ELECTRIC VEHICLES MAGAZINE
ISSUE 29 | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 | CHARGEDEVS.COM
2017 CHEVROLET
The era of affordable long-range EVs is here p. 48
p. 20
New silicon carbide MOSFET for EV inverters
p. 30
BOLTEV Independent battery benchmarking
p. 60
Global fuels consumption report
p. 72
Amazon is selling EVSE without safety certifications
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THE TECH CONTENTS
20
20 | Next-gen semiconductors Wolfspeed launches a new silicon carbide MOSFET for EV inverters
30 | Independent battery benchmarking
30
The EssEs consortium puts Li-ion cells to the test to help the EV industry verify battery performance
current events 10 ITL orders 300 UQM PowerPhasePro 135 e-Drive systems
Magnet Applications announces breakthrough in 3D-printed NdFeB magnets
11 12 13 14
10
Valeo and Siemens launch electric powertrain joint venture Sendyne’s new current and voltage sensor for EVs Nano One says it can produce Li-ion materials faster and cheaper EDI expands California facility to support 5,000 drivetrains per year NASA’s Magnetic Materials Lab creates custom alloy magnetic ribbons
15 Nanoscale measurements could lead to suppressing dendrite formation 16 UL developing safety standard for second-life EV batteries
16
Finnish powertrain company Visedo raises €20 million
17 3M sells NMC cathode patents to Umicore, will focus on Si anodes 19 GKN Driveline to invest $179 million in North Carolina manufacturing facilities
Online energy management claims 30% improvement in PHEV fuel efficiency
THE VEHICLES CONTENTS
48 | 2017 Bolt EV
The era of affordable long-range EVs is here
60 | Global fuels consumption
48
Navigant Research’s Global Fuels Consumption report analyzes how a transition to a shared vehicle environment will effect energy markets
current events 38 New Eagle and Inventev demonstrate electric Ford Transit van
California fleets can buy new electric trucks for less than Tier 4 diesels
39 Torqeedo adapts BMW i3 battery for marine use with range extender
60
Seattle to order 73 Proterra buses, will acquire 120 e-buses by 2020
40 Tesla Gigafactory begins producing cells
Ford plans 13 new electrified vehicles
41 China may allow EV makers to produce cars without JV partners 42 Romania to increase EV purchase incentive to 10,000 euros
Yet another EV startup: Rivian buys Illinois Mitsubishi plant
43 Faraday Future reveals production-ready FF 91 44 NHTSA finds Tesla not at fault in fatal Autopilot crash 45 Survey: 60% of Americans still know little about EVs
43
New Flyer electric bus deliveries increased by 48% in 2016
47 Tesla reverses decision to limit Model S Launch Mode
McKinsey finds EV awareness increasing, suggests strategies for OEMs
IDENTIFICATION STATEMENT CHARGED Electric Vehicles Magazine (ISSN: 24742341) January/February 2017, Issue # 29 is published bi-monthly by Electric Vehicles Magazine LLC, 4121 52nd Ave S, Saint Petersburg, FL 33711-4735. Periodicals Postage Paid at Saint Petersburg, FL and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CHARGED Electric Vehicles Magazine, Electric Vehicles Magazine LLC at 4121 52nd Ave S, Saint Petersburg, FL 33711-4735.
