With four electric vehicles registered in the state for every 1,000 Arizona residents, Arizona ranks nationally for having the most registered electric vehicles.

The state is also becoming an EV sales and manufacturing hub. Lucid, Polestar, Rivian, Tesla, and Atlis Motor Vehicles have all set up operations in the state.

On September 28, 2021, Lucid motors rolled out an , all-electric vehicle. The Lucid Air Dream Edition has about 1,111 horsepower and has a performance model offering about 470 miles in range.

Atlis Motor Vehicles

Atlis Motor Vehicles, a startup based in Mesa, is producing electric work trucks. These trucks are expected to sell for about $45,000 with a range of about 300 miles with the capability to tow up to 35,000 pounds. Atlis is also preparing to have additional enhancements that could sell for up to $75,000.

Atlis Motor Vehicles recently launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise capital and expand their operations. 

“2021 was an incredible year for us and I truly believe we’ve just embarked on an even more exciting one,” Atlis Motors CEO Mark Hantchett wrote in a . 

“We have made leaps and bounds in the energy technology space with so little compared to larger companies around us. We have secured $300+ million in future revenue from battery technology alone and over 24,000 contractual orders for trucks around the world. Now, 2022 is all about growth. This year we become a revenue-generating company — an unheard of scenario for a startup in our position.”

This is not the first time Atlis has crowdfunded to raise capital. Previously they raised about $22 million from . As of February 17, 2022, the company has a little more than $2.8 million from 1,855 investors. Atlis opened its capital-raising effort to the public. Investors must purchase at least 16 shares at $15.88 for a minimum investment of $254.08.
Atlis plans to use the capital to help further to create a new truck called the XT that targets customers in the agriculture, construction, and utility industries. They plan to hire more engineers, buy more battery testing equipment, expand sales programs and finalize the production-level design for the XT.

Statewide benefits 

The Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP) conducted to illustrate the air quality and economic benefits of electric vehicles in Arizona. They found that EVs provide air quality and economic benefits to Maricopa County and the state, concluding that the state should consider policies that promote the manufacture and sale of more electric vehicles.

“We get clear skies. No oil changes, no muffler work, no transmission, faster acceleration. No smog or smog tests,” Jim Stack, president of the Phoenix Electric Auto Association “It’s priceless.”

If more Arizonans make the choice to transition over to electric vehicles there could also  be a large . Depending on the rate and price of gasoline, SWEEP found in its study the total economic benefit to Arizona in reduced fuel costs could be between $75 million and $489 million per year by 2030. 

Arizona laws and incentives

Arizona offers to electric vehicle buyers. These laws and incentives are for specific alternative fuel vehicles (AFV). A vehicle qualifies as AFV if it uses propane, natural gas, electricity, hydrogen, and a blend of hydrogen with propane or natural gas.

Another for electric vehicle owners is the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lane Exemption. The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) allows individuals who have an AFV with an AFV license plate to use HOV lanes, regardless of the number of occupants. Individuals may also park without penalty in parking areas that are designated for carpool operators.

APS offers vehicle supply equipment, installation, maintenance, and educational service. They do this through its workplace, fleet, and multi-unit dwelling customers through the Take Charge AZ pilot program. 

SRP offers residential customers who purchased or leased a plug-in electric vehicle a $1,000 rebate.

Arizona, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, and Idaho signed the (REV) West Plan. By signing this plan Arizona committed to the following:

• educating consumers and fleet owners to raise EV awareness
• reduce range anxiety
• increase EV adoption
• coordinate on EV charging station locations to achieve a consistent user experience, use and promote the REV
• Identify and develop opportunities to incorporate EV charging stations into planning and development processes such as building codes, metering policies, and renewable energy generation projects
• Encourage EV manufacturers to stock and market a wide variety of EVs
• Identify, respond to, and collaborate on funding opportunities to support the development of the plan
• support the build-out of direct current (DC) fast-charging stations along EV corridors through investments, partnerships, and other mechanisms.

More about Arizona’s EV laws and incentives can be found

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Salt River Project (SRP) is offering several rebates and incentives to homebuilders, businesses and residents in the Phoenix region to encourage the purchase of electric vehicles and charging technology. 

It’s part of the utility’s goal to enable 500,000 electric vehicles in its service area by 2035, said Terry Rother, senior program manager for SRP’s Product Development Group. 

In addition, SRP is working with partners to increase the number of charging stations Valleywide to reduce “range anxiety” for EV drivers.  

“All these programs combined are trying to reassure EV customers that by purchasing an EV you’re not going to be stranded without an ability to charge,” he said. “Range anxiety is one of the biggest fears for EV drivers and having the ability to charge at your workplace, at your home, at a shopping center, reduces that barrier.”

Here’s a looks a rundown of rebates and incentives now available:

For businesses and housing builders

Incentives for builders to prewire homes for EV charging As part of SRP’s ENERGY STAR Homes program, SRP announced this month that builders can receive a $300 incentive for each home wired for electric vehicle charging. They also can receive marketing support to advertise these communities to potential buyers. This incentive cuts the cost roughly in half for homebuilders’ EV wiring installation.

