A number of automotive manufacturers, electric utilities, electric power associations, and research groups are working to develop and evaluate technical approaches to integrating plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) into the U.S. electrical grid system. This is a key requirement of facilitating widespread, near-term adoption of PEVs by the American public.
The automotive sector is undergoing an electrifying transformation. Since the introduction of automobiles that used internal combustion engines, gasoline has been the fuel of choice. Now, however, a number of diverse groups are working hard to make electricity the fuel source for a new breed of transportation vehicles.
To learn more about the emerging electric transportation sector, in April, POWER interviewed three individuals who have a variety of perspectives: representatives from a leading electric power trade association, a major U.S. utility, and an electric power research group.
Basic Overview of Electric Vehicles
There are three broad categories of electric vehicles (EVs):
- Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) use a combination of a gasoline engine and an electric motor to power the car. The electric motor generates electricity during braking, which can subsequently power the vehicle at slower speeds.
- Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are a derivative of HEVs that typically have a larger battery and can be plugged into a charger on the wall of the owner’s garage or at a charging station. This enables a PHEV to travel true electric miles with power from the grid for a limited distance at limited speeds. PHEVs can also run on gasoline for as long as needed between charges.
- Plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) have a specially designed battery and use only an electric motor to power the car. PEVs are fueled exclusively from grid electricity and have no tailpipe or gas tank.
One PEV model, the Nissan Leaf, is now available in the U.S. Another PEV model, the Ford Focus Electric (Figure 1), will be available in the U.S. later this year. According to a Car & Driver article published in January, Ford expects the Focus Electric to have a better miles-per-gallon-equivalent (MPGe) rating than the PHEV Chevrolet Volt’s 93 MPGe. The Nissan Leaf scores a 99 MPGe rating. The Focus Electric’s battery is about the same size as the Leaf’s, which is estimated to enable the Leaf to go approximately 70 miles on a single charge. However, even more than with gas-powered vehicles, actual range on a full charge depends on terrain, speed, weather, and driver habits.
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| 1. Cruising into the future. The 2012 Ford Focus Electric vehicle’s all-electric design features an electric motor, charging port, and high-voltage lithium-ion battery pack. The car is targeted to go up to 100 miles on a single charge, and the battery is rechargeable using a 120- or 240-volt outlet. Courtesy: Ford Motor Corp. |
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