45
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72
72 | Buyer beware
Many of the best-selling EV charging stations on Amazon are not safety-tested and certified
78 | Infrastructure upgrades
78
California’s big three utilities submit proposals to increase access to EV infrastructure
66 Volkswagen invests in eRoaming provider Hubject
Fresno County, California orders 13 solar-powered EV ARC chargers
67 Nissan and BMW partner with EVgo to install 174 new DC fast chargers
69
Tesla Supercharger V3 could have power output greater than “a mere 350 kW”
68 EVgo selects Driivz as IT service provider
BMW Digital Charging Service optimizes charging for costs and solar
69 ChargePoint Express Plus offers DC charging at up to 400 kW
SAE releases global standard for wireless charging
71 Cooled cable from HUBER+SUHNER allows for greater EV charging power
Tesla announces details of new Supercharger pricing model
71
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Publisher’s Note Two big EV questions for 2017 Will we see a glimpse of LEAF 2.0 this year? The Chevy Bolt is making a lot of headlines these days, often described as the first longrange EV for Everyman. A few auto journalists have speculated that Nissan might try to spoil the party and unveil the second-generation Nissan LEAF early this year. In December, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn said that he was headed to CES for a substantial reveal of future technology - which fueled further LEAF speculation. Alas, Nissan’s 45-minute CES keynote was centered on plans for vehicle autonomy and connectivity, and included only a vague statement that “we are announcing that the next LEAF will be coming in the near future.” Later at the CES media roundtable, Chelsea Sexton reported that Ghosn explained the precarious position Nissan is in: “We can’t announce new EVs in advance because unlike our competitors, we are already selling EVs.” The automaker is worried about cannibalizing its current LEAF sales, which suggests that we won’t learn much about the next generation until full-scale production is imminent. If LEAF 2.0 comes in the form of a 2018 model (which is not confirmed), it’s likely that an official unveiling will occur sometime late this year - perhaps at the Tokyo Motor Show in October. Will Tesla start Model 3 deliveries in late 2017? Tesla has said that it hopes to begin deliveries of Model 3 in the second half of this year, with a 2017 production target somewhere around 100,000 to 200,000 units. The company was the first to admit that this is an insanely ambitious plan, to say the least. Automotive and financial pundits have described it as nearly impossible. But, as many short sellers have learned in the past four years, somehow the team at Tesla often figures out how to deliver the nearly impossible. Last year, Tesla detailed the steps it was taking to ensure that Model 3 would arrive on schedule, including “the ability to produce almost any part on the car at will, because it alleviates risk with suppliers,” as CEO Elon Musk explained during an earnings call. “Our goal is not to insource for the sake of insourcing, but rather to insource if we think it has a meaningful improvement on schedule or cost or quality.” New reports suggest that Tesla recently exercised this in-house option, canceling a $107-million order from the German parts supplier SHW Automotive. Tesla denied reports that the cancellation was caused by political pressure, stating that its policy is to terminate any supplier that is unable to meet its contractual milestones or violates its non-disclosure agreement. Are we seeing Tesla’s production schedule safeguards in action? Will it meet its ambitious 2017 delivery goal? EVs are here. Try to keep up. Christian Ruoff Publisher ETHICS STATEMENT AND COVERAGE POLICY AS THE LEADING EV INDUSTRY PUBLICATION, CHARGED ELECTRIC VEHICLES MAGAZINE OFTEN COVERS, AND ACCEPTS CONTRIBUTIONS FROM, COMPANIES THAT ADVERTISE IN OUR MEDIA PORTFOLIO. HOWEVER, THE CONTENT WE CHOOSE TO PUBLISH PASSES ONLY TWO TESTS: (1) TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE THE INFORMATION IS ACCURATE, AND (2) IT MEETS THE INTERESTS OF OUR READERSHIP. WE DO NOT ACCEPT PAYMENT FOR EDITORIAL CONTENT, AND THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED BY OUR EDITORS AND WRITERS ARE IN NO WAY AFFECTED BY A COMPANY’S PAST, CURRENT, OR POTENTIAL ADVERTISEMENTS. FURTHERMORE, WE OFTEN ACCEPT ARTICLES AUTHORED BY “INDUSTRY INSIDERS,” IN WHICH CASE THE AUTHOR’S CURRENT EMPLOYMENT, OR RELATIONSHIP TO THE EV INDUSTRY, IS CLEARLY CITED. IF YOU DISAGREE WITH ANY OPINION EXPRESSED IN THE CHARGED MEDIA PORTFOLIO AND/OR WISH TO WRITE ABOUT YOUR PARTICULAR VIEW OF THE INDUSTRY, PLEASE CONTACT US AT CONTENT@CHARGEDEVS.COM. REPRINTING IN WHOLE OR PART IS FORBIDDEN EXPECT BY PERMISSION OF CHARGED ELECTRIC VEHICLES MAGAZINE.
