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The past two weeks saw lots of electric vehicle (EV) activity among automakers, governmental authorities and research organizations. PEI’s response includes a new online event to help members determine whether EV charging installation and service could grow their business.

Automakers
Four vehicle manufacturers made major announcements:

• Ford Motor Co. will construct a $700 million plant to build an all-electric version of the F-150 light-duty truck, the best-selling U.S. vehicle.
• General Motors (GM) will develop three interchangeable electric motors and five transmissions to speed buildout of a full EV lineup. GM expects 400-mile ranges for EVs with the “Ultium Drive” system.
• Volkswagen plans to produce 1.5 million EVs per year by 2025, with the ID.4 model accounting for 500,000 of the total. The company says the ID.4 will have a 250-mile range and a $41,000 starting price.
• Tesla, during its Sept. 22 “Battery Day” event, said it would cut battery costs in half and offer a $25,000 EV by 2025. (The next day, a network power outage caused all Tesla vehicles to briefly lose connectivity. The company’s high-flying stock dropped 15.3%.)

Government and Research Organizations
California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order phasing out the sale of new, gasoline-powered passenger vehicles by 2035. In his public statement, Newsom said, “You deserve to have a car that doesn’t give your kids asthma. Our cars shouldn’t make wildfires worse — and create more days filled with smoky air. Cars shouldn’t melt glaciers or raise sea levels threatening our cherished beaches and coastlines.”

EV Developments, PEI Response

PEI Virtual Convention & Expo Deadlines

Majors Act to Accelerate EMV Adoption

PEI Opens RP1400 Comment Period

Respond to this Newsletter

by e-mail to the editor, Rick Long at rlong@pei.org

In the U.K., the Association for Petroleum and Explosives Administration (APEA) and Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) published Electric Vehicle Charging Installations at Filling Stations to address the logistical and safety considerations in placing EV chargers at busy retail fueling facilities. The APEA/IET document follows the late August U.S. release of the Fuels Institute’s State of Transportation Energy and Vehicle Electrification (See Sept. 10, 2020 TulsaLetter.)

PEI Responds
The 2020 PEI Virtual Convention & Expo will include a panel discussion on how EV charging station work can help PEI distributors and contractors gain non-traditional customers such as restaurants, coffee shops, movie theaters and apartment buildings.

“Beyond Liquid Fueling: Is EV Right for Your Business?” will cover:

• Site design strategies
• Infrastructure
• Utility partnerships
• Return on investment
• Costs of entry

Fuels Institute Executive Director John Eichberger will moderate the discussion. Panelists include Patrick Fiedler, Fiedler Group; Justin Spence, Oscar W. Larson Co.; and Bo Sasnett, D&H United Fueling Solutions.

PEI VIRTUAL CONVENTION & EXPO DEADLINES
Attendees. PEI members who register by Oct. 2 for the 2020 PEI Virtual Convention & Expo also will be invited to an exclusive Oct. 27 online event:

“A Conversation with Jade West, Chief Government Relations Officer, National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors”

The U.S. presidential and congressional elections will affect distributors, contractors, manufacturers and other stakeholders for years. In this one-hour session, West will answer attendees’ questions and discuss the election’s likely effect on:

• Taxes
• Business and environmental regulations
• Alternative fuel policy
• Employment law

Exhibitors. Exhibitors who apply by Sept. 28 for the Virtual Convention & Expo will be included in the printed Exhibitors Guide in the Q4 2020 PEI Journal. Standard, enhanced and premium booths are $1,000, $2,000 and $3,000, respectively. Download the Expo prospectus and application form here.

For more information, email Tom Leibrandt at tleibrandt@pei.org.

The exhibitor count is growing rapidly. PEI will update and post the current exhibitor list here each day.

MAJOR OIL BRANDS ACT TO ACCELERATE EMV ADOPTION
Marathon Petroleum joined the major oil brands getting tough on credit card fraud before the April 2021 forecourt EMV liability shift.

A Sept. 21 Oil Express article reported that effective Oct. 1, 2020, “Marathon will begin passing through fraudulent chargebacks to non-outside EMV sites that are deemed to have excessive outside fraud, including counterfeit and lost and stolen (card fraud).”

Chevron recently announced a similar high-fraud liability timeline. CITGO and Shell are pushing some chargebacks to high-fraud retailers.

EMERGENCY GENERATOR RP: COMMENT PERIOD OPENS
PEI today opened a 30-day comment period for the next (2021) edition of PEI/RP1400: Fueling Systems for Emergency Generators, Stationary Diesel Engines and Oil Burner Systems.

