POWER August 2011 - 78

ELECTRIC VEHICLES
they conclude after education about electric
vehicles as a result of completing the survey.
The 'likelihood of purchase' score rose after
exposure to the survey information. "
Duvall pointed out that some utilities have
aggressively taken actions to foster EV adoption
by rolling out EV readiness programs that:
■ Provide consumers with information
about EV technology and its environmental
advantages.
■ Conduct detailed assessments of premise
readiness for a Level 1 and Level 2 charging
installation.
■ Assess the sturdiness of the distribution
system to accommodate EVs, and especially
clusters charging on the distribution
end node.
Such efforts comport with survey findings
that consumers expect their electric utility to
be centrally and persistently involved in helping
them understand the EV advantage, and
once an EV is purchased, to ensure a beneficial
ownership experience, according to Duvall.
Banskota discussed strategies that the management
of NRG Energy's eVgo program
is using to promote the greater use of EVs
among its customer base. That program is trying
to counter three charging challenges:
■ eVgo is giving its subscribers the option to
charge their vehicles at home in the " service
station of the future, " the garage, at
no up-front cost. The average home installation
costs $2,000 to $2,500, and through
eVgo, there is no up-front cost.
■ eVgo also is giving customers " range confidence "
through a series of fast-charging
(480 V DC) Freedom Station sites conveniently
located in specific eVgo cities.
■ eVgo is providing customers assurance
concerning how much EV ownership will
cost through a fixed-rate subscription system
that covers chargers and electric power
consumed.
" As with any technology, reducing the
higher up-front cost of electric vehicles
through rebates, such as the current federal
program of $7,500 per electric vehicle, is extremely
useful, " Banskota said.
Private- and Public-Sector
Promotion of EVs
Banskota spelled out what he considers to be
appropriate actions by the U.S. private and public
sectors related to the advancement of EVs.
" We believe the best model is the privately
funded model used by eVgo that allows a comprehensive
network backed up with a business
model. This approach allows for the charging
stations to be maintained and to grow as electric
vehicle adoption increases, " he said. " We
do not support rate-basing electric vehicle infrastructure.
Asking people who cannot afford
a car to subsidize an affluent person's purchase
of an electric vehicle as a second or third car is
not in anyone's public interests. "
In his opinion, the benefits in cleaner air,
greater energy independence, and much lower
operation and maintenance costs warrant government
encouragement of EV adoption. He
pointed out that " the rebates on electric vehicles
are very valuable as the cost of this new
technology is currently higher than fossil fuel
technology, but that is a temporary need, as the
price of electric vehicles should come down as
they are built in greater numbers. " Besides continuing
these rebates, he also advocated that the
government provide EV drivers with access to
HOV (high occupancy vehicle) lanes, preferred
parking, and other " convenience " benefits.
EVs Poised to Move into the
Fast Lane
Both Duvall and Banskota are optimistic about
the long-term prospects of EVs in the U.S.
" Over the next five years, expect the intro800.878.6806
www.stanleyconsultants.com
duction
of many new models of plug-in vehicles
from as many manufacturers as possible
and increasing awareness of the public to
their benefits, " Duvall said. " These vehicles
will always cost a little more, but the Chevrolet
Volt and the Nissan Leaf are-today-
economically competitive with their gasoline
counterparts over the life of the vehicle. "
He also pointed out that manufacturers
Feasibility Studies/Siting/Permitting
Power Plant Engineering & Design
Plant Upgrades/Retrofits
Environmental Compliance Services
Construction Management Services
Owner's Engineer
Power Delivery
like GM and Nissan are attempting to scale
up production and reduce cost. He predicted
that over the next 10 to 20 years, PEVs will
be clearly economically advantageous over
gasoline-fueled or hybrid vehicles, and the
public will generally be aware of this fact.
" Public charging will be everywhere, even
in small towns and rural areas, " he added. " You
will be able to buy at least a plug-in hybrid in every
model of vehicle currently on the market-
compact cars to full-size pickup trucks. "
Banskota also sees EV sales picking up
Excellent Career Opportunities Available.
Scan code with your mobile device to apply.
CIRCLE 41 ON READER SERVICE CARD
78
www.powermag.com
POWER | August 2011
speed in the future. " With volume production,
electric vehicles will gain greater parity
with fossil-fueled vehicles in capital cost, " he
said. " There will also be huge improvements
in battery capacity, speed of charge, and size
and power of the vehicles. These advances,
coupled with the lower cost of maintenance
on an electric vehicle, will make them the obvious
choice for consumers. " ■
-Angela Neville, JD, is senior
editor of POWER.
http://www.stanleyconsultants.com http://www.powermag.com
POWER August 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of POWER August 2011
