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Abstract

The present electric power delivery infrastructure was not designed to meet the increased demands of a restructured electricity marketplace, the energy needs of a digital society, or the increased use and variability of renewable power production. As a result, there is a national imperative to upgrade the current power delivery system to the higher performance levels required to support continued economic growth and to improve productivity to compete internationally. To these ends, the Smart Grid integrates and enhances other necessary elements including traditional upgrades and new grid technologies with renewable generation, storage, increased consumer participation, sensors, communications and computational ability. According to the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, the Smart Grid will be designed to ensure high levels of security, quality, reliability, and availability of electric power; improve economic productivity and quality of life; and minimize environmental impact while maximizing safety. Characterized by a two-way flow of electricity and information between utilities and consumers, the Smart Grid will deliver real-time information and enable the near-instantaneous balance of supply (capacity) and demand at the device level.

View the case studies here.

1. Trenching
2. Electrical Panel Box
3. Installation of Conduit
4. Inspection of Groundwork
5. Installation of Bracket Footing and Bollards
6. Installation of Charging Stations on Mounting Brackets
7. Testing of Charging Units
8. Final Inspection

Watch this video and others on Raleigh’s YouTube Channel.

Summary:

“Additional charging infrastructure deployments, installed by 3rd parties, are welcome additions to
the eTec Project, as this will provide a more infrastructure-rich charging environment. However,
in order to be added to the eTec Project, all charging infrastructure most be safe and capable of
providing the same charging event information, in the same format, and at the same frequency as
the infrastructure installed by the eTec-Project participants. The DOE provided scope for this
ARRA funded project has very defined data collection, evaluation, and dissemination
requirements for a massive amount of charging infrastructure. These requirements and the mass
of instrumented vehicles and charging infrastructure necessitate that the data handling and
reporting be conducted in the most economical and similar manner possible. Therefore, any
organization can install infrastructure at their choice, but it is not possible to consider it part of
the eTec-Project unless it is installed and provides data in the same exact manner as the 12,000
units deployed by the eTec Project.”

The presentation describes BMW’s analysis methods and features results from the Mini E field trial.

Vehicle Specifications:

• Two Seater
• 35 kWh Lithium Ion Battery
• Range: 100 in Real World Conditions

User Testing:

• Test compares customer responses and impressions across three markets: Great Britain, United States, and Germany
• Combination of qualitative and quantitative analysis methods
• Methods: Online Travel Diary, Questionnaires, Interviews

Conclusions

• Range sufficient for most trips
• Reported range averaged between 70-120 miles
• Charging not a big issue, even without extensive network of EVSE

Restrictions/Barriers

• Lack of standardized vehicle inlet
• Very limited access to public charging
• Air cooled batteries
• Reduced cold weather performance
• No remote access to vehicle information
• Limited cargo and passenger capacity

Download it here.

Abstract:

The mass production of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) is expected to start in the coming years. Climate change, peak oil and the automotive and economic crisis have put a significant pressure on the current transportation regime. Increasing urbanisation, range and efficiency advantages of PEVs in city traffic and the problem of urban air pollution have moved cities into the focus of PEV dissemination. Three case studies were conducted in this research to analyse the functioning of PEV systems in cities. Different functions like knowledge development, market formation and resource mobilization are analysed and discussed. The main critical issues around PEVs like range, cost, and environmental performance are investigated in a city context, and corresponding recommendations for cities to become plug-in ready are outlined.

Some cities in America have prepared for plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) for years, but the PEV transition will soon affect much of the U.S. relatively quickly. With the first wave of vehicles upon us (starting by the end of 2010), initial PEV fleets will hit specific areas where, for a number of reasons, readiness and appetite is highest.

The path of the subsequent nationwide rollout of PEVs will be driven by the “chicken-and-egg” dilemma of city readiness and charging infrastructure.

Luckily, pioneering cities can make the roadmap to PEV readiness much clearer and shorter for those who are less-prepared. It is not too late for newcomers to the game to prepare to join the next wave of PEVs by taking lessons from the leaders to more rapidly “get ready.”

In the report, “Electric Vehicles in America,” Roland Berger Strategy Consultants and Rocky Mountain Institute’s Project Get Ready identify which of America’s 50 largest metro areas are currently most prepared for PEVs, which are making progress to develop the necessary ecosystems in the near future, and which need to accelerate to accommodate the imminent launch of PEVs.

While RMI’s Project Get Ready has collaborated on EV readiness plans with over a dozen partner cities, the report expands exploration to provide a nationwide snapshot of readiness across America.