Christian Ruoff Publisher Laurel Zimmer Associate Publisher Charles Morris Senior Editor Markkus Rovito Associate Editor Jeremy Ewald Account Executive Jeffrey Jenkins Technology Editor Erik Fries Contributing Editor Nick Sirotich Illustrator & Designer Tome Vrdoljak Graphic Designer Contributing Writers Tom Ewing Michael Kent Charles Morris Christian Ruoff Scott Shepard Contributing Photographers Jimmy Baikovicius Rob Bulmahn Nicolas Raymond mariordo59 (Flickr) Citytransportinfo (Flickr) Kecko (Flickr) Cover Images Courtesy of GM Special Thanks to Kelly Ruoff Sebastien Bourgeois For Letters to the Editor, Article Submissions, & Advertising Inquiries Contact Info@ChargedEVs.com
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Photo courtesy of UQM
ITL orders 300 UQM PowerPhasePro 135 e-Drive systems
UQM Technologies (NYSE MKT: UQM) has received an order from Chinese supplier ITL for 300 PowerPhasePro 135 e-drive propulsion systems. UQM’s PowerPhase Pro 135 provides peak torque of 340 N·m (251 lb-ft), peak power of 135 kW and continuous power of 80 kW. ITL, based in Beijing, will be supplying the electric drivetrain system for vehicles in the 6-8 meter light bus and commercial truck market. “It has been a long journey, and now that ITL is ramping up for production, this order of 300 e-drive systems from UQM is just the beginning of new orders for the booming new energy vehicle market in China,” said Frank Lee, President of ITL.
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Magnet Applications, a manufacturer of specialty magnets, has announced a breakthrough in 3D-printed neodymium iron boron (NdFeB) magnets. NdFeB magnets are the most powerful known, and are used in applications from robotics to wind turbines to EVs. Magnet Applications engineers, working with researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, have shown that permanent magnets produced by additive manufacturing (3D printing) outperform traditional bonded magnets with less waste. Magnet Applications manufactured the starting composite pellets with 65% isotropic NdFeB powder and 35% polyamide nylon-12 binder. The 3D printing was performed by ORNL’s Big Area Additive Manufacturing system. “Additive manufacturing in magnets provides multiple benefits,” said Senior Technical Advisor Dr. John Ormerod. “They have more design flexibility, which is especially beneficial in sensor technology, and it creates less waste than the traditional sintering process.” “With rapidly advancing technologies, the ability to manufacture the strongest magnet available in any shape without tooling, in any quantity, unleashes so many design opportunities. The work has demonstrated the potential of additive manufacturing to be applied to a wide range of magnetic materials and assemblies,” Ormerod continued.
Photos courtesy of Magnet Applications
Magnet Applications announces breakthrough in 3D-printed NdFeB magnets
THE TECH
The powertrain joint venture announced in April by tech giants Valeo and Siemens has begun operations. Valeo Siemens eAutomotive is headquartered in Erlangen, Germany, and is expected to have some 1,000 employees. It has plans to establish R&D centers in Europe and China. The JV’s portfolio includes motors, range extenders, onboard chargers, inverters and DC/DC converters, aimed at the entire range of electrified vehicles, including hybrids, PHEVS and EVs. Valeo will contribute its high-voltage power electronics, range extenders and charging solutions, and Siemens is making available its eCar Powertrain Systems business unit, including e-motors and power electronics. “This joint venture will enable us to provide solutions for all vehicle manufacturers, whatever their powertrain electrification needs” said Valeo CEO Jacques Aschenbroich.
