Toronto, Ontario – In this week’s electric and autonomous vehicle report, Rivian customers can finally expect vehicle deliveries beginning in the spring, Hydro One is making moves to support bidirectional charging development and ONRoute has unveiled their rollout of charging stations at Ontario rest stops.
Rivian rollout
It appears the mythical Rivian pickup is due to materialize this spring, as the EV automaker sent out emails last week telling reservation holders to expect deliveries of their R1T electric pickup trucks and R1S electric SUVs beginning in March.
With deliveries initially expected to begin in October 2021, future Rivian drivers have been provided three delivery windows during which to expect their new vehicle: March-April, April-May, and May-June.
Some customers reported in a poll that they have been given expected delivery dates as late as September.
Rivian, in a federal filing, has said it has a backlog of 55,400 orders for the R1T and R1S.
Mobile generator
Hydro One, alongside clean tech company Peak Power, announced that they will be taking a closer look into bidirectional vehicle-to-home (V2H) charging solutions for use during power outages.
According to the press release from Hydro One, charging technology will be installed at the homes of program participants to test the ability of EVs to act as batteries and provide backup electricity through simulated power outages.
Peak Power COO Matthew Sachs said “We’re thrilled to be working with Hydro One as a utility partner who shares our passion for pioneering clean energy innovation to benefit their customers and help support the reliability, affordability and sustainability of Ontario’s grid alongside growing EV adoption.
“This V2H project will demonstrate how utilities and system operators can integrate intelligent cleantech to modernize their grid with cost-efficient software solutions.”
Rest and recharge
ONRoute has finally broken its silence on its place in the Ontario EV charging grid, as the highway rest stop chain announced a partnership with Ivy Charging Network and Canadian Tire to provide charging stations to travellers.
The company says it plans to install Ivy’s Charge & Go level 3 fast-chargers at 17 ONRoute locations along Highways 401 and 400 in time for summer 2022, and with three more locations to be equipped by the end of the year.
Natural Resources Canada, through its Electric Vehicle and Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Deployment Initiative, invested $8 million to help build the Ivy Charging Network.
“ONroute is proud to take this step towards sustainability, as we partner with Ivy and Canadian Tire to bring charging stations to our plazas. With a customer-obsessed focus, we want ONroute to be the recharge destination along every journey. That is why we are focused on supporting the growth of electric cars, and bringing new services to our customers,” said Melanie Teed-Murch, CEO of ONroute.