The study assesses the following key requirements for PEV readiness, including:

• Regulatory environment
• Infrastructure readiness
• Consumer readiness
• Operating environment

Although not all of these factors (local weather for instance) are directly under a city’s control, the report highlights the substantial opportunities that cities, states, the federal government, automakers, electric utilities and consumers can pursue to create a favorable PEV ecosystem in the near future.

Shared Learning for Nationwide Success

The report stresses the importance of planning and the benefits of shared learning across cities with varying levels of readiness.

Due to the work of pioneering cities (see how the PGR partner cities ranked), followers have a clearer, shorter path to readiness especially in the areas of infrastructure planning, regulatory alignment, and consumer awareness. Based on the lessons learned, late-adopting cities can develop good plans that enable maximum benefit while avoiding costly mistakes. Some have already made good progress and are aggressively closing the gap, while others will wait before committing to the PEV transition.

Read the full report to view full city rankings, and key enablers that cities can pursue to enable a functional PEV market in the future. (Please note: You will be redirected to rolandberger.com and asked to provide to access the report)

This Technical Report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) was published in 2007 as an analysis of Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) charging impacts in Colorado.

Introduction:

The combination of high oil costs, concerns about oil security and availability, and air quality issues related to vehicle emissions are driving interest in “plug-in” hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). PHEVs are similar to conventional hybrid electric vehicles, but feature a larger battery and plug-in charger that allows electricity from the grid to replace a portion of the petroleum-fueled drive energy. PHEVs may derive a substantial fraction of their miles from grid-derived electricity, but without the range restrictions of pure battery electric vehicles.
As of early 2007, production of PHEVs is essentially limited to demonstration vehicles and prototypes. However, the technology has received considerable attention from the media, national security interests, environmental organizations, and the electric power industry. In 2006, the Bush administration announced the U.S. Advanced Energy Initiative, which includes the goal of developing a PHEV capable of traveling up to 40 miles on a single electric charge. For many U.S. drivers, a PHEV-40 could reduce average gasoline consumption by 50% or more.
The economic incentive for drivers to use electricity as fuel is the comparatively low cost of fuel. The electric equivalent of the “drive energy” in a gallon of gasoline delivering 25-30 miles in a typical midsized car is about 9-10 kWh, assuming a vehicle efficiency of 2.9 mile/kWh. The cost of this electricity using the U.S. average residential rate for 2005 (9.4 cents/kWh) is under $1, and could be even less when using off-peak power at preferential rates. This cost is directly comparable to the end-user cost of gasoline, which nationally averaged $2.60 for regular-unleaded in the 12-month period ending August 2006. Given these potential cost advantages, a study by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) found a significant potential market for PHEVs, depending on vehicle cost and the future cost of petroleum. Furthermore, several researchers have noted that by adding “vehicle-to-grid” (V2G) capability, where the vehicle can discharge as well as charge, PHEV owners may also receive substantial revenue by using the stored energy in their vehicles to provide high-value electric system services such as regulation, spinning reserve, and peaking capacity.

The use of PHEVs would represent a significant potential shift in the use of electricity and the operation of electric power systems. Electrification of the transportation sector could increase generation capacity and transmission and distribution (T&D) requirements, especially if vehicles are charged during periods of high demand. Other concerns include emissions impacts including regulated emissions (NOX and SO2) and currently unregulated greenhouse gas emissions. Utilities are interested in the net costs associated with this potential new load, including possible benefits of improved system utilization enabled by controlled PHEV charging.
This study is designed to evaluate several of these PHEV-charging impacts on utility system operations within the Xcel Energy Colorado service territory. We performed a series of simulations in which the expected electricity demand of a fleet of PHEVs was added to projected utility loads under a variety of charging scenarios. The simulations provide some basic insight into the potential grid impacts of PHEVs, focusing on the following issues:

• How do various PHEV-charging scenarios affect the total system load?
• What are the emissions associated with PHEV charging, and what are the combined emissions from both generator and vehicle? How do these emissions compare to a conventional vehicle?
• What are the marginal costs associated with PHEV charging?
• What are the quantifiable system benefits associated with controlled PHEV charging?

Download the pdf here.

Summary:

“Electric vehicles and electric vehicle charging stations are coming to Washington State. In 2009 the
Washington State Legislature recognized this as both an economic and environmental priority and with the
support of the Governor, enacted a new law designed to encourage electric vehicles.