Photo courtesy of Siemens
Valeo and Siemens launch electric powertrain joint venture
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Sendyne, a New York-based developer of sensing, modeling/simulation and control products, has introduced the SFP200MOD, a turnkey module designed specifically for the needs of EVs and energy storage systems. This newest automotive-grade member of Sendyne’s SFP family is capable of precisely measuring currents from mA to kA, while simultaneously measuring three high-voltage potentials (800 V nominal, 1,000 V / channel max). It communicates via an isolated CAN 2.0B interface (500 kbit/s). The SFP200MOD incorporates Sendyne’s SFP200 IC and the company’s new 18 μΩ shunt. It measures current with an accuracy of better than ±1.0 % over the operating temperature range of -40° C to +125° C. For ease and exactness of State of Charge (SOC) estimation, the module provides separate charge, discharge and total Coulomb output. It can be powered from a wide voltage supply rail of nominal +5/+9/+12/+24/+36/+48 V
without any modifications or adjustments. The SFP200MOD is fully isolated and capable of attachment onto the high side or low side of a battery, or anywhere in between. The output of the module is digital, and can communicate directly with a Battery Management System with no need for analog to digital conversion. Sendyne can modify the SFP200MOD to meet specific customer needs, such as reporting power referenced to a specific voltage input, changing nominal voltage range, or accommodating other communication interfaces. An evaluation kit consisting of the module, CAN to USB translator, cables, and demonstration software for PC platforms is available for $250.
Photo courtesy of Sendyne
Sendyne’s new current and voltage sensor for EVs
THE TECH
Photo courtesy of Nano One
Canada’s Innovation, Science and Economic Development program plans to invest up to $1.9 million in Vancouver-based Nano One, which currently produces energy storage materials and a range of nanostructured composite materials. The funding will support a pilot plant that will simulate full-scale production of lithium-ion cathode materials and showcase Nano One’s processing technology. Some promising cathode materials currently being developed depend on processes with 50 to 100 steps and production cycles of 4-7 days. Nano One says its technology can use lower-grade raw materials and complete a production cycle in less than a day. It involes less handling, lower capital costs, no waste solvents and fewer failure points. As a result, Nano One hopes to reduce per-kWh costs by up to 50%, as well as delivering robustly structured
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Photo courtesy of Nano One
Nano One says it can produce Li-ion materials faster and cheaper, wins $1.9-million investment
Photo courtesy of EDI
Efficient Drivetrains, Inc. (EDI), a provider of hybrid and electric drivetrain solutions, is moving its Dixon, California vehicle engineering and support operations into a new 10,000-square-foot space in February. The expansion will support the manufacturing of up to 5,000 drivetrains annually, as well as large numbers of vehicle engineering and upfit projects. The company also plans to expand its portfolio of solutions, which includes the EDI PowerDrive line of EV and PHEV drivetrains, EDI PowerSuite Vehicle Control Software and Telematics, and EDI Power2E 2 Way Charging and Exportable Power. End users, vehicle manufacturers and integrators use EDI’s products to electrify medium- and heavy-duty fleet vehicles. EDI also has a development and manufacturing facility in Beijing, and it expects to announce incremental expansion there before the end of the first quarter.
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With a newly-acquired magnetic material caster, NASA’s Magnetic Materials Lab allows researchers to create custom alloy magnetic ribbons as large as one mile long and 50 mm wide. This ribbon can then be used to manufacture parts that generate or transform electrical power more efficiently and at a larger scale than ever before. “As the country, and the world, moves away from fossil fuels and toward renewable sources like solar cells and electric cars, the efficiency of power conversion will become a major issue,” said Randy Bowman, head of a new, cutting-edge Magnetic Material Fabrication and Characterization Lab at NASA Glenn Research Center. This large-scale caster is the largest in the nation for conducting magnetic material research - providing NASA Glenn and its partners with the capability of producing materials large enough to move out of the lab and into commercial use. “Although magnetic materials have been produced and studied in the past, the size and quantity of the material was too small to use in full-scale applications like solar cells or electric cars,” said Bowman. This new casting capability allows researchers to customize the metallic makeup of a magnetic ribbon, produce a large-scale version of it, and use it exactly as it applies to their subjects of research, projects or full-scale tests. “We have the ability to alter the magnetic properties so as to tailor their properties to match the unique requirements of each specific application,” said Bowman. “For example, some applications want the material to be easily magnetized while others want it to be difficult.”
