Daily EV news · US · 8 November 2026
EV Charging
Pittsburgh developer Hudson Companies adds EV charging at apartment communities with DLC support
Public Source reports that Hudson Companies, which builds and invests in apartments and senior living communities across the Pittsburgh region, is installing on-site EV charging as renters increasingly expect it. Billy Sullivan, the firm's director of construction, says it lets residents charge where they live and makes EV ownership more practical for those without their own charger. The piece places charging alongside high-speed internet and package rooms as an amenity that has moved from luxury to expectation.
Why it matters
Multifamily owners treating charging as a competitive amenity points to steady demand for overnight residential charging, which suits CPOs and installers targeting property portfolios. Procurement teams should note that landlord motivation is tenant retention and convenience, not just compliance.
Electric Vehicles
Electrek publishes November 2026 guide to the best electric bikes at every price level
Electrek's reviewer says the guide draws on hands on testing of hundreds of electric bikes over thousands of miles, with picks grouped by budget: under $1,000, under $2,000, under $3,000 and higher bands. The article says the sub $1,000 tier matters because quality is hard to achieve at that price and many first time buyers will not spend several thousand dollars, and it claims November offers probably the best electric bike deals of the year. The excerpt is cut off and names no specific models or prices.
Why it matters
This is consumer buying advice with no charging infrastructure content, so its relevance is limited to a broad read on light electric mobility retail and discounting in the United States. Procurement and CPO teams should not treat it as a signal on charging demand or hardware.
Lexus announces 2027 RZ as a carryover model year with slightly higher prices
Lexus has announced the 2027 RZ, a carryover model year with only minor changes compared with the significantly upgraded 2026 version. Prices have increased slightly and spec changes are minimal, with the online configurator not yet available. The manufacturer expects the car to reach dealerships in early 2027, according to EV Charging News, the EVChargingStations.com blog.
Why it matters
A carryover model with no major charging changes means little shift in the vehicle mix or charging demand that CPOs should plan around. The report gives no range, price or charging figures, so procurement teams should wait for the full specifications before updating any assumptions.
California EV sales reach 17% of new cars, but affordable models remain scarce
The Ceres Courier reported, via The Cool Down, that California recorded nearly 87,000 new zero-emission vehicle sales in the second quarter of 2026, according to California Energy Commission figures. Fully electric vehicles made up about 17% of new car purchases in the state, against 6% nationally. Gil Tal, director of UC Davis's Electric Vehicle Research Center, said the US market is very limited on affordable cars, noting that neighbouring countries to the north and south offer many affordable EVs not sold here.
Why it matters
Strong uptake in California alongside a thin supply of affordable and seven-seat models suggests charging demand growth may skew towards higher-priced vehicle owners for now. Procurement and CPO planning should allow for the risk that lower-income driver adoption, and the charging demand that follows, develops more slowly than headline sales imply.
Grid & Energy
California Powerwall owner says virtual power plant programme drained home battery overnight for nearly two weeks
A first-year solar owner in Pacific Gas and Electric territory told Reddit that a grid-sharing programme discharged their Tesla Powerwall batteries at night for almost 2 weeks before they noticed. They said they still did not know the payout amount, that the utility told them payment would come in October or November, and that they plan to opt out next year. The account was reported by The Cool Down, and the figures come from a single homeowner's comments rather than programme data.
Why it matters
Virtual power plant schemes depend on customers trusting that enrolment, dispatch events and payments are clear, and this anecdote shows how weak notification can drive opt-outs. For CPOs and site developers considering battery backed or grid-interactive charging, it is a reminder to build transparent dispatch reporting and payment terms into any flexibility offer.
Homeowner's 10-panel patio solar and EcoFlow battery setup produces about 10 megawatt-hours over two years
A homeowner's patio-roof solar array of 10 panels has generated about 10 megawatt-hours over two years, according to a Reddit post reported by The Cool Down. The system pairs two EcoFlow DPU batteries with a manual transfer panel to supply a refrigerator, hybrid water heater, televisions, Wi-Fi and lighting, with the batteries cycling between roughly 10% and 90% almost daily. The homeowner estimates 3 to 4 kilowatt-hours of potential summer generation is lost when the batteries are full.
Why it matters
This is an anecdotal residential case, not policy or charging data, but it shows how householders are using battery-backed solar for daily loads and outage cover. For CPOs and procurement teams, it points to storage sizing limits, where surplus generation goes unused once batteries are full, which is also relevant to site-level solar and storage design.
Proposed 500 megawatt Four Creeks wind farm in Peoria County, Illinois clears key approval step
The proposed $1.5 billion, 500 megawatt Four Creeks wind farm in Peoria County, Illinois has passed a key step in the approval process, according to a report on US wind policy. The piece notes that a change to a routine review process for projects on non-federal land in August 2025 left at least 155 onshore wind projects totalling 45 gigawatts in limbo, prompting a lawsuit from clean energy organisations and developers, which Attorneys General in 19 states backed in July.
Why it matters
New onshore wind capacity progressing despite federal policy uncertainty points to continued generation supply for the grid that charging networks draw on. CPOs and procurement teams should still watch the litigation, as it affects the pipeline of projects that could support long term power purchasing.