RoadTrip 2.0: Pittsburgh Leads the Way in Electric Vehicle Technologies
Way back in 2013, the Pittsburgh Technology Council (PTC) embarked on its first “Tripping on Technology” media road trip in the Chevrolet Volt to visit Pittsburgh-area companies developing technologies in the emerging electric vehicle market.
As a plug-in hybrid, the Volt had limited range in full electric mode before the gas-powered engine kicked in, but it clearly set the stage for the future of fully electric vehicles (EVs). The PTC drove the Volt to several of its member companies that were direct suppliers of materials, coatings and engineering that went into every Volt until the last one rolled off the assembly line on Feb. 15, 2019.
As full electric vehicles are making huge strides in range, recharging infrastructure and cost, the PTC wanted to revisit its road trip, but this time with one of the most recognizable fully electric vehicles around – a Tesla Model S. A quick reservation on Turo connected us to Adam Solar Rides in Bridgeville, where a 2016 Tesla Model S waited for us to get behind the wheel.
Wasting no time, we took an entire day to road trip around the region visiting top companies directly working in the electric vehicle market. Our destinations included: Covestro, Duquesne Light, Eaton, PPG, LANXESS, Sheetz, U.S. Steel, Allvision and Rapid Flow Technologies.
EVs are now becoming a force in the marketplace. With Tesla, Chevrolet and Nissan well established in the market, they will soon be joined by Audi, Porsche, Volkswagen, Rivian and many more. EV sales were up 130% in 2018 and surpassed 2% of all auto sales, according to Cleantechnica.com. The site said Tesla’s Model 3 was the top seller. JPMorgan’s “Driving in 2025” report said that 2025 will be a tippingpoint for EVs, predicting that they will account for 30% of all vehicles being sold.
With a battery brimming over with electrons, we put nearly 200 miles on the Model S road tripping to our destinations. We never broke a sweat. Not once did we worry about range. We always made it to our destinations on time with the help of killer navigation and a bit of autonomous driving to boot.
Keep reading to learn a little more about all of the destinations on RoadTrip 2.0.
Covestro
Ride along with Pittsburgh Technology Council's Jonathan Kersting as he talks to Covestro's Paul Platte in a Tesla Model S. Discover how Covestro is advancing the design and functionality of electric vehicles. Read more here.
Lanxess
Ride along with Pittsburgh Technology Council's Jonathan Kersting and Lanxess' Jose Chirino as they take a ride in the Tesla Model 3. Discover how the products developed by Lanxess are improving and impacting the performance of electric vehicles. Read more here.
Eaton
Come along with Pittsburgh Technology Council's Jonathan Kersting and Eaton's Jennifer Ploskina as they ride around in a Tesla Model S. Find out what Eaton is doing to power up electric vehicles! Read more here.
Rapid Flow Technologies
Come along with Pittsburgh Technology Council's Jonathan Kersting and Rapid Flow Technologies' Griffin Schultz as they take a drive in the Tesla Model S. Discover how Rapid Flow is using artificial intelligence to optimize traffic control and flow in Pittsburgh. Read more here.
All Vision
The Pittsburgh Technology Council's Jonathan Kersting and All Vision's Aaron Morris take a ride in the Tesla Model S. Tune in to how AllVision is using spacial data provided by autonomous vehicles and other sources to make sense of the surrounding world. Read more here.
Duquesne Light
The Pittsburgh Technology Council's Jonathan Kersting and Duquesne Light's Sarah Olexsak cruise around in the brand new Audi e-tron as they discuss how Duquesne Light helps their customers as they make the transition to driving electric. Read more here.
Sheetz
Stop by and join Pittsburgh Technology Council's Jonathan Kersting and Sheetz's Trevor Walter as they charge up the Tesla Model S. Find out why Sheetz is the place to power up your electric vehicle! Read more here.
U. S. Steel
Ride along with Pittsburgh Technology Council's Jonathan Kersting and US Steel's Bernhard Hoffman as they take a drive in the Tesla Model 3. Discover what US Steel is contributing to the manufacturing of electric vehicles. Read more here.
PPG
Pittsburgh Technology Council's Jonathan Kersting and PPG's Calum Munro as they discuss how paints and coatings are important to electric vehicles, like this Tesla Model S. Read More here.
Audi e-tron
Pittsburgh Technology Council's Roadtrip 2.0 explores the new Audi e-tron. This vehicle is packed with leading edge technology, making this a drool worthy EV. Read more here.