PEI/RP1400 covers the design and installation of shop-fabricated tanks, piping and auxiliary equipment for oil burners and stationary systems fueling primary, standby or emergency pumps and generators. The document is used by architects, engineers, system operators, regulators, contractors, consultants and end users. The PEI Generator Fuel Installation Committee released the first edition of PEI/RP1400 in 2014.

To submit suggestions for RP1400-21, visit www.pei.org/rp1400 and click the “Comment Now” button. The comment period ends Monday, Oct. 26.

BRIEFLY NOTED
“EPA … announced Sept. 14 that it ‘is moving to update E15 labels to ensure consumers have informed choices at the pump and clarify the ability of existing fuel infrastructure to support expanded E15 use. However, much of the responsibility regarding labels falls to state agencies, EPA encourages they update them as well and stands ready to support them.’ Trump tweeted Sept. 12, ‘Subject only to State approval, our important Ethanol Industry will be allowed to use the 10% Pumps for the 15% BLEND.’” — Inside EPA, Sept. 23

“The US Department of Transportation reported yesterday that US motorists drove 11% fewer miles in July than during the same time last year. Drivers drove 262.4 billion miles in July, which was 33.2 billion miles fewer than in July a year ago. It was, however, a 4% increase from the month prior. Summer is usually the peak driving season in the US but due to the lockdowns, people are taking fewer road trips.” — Fuels News, Sept. 23

“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and CarMax Auto Superstores Inc. have reached a settlement to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Water Act at the company’s Independence, Missouri, car dealership. According to EPA, CarMax discharged thousands of gallons of gasoline into a creek adjacent to the facility from corroded piping attached to a petroleum storage tank used to fill up the facility’s cars. Under the terms of the settlement, the company agreed to pay a $119,440 civil penalty.” — U.S. EPA, Sept. 21

PEI MEMBER NEWS
Dover Fueling Solutions named Hector Trabucco vice president for Latin America. Trabucco’s 20 years of industry experience include stints with ExxonMobil and Gilbarco Veeder-Root.
Guardian Fueling Technologies added Sydney Wimberley to its Guardian Connect sales team. Wimberley’s previous experience includes sales, accounting and operational roles in the oil and gas and maritime industries.
Matrix Capital Markets Group Inc. advised Martin Eagle Oil Co. on the sale of its convenience retail and wholesale motor fuels businesses to an undisclosed buyer. The retail assets consist of two company-operated stores, one unattended cardlock site, 16 commissioned-agent stores, and one closed facility.
Matrix Capital Markets Group Inc. advised EnergyUnited Electric Membership Corporation on the sale of its propane distribution subsidiary, EnergyUnited Propane, LLC (EUP), to ThompsonGas, LLC. EUP serves some 29,000 residential and commercial customers in the Carolinas and Virginia.

PEI MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS
Florida service company. Puentes Petrotech Corp., 229 Greenbrier Drive, Palm Springs, FL 33461, applied for service and construction division membership. Jorge Puentes owns the firm, which was established in 2018. Puentes Petrotech Corp. services fuel pumps and fuel management systems and provides tank monitoring and fuel tank polishing services. Sponsored for PEI membership by Peter Ward, Glasgow Equipment Service Inc., Riviera Beach, Florida.

California service company. Fuel Oil Systems, 17500 Murphy Parkway, Lathrop, CA 95330, applied for service and construction division membership. Jackie Imtyaz is the controller for the company, which was established in 2000. Fuel Oil Systems offers underground and aboveground storage tank equipment sales and service; remote fills; programming and repair; and design, build and consulting services. Sponsored for PEI membership by Don Petroni, Petroleum Marketing Equipment, Placentia, California. www.fueloilsystems.net

Florida service provider. A & D Petroleum & Maintenance, 11510 Americana Lane, Jacksonville, FL 32218, applied for service and construction division membership. Allen David Shutt owns the company, which was established in 2008. A & D Petroleum & Maintenance services fiberglass pumps and double-walled lines and swaps dispensers. Sponsored for PEI membership by Ken Neeley, ESCO Manufacturing Inc., Tampa, Florida. www.ad-petroleum.com

ADMITTED TO PEI

●     Rancho Factory Inc., Saquel, California (manufacturer)

The TulsaLetter is published two or three times each month by the Petroleum Equipment Institute. Richard C. Long, Editor. Opinions expressed are the opinions of the Editor.