Homes pre-wired for EVs will be able to accommodate Level 2 EV charging which can recharge electric vehicles twice as fast as Level 1 charging. Level 2 charging also supports the most advanced charging technology available, including smart chargers and Amazon Alexa-enabled charging. 

Homebuilders interested in learning more about this program may visit: . 

Business EV charger rebate: SRP also is continuing to offer $1,500 rebates for each networked EV charging port that SRP commercial customers install at their businesses as long as charger ports meet all program requirements. Business customers can take advantage of this rebate on each qualifying port they install, and this includes apartment complexes, retail complexes, educational facilities, casinos, hotels and motels, workplaces and other SRP business customers. 

To receive the rebate, the equipment must be installed before April 30, 2021 and customers must apply for the rebate before July 31. For more information, visit: 

For residential customers 

For residential customers thinking about purchasing an electric vehicle, now is the time to do it, said Catherine O’Brien, SRP’s electric vehicle lead. 

Not only is SRP offering rebates on the purchase of EV vehicles and chargers, the federal government is continuing to offer a of up to $7,500 for many plug-in cars, she said.

Here are rebates and incentives SRP is offering residential customers:

$1,000 rebate for Valley drivers SRP has a pilot program that is offering a $1,000 to residential customers who lease or purchase any new battery electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles from Valley-based car dealerships until the end of the year or until funds are depleted. 

$250 smart charger rebate  Residential customers can receive $250 rebate for purchasing a residential Level 2 smart charger from , a discount of more than 30 percent. 

Price saving plan for EV owners is available to EV owners to lower their home energy costs by charging their vehicle during “super” off-peak hours, between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. 

Price saving plan for rooftop solar customers For rooftop solar customers with EV vehicles, SRP offers an to reap more energy cost savings when charging EVs and using energy from the grid during lower-priced, off-peak hours.  

Gift card for customers who sign up EV drivers who are SRP customers are also invited to join the SRP EV Community to help SRP improve its EV charging price plans and other EV programs. Customers who participate get special offers and a $50 Amazon gift card just for signing up at: 

Three builders creating EV communities

Starting as early as 2023, several cities across the Valley will begin requiring new homes to be built with EV wiring installed. 

Some homebuilders have already started prewiring homes in partnership with SRP and the city of Glendale including Lennar, Pulte and Taylor Morrison. 

SRP is role model for EV in workplace 

In addition to promoting EVs to customers, SRP also has been installing EV chargers at its work sites. Currently, it is the state’s largest workplace charging program in the state, earning a spot on the list of the “” by GreenBiz, O’Brien said. 

Close to 200 employees drive plug-in vehicles and SRP’s goal is to increase that to 450, or about 7 percent of its workforce, over the next five years, she said.

“By supporting these types of rebates and incentives and furthering the adoption of these programs, we know the benefits will be to improve air quality by reducing greenhouse emissions and save customers money on vehicle maintenance costs by switching from gas powered to electric,” O’Brien said.

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Nikola Motors has broken ground in Coolidge, Ariz. for its new manufacturing plant that will start rolling out emission-free big rigs next year, company executives said. 

A carbon-free pickup truck also is in the works. Called the Badger, it is being hailed by company officials as future competition for America’s most popular truck, the Ford 150 Crown.

The manufacturing project is part of the race by Nikola and other truck makers to commercialize heavy-duty vehicles to meet standards to reduce greenhouse emissions across the globe.

New plant in Coolidge to hire 2,000 workers to build plant 

Last week, the battery-electric and hydrogen-electric truck maker broke ground on 430 acres near Houser and Vail roads in Coolidge in Pinal County. Initially, the plant is expected to hire 2,000 workers to start building the plant. It will first produce Nikola’s battery-electric Class 8 “Tre” semi-trucks.  

The startup has raised over $200 million from investors for the $600-million project that will eventually encompass 1-million square-feet. At build out, the plant is expected to produce 35,000 battery and hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks a year.  

Nikola will produce heavy-duty and pickup trucks in phases including:

Battery-electric “Tre” for urban driving    

The battery-electric cabover Tre model will be the first truck off the assembly line next year. 

These trucks are designed for urban deliveries with travel routes of less than 300 miles. Nikola will start producing the in the next few months as part of a joint venture with European truck maker Iveco at a plant in Ulm, Germany. Production of the Tre in North America will start in Coolidge next year after the slightly smaller European model has been tested.   

Nikola “Two” fuel-cell big rig to offer more horsepower, distance  

By 2023, the company plans to produce its first semi, which will use hydrogen gas to power an electric motor. The truck will have up to 1,000 horsepower and travel 500 to 750 miles between fill ups, company officials said. 

Nikola already has 14,600 orders for the longer-haul trucks. Anheuser-Busch has committed to buying 800 trucks.

“Badger” to compete with Chevy, Ford pickups 

Nikola also is taking for its battery and fuel-cell Badger pick-up. The goal is to eventually compete with popular trucks like the Ford F-150 crown, said Trevor Milton, executive chairman and founder.  

Milton, who called the Badger “the coolest pickup truck the world has ever seen,” plans to unveil the model in December with a competition against competitor trucks, he said on CNBC’s . 