To create a consistent regulatory framework that would help this industry grow across Washington State, the
legislature required the Puget Sound Regional Council and Department of Commerce to develop guidance
for local governments.

To meet this requirement, the Puget Sound Regional Council and Department of Commerce formed a
broad-based technical advisory committee made up of local governments, charging equipment vendors,
utilities, ports, state agencies, and consumer interests.

The state’s new electric vehicle law requires that all local governments in Washington State allow electric
vehicle charging stations in most of their zoning categories. Allowing charging stations creates the need to
address a number of issues beyond zoning. These include on-street and off-street signage, charging station design standards, parking enforcement, accessibility for all users, SEPA exemptions, and more. These are addressed in this document.

The guidance includes the following:

• A discussion of the context within which charging stations are provided (Introduction).
• A model ordinance (Section 1).
• Model development regulations and, for topicswhere regulations may not be required or standards do not yet exist, information that is provided as guidance (Section 2).
• A set of resource documents and glossary (Section 3).
• Under a separate cover, the guidance includes a set of appendices that include templates, checklists, and research findings. “

Read more here.

Minor Installation Label:

• Original minor label program was used by electrical contractors for installation of branch circuits up to 30 amps at 240 volts.
• EVSE installations require 40 amp 240 volt circuit
• Minor installation label will be extended to include EVSE installations in one or two family dwellings, in attached garages.
• 9 out of 10 installations will not be inspected under minor installation label

Also, download here a press release, which explains Oregon’s Building Code Division’s permitting process for home charging units.

Download the pdf here

Steps for setting up EV charging at condos, townhouses or apartments:

1. Tenant receives EV technical requirements from dealer and contracts building management
2. Building representative initiates installation process as a value-add, contacts tenant association if applicable
3. Tenant orders EV and notifies building representative to initiate installation process
4. Building rep. assesses external installation resources and potential contractors
5. Building rep. makes preliminary design and layout decisions with selected contractor
6. Contractor prepares estimate and layout site visit from utility planner
7. Utility planner reviews plans and issues recommendations if necessary
8. Contractor revises plans if necessary and initiates installation, including acquisition of permits
9. Contractor orders necessary equipment
10. Utility installs equipment as needed
11. Contractor installs EVSEs
12. Contractor contacts local building inspector for an inspection
13. Utility initiates service
14. Tenants begin charging

Additionally, this RFI can be used as a template for any region to submit an RFI to manufacturers for their own local initiatives.

Abstract: Request for Information specific to technical information on electric vehicle supply equipment for electric vehicles.

1. Adopt specific permitting policy for EV chargers and train staff
2. Ensure public access to comprehensive EV-related information
   1. Post EV charger specific website pages
   2. Develop a comprehensive EV charger guide
3. Streamline permit access
   1. Reduce the number of government office visits
   2. Reduce the number of home visits
      1. Allow self-certification for simple installations
      2. Condense compliance review inspections for more complicated installations
   3. Establish set fees for simple installations
   4. Process EV charger permits on a priority basis
   5. Discontinue plan requirements for simple installations
   6. Establish 24-hour inspections request systems
4. Other policies to reduce the cost of electric charger installations
   1. Require new construction to include EV chargers, or at minimum wiring components for later EV charger installation

Additionally, there is specific information on permitting in many of the Bay Area cities, a flowchart for common residential installations, and a sample EV charger installation guide.

Summary:

“This Guidelines document is not intended to be an installation manual or a replacement for approved codes and standards, but is intended to create a common knowledge base of EV requirements for stakeholders involved in the development of EV charging infrastructure. Electric vehicles have unique requirements that differ from internal combustion engine vehicles, and many stakeholders are currently not familiar with these requirements. eTec’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Guidelines provide the necessary background information for understanding EV requirements and the related codes, laws and standards, and are the foundation upon which the EV Micro-Climate© program builds in order to provide the optimum infrastructure to support and encourage the adoption of electric vehicles, wherever it is directed.”

Read the study: Technology Improvement Pathways to Cost-Effective Vehicle Electrification.

Abstract:

Electrifying transportation can reduce or eliminate dependence on foreign fuels, emission of green house gases, and emission of pollutants. One challenge is finding a pathway for vehicles that gains wide market acceptance to achieve a meaningful benefit. This paper evaluates several approaches aimed at making plug-in electric vehicles (EV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) cost-effective including opportunity charging, replacing the battery over the vehicle life, improving battery life, reducing battery cost, and providing electric power directly to the vehicle during a portion of its travel. Many combinations of PHEV electric range and battery power are included. For each case, the model accounts for battery cycle life and the national distribution of driving distances to size the battery optimally. Using the current estimates of battery life and cost, only the dynamically plugged-in pathway was cost-effective to the consumer. Significant improvements in battery life and battery cost also made PHEVs more cost-effective than today’s hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and conventional internal combustion engine vehicles (CVs).

