You may have noticed you haven’t received many Energize Your Drive blog posts in your inbox lately. That’s because, like many things in our lives right now, the COVID-19 pandemic has really slowed the Minnkota Bolt’s roll.
We haven’t had many opportunities to travel in the past two months, as many outreach events, annual meetings, expos and other activities were canceled or postponed due to the pandemic. Travel guidelines also put the stop to any potential long-range road trips. The Bolt has been lonely, but my hope is that we’ll be on the road again soon, spreading the word about electric transportation!
In the meantime, I wanted to share a few interesting tidbits and updates from the world of electric vehicles.
Regional charging stations
There are so many public EV charging projects moving forward this summer in North Dakota and Minnesota, it’s hard to keep track of all of them and their statuses! A look at PlugShare.com will give you some idea of the construction progress, but some projects haven’t even made the map yet. By this year’s National Drive Electric Week (Sep. 26-Oct. 4, mark your calendars), travel will be a whole lot easier for you Midwest EV owners. Stay tuned!
EV launches
Many automakers have decided to delay certain EV model launches to 2021 or beyond, citing challenges brought on by the COVID-19 crisis.
- Rivian will push the launch of its highly anticipated R1T electric truck to 2021 due to the pandemic.
- Ford’s Mach-E Mustang will hit U.S. roads later than planned, as engineers continue their efforts remotely.
- GM says it will not have any EV delays, adding that the company hasn’t “lost a beat” as many teams already worked remotely.
Cleaner fueling
In other coronavirus-related discussions – a fellow cooperative-world EV enthusiast shared this little nugget of information with me last week. One of the benefits of charging an EV at home is that you can avoid one of the most touched surfaces in the public – the dreaded gas station pump. Check out this article from Electrek, and remember to wash those hands.
One giant leap for EVs
This week’s historic manned SpaceX launch was scrubbed due to the weather (c’mon, Florida!). However, Tesla’s Model X had its day in the sun, transporting the astronauts to the launch site. If they weren’t blasting Elton John’s "Rocket Man" on the way, I would be disappointed.
EV event recognized
Finally, I’d like to give a shout out to Minnkota’s communication department, which earned an NRECA Spotlight on Excellence GOLD award for Best Event for its Plugged In to the Future electric vehicle event. I know some of those reading this post were in attendance last August (I'm looking at you, Michael). Read more about the event here and more about the award here. Congratulations, team!
Until our next adventure – stay safe and be well.
- Kaylee Cusack, Minnkota communications specialist