“It’s really a true truck like Americans are used to,” he said. “It’s the size of an F-150. It’s used for job sites. … It’s got all the doors for a family. You can put carseats in it. You can put a four-wheeler in the back.”   

Partial opening to meet demand for carbon-free big rigs 

With buyers already putting in requests, the company has pushed up deadlines with plans to open the Coolidge plant partially to get moving on production of the Tre model. 

“[The .5 phase] will be a partial facility so we can start as soon as possible. We are very early in the development of that plan,” Mark Duchesne, Nikola’s global head of manufacturing told Transport �鶹��ýӳ�� this week. “We have a need to build trucks even sooner than what we planned on, and we are working on how we can do that.”

Nikola plant to support jobs on both sides of border 

Initially, 2,000 workers will be employed to build the plant. At build out, the project will represent a $1 billion capital investment and the creation of up to 20,000 direct and indirect jobs, company officials have said. 

Milton cited Gov. Doug Ducey for helping bring the innovative truck maker to the state. Ducey also is credited for helping attract electric vehicle manufacturer Lucid Motors to Casa Grande in Pinal County. Lucid broke ground last year at the Casa Grande plant where it will produce its first car, the Lucid Air luxury sedan. 

Race to commercialize zero-carbon trucks 

Nikola is one of a number of truck makers racing to commercialize battery-electric and hydrogen fuel big rigs to meet greenhouse emissions standards across the globe. Among them are Daimler, Hyundai Motor, Tesla, Toyota and Volvo Trucks. 

Nikola, which based its headquarters in Phoenix last year, estimates sales will reach $150 million in 2021 and jump to $3.2 billion by 2024 as it ramps up production. By 2024, it expects to sell or lease 7,000 battery-powered units and 5,000 hydrogen fuel cell trucks, according to its Securities Exchange Commission . 

Arizona’s proximity to Mexico’s auto manufacturing supply chains helped play a part in Nikola’s entrance to the state, said Glenn Hamer, president and CEO of the Arizona �鶹��ýӳ�� of Commerce and Industry.

“In emerging sectors like electric vehicle manufacturing, the Arizona-Sonora relationship is a key driver for major investments in Arizona,” Hamer said. “For both Lucid Motors and Nikola Motors, the auto part supply chain between the two states was a major factor in winning the hyper-competitive manufacturing investments in Pinal County.”

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“This is going to rock our world,” said Casa Grande Mayor Craig McFarland. “We are so excited for [Lucid] to be here.”

Electric vehicle company Lucid Motors held a “ground-building” ceremony for its new Casa Grande facility Monday.

The company decided to plant a tree rather than break ground in the traditional way. Lucid Vice President of Manufacturing Peter Hochholdinger said the action represents the company’s dedication to the continuous growth of not only the company but the community as well.

“We are committed to Arizona for a very long run,” Hochholdinger said. “Right here, in just about one year’s time, we will begin the production of the best electric vehicle in the world — the Lucid Air.”

Lucid will build its facility over the next year.

“Our first phase of production…represents over $300 million of capital investment and several hundred jobs,” Hochholdinger said.

“Throughout the course of this year we’ll see this factory going up, and it will go up in a structured, logical way, and I believe very much in baby steps,” Lucid CEO and CTO Peter Rawlinson said. “I think that people will see through the course of this construction that Lucid really is the real deal, that we’re here to stay and we’re going to create an amazing product here in Arizona.”

Once built, the new facility is expected to create a capital investment of more than $700 million, adding $32 billion in economic impact for Casa Grande and Pinal County in the next 20 years.

The facility is also expected to create roughly 4,800 direct and indirect jobs by 2029, according to the Arizona governor’s office.

“This is one of the most significant job announcements in recent memory,” Gov. Doug Ducey said at the event. “Lucid Motors looked at over 60 different markets and 13 states, and they chose Arizona. Make no mistake, as Peter said, this investment can transform the economy in Pinal County and Casa Grande for years to come…We can’t wait to see your state-of-the-art, made-in-Arizona vehicles on our roads.”

Lucid will manufacture its Lucid Air electric vehicles at the new facility, starting with 15,000 units through 2021 and increasing to hundreds of thousands by 2026 or 2027.

According to Rawlinson, the Air is a “world-class” product with a 400-mile range, making it the first inter-city electric car.

“This is one small step for us today; it’s a baby step… But if you put all these steps together, you become an irresistible force,” Rawlinson said.

Lucid’s new facility will be in Casa Grande’s industrial area, which currently has a direct and indirect impact of roughly 6,000 jobs and $327 million in personal income, according to McFarland.

“If you add the 2,200 additional jobs from Lucid, that’s a huge impact in this community,” McFarland said. “Hav[ing] that first car roll off in December of next year, 2020. It’s going to be an amazing thing to watch.”

“We want to change the world and make it a better place, and in order to do that we have to think big. And this is the site that enables that vision to become reality,” Rawlinson said.

Also in attendance were Pinal County Board of Supervisors Chairman Mike Goodman and Gov. Claudia Pavlovich of Sonora, Mexico.

To learn more about Lucid, .

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