While most charging will likely be done at private (at home or private office parking) locations, public charging stations will play a critical role in a successful plug in vehicle ecosystem. As new innovations are introduced including faster charging stations or even battery swapping, public stations will become increasingly important.  PGR cities are among the first to purchase and install stations.  Below is the beginning of a list on how partner cities strategically deployed their charging stations.

Denver Area
Denver and the local Clean Cities Coalition identified 100 sites as good locations for charging stations as part of a grant proposal.

Selection process:
1) We only considered off-street parking, and only parking lots/structures that are own/controlled by the City—we decided that we wanted to start as simple as possible, so initially we’re focusing sites that were easy to look after and didn’t involve any private partners (not that we would discourage installations on private lots—I think we have two hotels in the area that offer EV parking spaces).   This wasn’t too difficult, as we own a lot of public facilities and parking lots, so we don’t have any shortage of good sites to keep us busy.

2) Some of the sites identified were fleet-only (the main areas where our City vehicles park).  For the public locations, we went through our list of parking lots/structures, and winnowed the list:

3) Major venues with a lot of parking where people park for long periods (and/or offer monthly parking)—cultural complex, Perfoming arts complex, zoo, central/lower downtown public parking, etc.

4) Then we worked with our Library and Parks and Rec Dept and went through the list of libraries and parks/rec centers to select the best potentials based on:

a) Enough parking to reserve a space or two if we decided to make them EV-only at some point (our Libraries and rec centers are pretty popular, so often have full lots—initially we would probably start with “leave this space for EVs unless no other space is available” until there was reasonable demand).

b) Geographically distributed in as many neighborhoods/City council districts as possible.

c) Tried to find sites that had could be conveniently be used by City Fleet vehicles (areas park maintenance might park, or very close do other City gov offices) so that we could get double duty out of them.

d) Site that were near other private attractions—libraries that were situated in popular shopping/dinning districts.

e) Also took into consideration the Library and Rec folks’ general knowledge of where made sense—ruling out areas with vandalism issues, sites with typical customers that would be more-likely early-adopters (like lots of young professionals).

f) availability of power on the existing panels in the parking structures (although we focused on Level I charging stations as they are the least expensive and still provide access and visibility)

g) the electricity price schedule for each facility—out utility has a flat $/kWh charge for lower-consuming sites, but at larger sites it is combo of  a small $/kWh charge plus a high $/peak-kW ( We want to be mind full that we don’t end up bumping a facility into the next rate structure or otherwise don’t adequately plan for potential increases in utility cost from a jump in demand charges from level 2 charging.  Obviously the strategy for managing cost would vary depending on the type of unit installed and the model of service provided to users and if there is flexibility in recovering costs if needed. )

The biggest piece of the effort was just talking to and getting buy in from all the different folks that manage these sites—not just several different departments, but most of the cultural facilities, airports, and the library operate basically as independent entities.  It is nice to have all the sites aware and “on board” so we are ready to move ahead as we are able without having to introduce everyone to the concept.

Blue is fleet only, red is public

Download here

Contents:

• Reference Legislation Codes and Standards
• Plug-In Vehicle Technology
• Charging Scenarios
• Utility Integration
• Planning Considerations
• Cost Estimating

The pledge focuses on the following:

• Infrastructure: Utilities will help ensure there are no system impacts from fueling large numbers of plug-in vehicles from the power grid. They also will help develop comprehensive local charging infrastructure plans.
• Customer Support: Utilities will ensure that PEV customers receive excellent customer care on questions ranging from charging mechanics to rates.
• Customer and Stakeholder Education: Utilities will collaborate with state and local officials, automakers and other stakeholders to provide comprehensive education outreach to customers on all aspects of PEVs.
• Vehicle and Infrastructure Incentives: Utilities will work closely with federal and local stakeholders to encourage PEV penetration, including purchase incentives, tax rebates, off-peak charging rates and subsidized parking.
• Utility fleets: Utilities will take significant steps to accelerate the introduction of PEVs into their utility fleet operations.

Take a look.

Houston budgeted for the project by assuming $10,000 for the first station and then $1,000 for each additional station.

Please email Ben Holland to submit additional charging station installation cost data.

