POWER March 2012 - 69

ELECTRIC VEHICLES
1. Major 2012 EV introductions.
From top to bottom: Toyota Prius Plug-in, Mitsubishi
i, Ford Focus Electric, smart fortwo
electric drive, and Tesla Model S. Courtesy:
Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.; Mitsubishi
Motors; Ford Motor Co.; Mercedes-Benz
USA, LLC; Tesla Motors
■ Commercial and governmental fleet managers
will want guidance on how to best
integrate PEVs into their fleets.
■ Local media will want to report what the
local utility is doing to enable the new
technology.
■ Local government agencies will be seeking
guidance on best practices.
To get the word out about PEVs, electric
utilities are using a wide variety of communication
channels. These include the traditional bill
inserts, brochures, public events, and speeches,
along with a host of electronic methods, including
websites, email, and social media.
It is important to note that PEVs are a technology
that utility customers believe their electric
utility should be encouraging. In fact, in a
survey from the third quarter of 2011, EEI found
that 65% believe that electric utilities " should
[be] working and investing now to assure [sic]
that the proper infrastructure [is] in place for
convenient recharging of electric vehicles. "
Furthermore, a majority (56%) want to see their
" utility take a leadership role in encouraging a
shift toward electric transportation. "
Include Very Important
Passengers (VIPs)
Successful introduction of PEVs requires the
support of many different groups and stakeholders.
Below is a quick look at these groups
and the issues and activities that utilities must
consider when working with each.
State Regulators. For utilities governed
by public utility commissions, educating and
informing regulators about the need for appropriate
PEV rates and programs will be
essential. Other issues that utilities will most
likely need to address with state regulators
include: adequacy of resources to serve PEV
loads; rate impacts and cost allocations of
PEV infrastructure and programs; the use of
smart metering and communications technologies
to manage, track, and bill for PEV energy
usage; and new PEV rates or programs
to encourage off-peak charging.
Federal and State Legislators. Electric
utilities around the nation will be the fuel providers
of the future PEV fleet. This will have
wide-ranging policy impacts at federal and state
levels. To ensure the success of PEV technology,
utilities should broadly support policies that
offer incentives for vehicle purchase and homecharging
installations, as well as incentives for
investment in research and manufacturing of
vehicles, batteries, and components.
Important Stakeholders. Many states
have established regional or statewide working
groups to address the many issues and
barriers surrounding transportation electrification.
These broad stakeholder collaborative
groups-which typically include state
March 2012 | POWER
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Plug into the Grid
As more and more PEVs are purchased, utilities
must be proactive to ensure that customers
get the charging network they need. To
ensure that new PEVs in their service area
run smoothly for both themselves and their
customers, utilities will have to address the
following issues.
Power Usage. Unlike other electric appliances,
PEVs vary greatly in how much electricity
they use and when and where they use it.
Charging Location. Studies have shown
that in terms of generation, transmission, and
distribution, widespread PEV adoption will
have little to no effect on the electric system
for many years. EPRI has done studies that indicate
distribution systems are unlikely to have
any major problems, even if PEV sales grow at
moderate levels. Two big mitigating factors will
be when and where customers recharge their
PEVs. In one scenario, where home and workplace
charging were available to all vehicles, the
average load per PEV peaked below 0.75 kWh.
Charging Infrastructure. Next to the
PEV itself, the system for charging it is most
important. Utilities can fill several key roles
to ensure that both conventional and " critical "
charging infrastructure is in place when
their customers need it. Electric companies
are also exploring a variety of rate options
that will provide consumers with appropriate
price signals.
An Integrated Future. The Institute of
Electrical and Electronics Engineers, EPRI,
The Society of Automotive Engineers, and
other groups are collaborating on the development
of smart charging standards that will
integrate PEVs with utility meters and smart
grid systems.
Download the Guide
Electric transportation offers consumers and
the nation tremendous opportunity. The new
EEI Guide gives utilities an important tool
to help them support, encourage, and enable
electric transportation to reach its full potential.
Download a free copy of The Utility
Guide to Plug-In Electric Vehicle Readiness
from www.eei.org/newsroom/energynews/
Pages/20111115.aspx. ■
-Rich Tempchin (rtempchin@eei.org) is
executive director, Retail Energy Services
for the Edison Electric Institute.
67
agencies, utilities, automakers, environmental
groups, commercial interests, and local communities-have
become a best practice way to
educate a broad audience, foster the adoption
of favorable PEV policies, and remove many
policy barriers to PEV adoption. We recommend
that electric utilities participate actively
with these groups, taking a leadership role or
forming new groups where needed.
http://www.eei.org/newsroom/energynews/ http://www.powermag.com
POWER March 2012

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