Electric cars have been the talk of headlines, dinner tables, and auto showrooms for some time now.
Nearly every major automaker — domestic and foreign — has a plug-in model in the works... if it hasn't already been waxed, shined, and shown off at a recent car show.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, plug-in cars capable of 50 miles per day would meet the needs of 80% of the American driving public.
In just eight months, GM will introduce the Chevrolet Volt, a vehicle with 40 mile per charge capacity. Nissan will unveil the Leaf, a 5-passenger plug-in with 100 mile per charge capacity, which will be marketed to and priced for middle-class families.
Last year's stimulus package awarded $200 million to support Nissan's introduction of the Leaf, which will go toward installing 13,000 charging stations in California, Arizona, Tennessee, Washington, and Oregon.
Electrical vehicles will soon be a force on the roads. The first mass-market electric vehicles are scheduled to be introduced to the public later this year, and the cities that we have long-considered green (and that are most prepared and enthusiastic for the new technology), may be those where this new generation of cars lands first — namely cities in Oregon and California.
Just how will our cities prepare for a fleet of vehicles powered by a charging station instead of a Shell station?
There are many factors to consider. This occasion marks the first time in which utilities and automakers must join forces to ensure vehicle efficiency. Tax incentives need to be determined. The development of the smart grid becomes a more imperative concept when our main mode of transportation is at the mercy of a charging station and an electricity source.
A 2006 study conducted by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratories and sponsored by the U.S Department of Energy said that the grid is indeed adequate to power electric vehicles — so long as charging was done primarily during off-peak hours, 185 million plug-in vehicles would be adequately powered. Considering the 220 million vehicles in the U.S. at the time of the study, if all of those were converted to electric vehicles, the current electrical grid could keep 84 percent of them charged.
Many consumers seem skeptical and are concerned with how much their electricity bill will increase as a result of charging stations, and what the cost of a charge will be. "Forget that! Three times my normal $70 power bill. I spend less for gas... This is not the answer," a reader posts in an online discussion board on the topic. "There won't be a gas shortage but there soon will be a few electrical outages coming soon to a neighborhood near you," writes another.
But some are hopeful, if not intrigued. "Just like in the movies! Coming to a town near you, plug in your car and stay awhile," was another comment.
In his blog "TheStreet.com," Professor of Economics at UCLA Matthew E. Khan echoes some of these concerns and poses other questions regarding the preparedness of American cities for the electric vehicle:
- What will be the future price of gasoline versus the price of a kWh of electricity?
- Will gas stations in the future offer both electric recharging and gasoline? Do these activities together pose any liability challenges?
- Will any land zoning issues have to be addressed to allow car recharging activity?
- For people who live in multi-family housing, how will recharging be set up? In certain dedicated parking spots in the common garage?
- In aggregate in cities such as San Fran, how much will electricity demand rise by because of the growth of the electric vehicle?
Earlier this month, Coulomb Technologies announced the first wind powered electric vehicle charging station located in Highland Park, Illinois, roughly 30 miles from downtown Chicago.
A station powered by the electricity from a nearby wind farm could be a solution to and hush rising concerns for neighborhood blackouts and power surges caused by charging stations in cities or areas with heavy commuter traffic at peak times — the same hours of the day when lines form at the nearest Mobile station.
The list of worldwide electric vehicle charging stations powered by renewable energy sources is slow growing, but could be our best bet in keeping electricity issues few and farther between.
Coulomb Technologies is also developing networks and software in San Francisco and other Bay Area cities that would allow utilities to manage how cars are charged. "No one wants to be left behind," said CEO Richard Lowenthal. "We're preparing for an onslaught of demand."
San Francisco hopes to have 60 charging stations available for use in public garages by the end of 2010 and projects the Bay Area will have more than 1,000 available next year.
An executive from Southern California Edison (a utility company serving Los Angeles) says, "We are trying to be proactive about how to make sure that the transformers that serve these homes and neighborhoods are robust enough."
Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) has a pilot project for "smart charging" planned for later this year. The project will connect 200 cars to unique charging stations that allow utilities to control the electrical demand during charging. Utility executives plan to encourage vehicle owners to charge their cars during evening hours or use smart meters to control electric demand.
South of San Fran, San Jose has begun preparations for the electric vehicle parade this December; the city already has reserved street parking for plug-in vehicles and installed charging stations, with plans for more charging stations to be installed before the end of the year.
An advisory group in Oregon is current tackling charging stations and related issues, devising possible resolutions and developing technology.
According to the New York Times:
If electric cars do take off, consumers and society could benefit. Battery-powered motors are more efficient than gasoline engines. They cost drivers on average only 2.5 cents a mile for fuel, less than a third of the cost for a highly efficient gasoline car, according to proponents.
The aforementioned study by Pacific Northwest from 2006 noted that electric vehicles could also prove beneficial for national security, since nearly 73% of oil imported to the U.S. goes straight into car tanks.
Engineers, automakers, and government officials may have put the horse before the cart when it comes to the electric vehicle.
But the cart is right at our fingertips, if we can focus on the long-term benefits that the future of a plug-in driving world could bring us in terms of resource efficiency and emissions reduction.
Brigid
Subscribe to