Download the full Excel tool

Download the full Excel tool (alternate version for older versions of Excel)

Read the instructions

Also, be sure to read the full report.

Finally, have a look at Pacific Gas & Electric’s charging station information where their most recent report details EV installation, codes, and rate structure issues and solutions.

Download the full report or click through the pages below.

Access the Excel model that goes along with the report.

Table of Contents

Executive Summary: A Look at Charging Station Investment………………..3
List of Terms and Definitions………………..4
Summary of Costs and Benefits of Charging Stations………………..6
Analyzing Scenarios Using the Investment Tool………………..12
Exploration of Other Stakeholder Discussions………………..14
Concluding Thoughts………………..15
Appendix A: Menu of Hardware Options………………..17
Appendix B: Assumptions for Investment Tool Runs………………..21
Appendix C: Federal and State Incentives for Charge Station Investment………………..22
Contact Information………………..26

Executive Summary:

Transportation accounts for a quarter of green house gas emissions, one third of household
spending, and a third of the fossil fuel consumption in the US. Major changes to the transportation
sector are overdue and could have positive impacts on our economy, security, health, and natural
environment if we make the right choices. Vehicle electrification is one way to reduce petroleum use
and has gained significant momentum as of late. With support from federal and local incentives as
well as huge investments from automakers, plug-in electric vehicles are a near term reality. The
successful penetration of plug-in vehicles depends greatly on the thorough build-out of both
residential and public charging infrastructure.1 Certain local businesses, municipalities, and other
local players can benefit from the prudent investment in charging infrastructure. This paper
describes key benefits of constructing charging infrastructure, situations in which such construction
proves a prudent investment, and situations in which it does not.
Plugging In: A Stakeholder Investment Guide for Public Electric-Vehicle Charging Infrastructure is designed to
inform potential investors about the costs, revenues, and benefits of charging infrastructure. It
presents some overarching conclusions while the accompanying model allows investors to examine
the likely costs, revenues, and benefits for their specific investment scenario. While we applaud
groups who install charging stations out of good will, this guide is for those stakeholders who want
to understand the business case for infrastructure build-out. This report puts forward a business
analysis and pathway to profitability for plug-in vehicle charging station investment. For more
information on the environmental and community-based benefits that vehicle electrification offers,
please see see RMI’s Project Get Ready work at http://projectgetready.com, which specifically helps
communities prepare for vehicle electrification.
To estimate the return on investment stakeholders can expect when investing in charging station
infrastructure, RMI created a user-friendly investment tool. Individuals can enter unique stakeholder
information, and the tool will then estimate future cash flows. This paper discusses and analyzes the
results generated by this investment tool for general scenarios. Interested stakeholders can use the
tool to explore the results of various investments for their personalized scenarios.
The tool allows the users to determine which key inputs drive charging infrastructure profitability. A
few factors stand out as particularly critical to a successful investment. Stakeholders should
investigate thoroughly hardware installation costs, as these can vary considerably depending on the
chosen installation site. Installations costs and time vary greatly depending on existing infrastructure
and available conduit. For example, a hardware installation with adequate existing conduit should be
relatively inexpensive as opposed to a job that includes upgrades to the electrical system, destruction
of sidewalks or walls, and large distances to existing conduit. For this reason, investors may decide
to include charging infrastructure build-out in planned construction or retrofit projects. Hardware
choice is also critical, especially if the investor hopes to track users and charge a fee to help offset
initial capital costs. Federal, state, and local incentives, sometimes offsetting half of the hardware
costs, reduce the burden of initial capital costs, and may also lower operating costs (for example,
some incentives provide discounted electricity rates). These factors alone can affect costs by
thousands of dollars, making the different between a loss and profitable investment.
The profitability of charging station investment will be heavily dependent upon the penetration of
electric vehicles within the next decade. However, this penetration remains an unknown variable.
Automotive companies are lining up to introduce 2010 and 2011 model year plug-in electric vehicles
(PEVs) to the U.S.. The success of these vehicles will depend on a multitude of interdependent
factors such as the strength of the economy, the price of gasoline, the continuation of federal and
state subsidies, consumer education, the possible emergence of breakthroughs in internal
combustion engine technology and platform efficiency, and the existence of public and residential
charging infrastructure. Every major automaker is planning to release a PEV in the next few years
and the current administration established a goal of one million plug-in vehicles on the road by
2015. However, neither this nor building charging infrastructure guarantee widespread consumer
adoption, but they will help relieve range anxiety and build interest in plug-in electric vehicles.