higher power levels become the norm.

Here’s Where to Go Cybertruckin

NorthEast Electric Vehicle Symposium

Date/Time: Sunday, September 15th, 12-4

Location: Hotel Marcel, 500 Sargent Drive, New Haven, CT

Policy symposium on Monday, September 16th

The event page is here.

Free registration is required. We do have a capacity limitation. Please register here.

Other available test drive vehicles include the BMW i4, i5, and iX, the Rivian R1T and R1S, and the Alfa Romeo Tonale. It is permitted to test drive multiple vehicles. That will be arranged separately.

Attendees can register for either or both days.

For any questions, please contact us at info@evclubct.com

BMW Signs on as Gold Sponsor

They will offer test drives of the i4, i5, and iX battery electric vehicles. There will be an i7 on display in the showcase.

In addition to BMW, we have confirmation for the Rivian R1T and R1S, as well as Tesla Model 3 and Model Y. We are working on a couple of others.

There will also be a Tesla Cybertruck and a Rivian e-delivery van in the showcase. Amazon has purchased 100,000 of these vans and Rivian is using them for mobile service.

Test drives are offered on Sunday, September 15th, from 12-4PM. The event is being held at the Hotel Marcel in the Long Wharf area of New Haven. Here is the event page with registration link for the NorthEast Electric Vehicle Symposium 2024.