Photo courtesy of NASA
NASA’s Magnetic Materials Lab creates custom alloy magnetic ribbons for Efficient Drivetrains expands electric aircraft California facility to support 5,000 drivetrains per year
THE TECH
Photo courtesy of Greer et al.
Nanoscale measurement of lithium metal could lead to suppressing dendrite formation Dendrites are tiny needle-like branching structures that can grow through a battery eventually causing a short. A joint team of researchers from Caltech and Carnegie Mellon University has measured the strength of lithium metal at the nano- and microscale, an achievement with important implications for suppressing dendrites. In “Enhanced strength and temperature dependence of mechanical properties of Li at small scales and its implications for Li metal anodes,” published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Julia R. Greer and co-authors explain how they used a special vacuum chamber to form pillars of single-crystal lithium a few micrometers tall. The Caltech researchers discovered that at this size, lithium is up to 100 times stronger than previous measurements indicated. Collaborators at Carnegie Mellon University calculated how the stiffness of lithium dendrites varied with the crystallographic
orientation and discovered that it could be as different as a factor of four. “Lithium has historically been difficult to study because it oxidizes and immediately turns black upon contact with air,” Greer says. “Physical suppression of dendrites with a solid electrolyte is a promising method, but thus far the electrolytes used have not been able to withstand the force of growing dendrites,” says co-author Chen Xu. “However, we now know that lithium dendrites are much stronger than previously thought, and we can choose a stronger solid electrolyte accordingly, which dendrites will be unable to grow through.”
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THE TECH
Photo courtesy of Spiers New Technologies Inc
There are currently more than 1.5 million EVs on the world’s roads. Over the next year or two, the first wave of batteries will be coming to the end of their automotive life cycles, while retaining around 80% of their original capacities, still sufficient for various stationary energy storage applications. Before beginning its second life however, each individual battery must be evaluated, as each has been exposed to different charging and discharging conditions throughout its lifetime. To help ensure that EV batteries are safely deployed in their new applications, the independent safety standards organization UL is developing the safety standard UL 1974, with input from automakers, battery reclaimers, electric utilities and academic institutions. The new standard aims to provide users with confidence that a used EV battery will function effectively in a residential, commercial or utility-scale storage application. In UL’s system, batteries will be classified for their state of health, then bad cells will be weeded out through testing processes that determine what part of a battery pack will be swapped out, what will be replaced, and what will be recycled.
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Photo courtesy of Visedo
Finnish powertrain company Visedo raises €20 million
UL developing safety standard for second-life EV batteries
Visedo, a Finnish manufacturer specializing in electric powertrains and components, has secured a financing package worth €20 million ($21 million) to support its international growth plans. Founded in 2009, Visedo specializes in electric powertrains and components for heavy-duty machinery, commercial vehicles and the marine industry. Its powertrains are suitable for hybrid and electric systems in the power range of 30 kW to 2,000 kW. Visedo electric machines are based on synchronous reluctance assisted permanent magnet technology (SRPM), which the company says combines the benefits of PM and synchronous reluctance motor technologies, offering smaller dimensions, lighter weight and higher efficiency. They are liquid-cooled and designed to work as traction motors in harsh operating environments. Visedo supplies an electric drivetrain for the new Businova hybrid bus from French manufacturer Safra. The new buses are already in serial production, and the first vehicles are being delivered to cities in France. Visedo currently operates in Finland and the Netherlands and has clients in 19 countries. Market growth is strong in Asia, and the next step is to open a new office in Hong Kong.
3M sells NMC cathode patents to Umicore, will focus on Si anodes 3M has agreed to transfer all of its intellectual property related to Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt (NMC) cathodes, including global patents and license agreements, to technology and recycling firm Umicore. The divestment will allow 3M to increase its focus on next-generation silicon anode materials, electrolyte additives and advanced thermal management solutions for EVs. “The agreement enables 3M to focus on its unique strengths in silicon anodes, while Umicore continues to develop and commercialize high-energy NMC cathodes,” said Global Battery Materials Business Manager Christian Milker. “In combination, these technologies may substantially increase electric vehicle battery life. Umicore has been a valuable partner in the commercial growth of NMC cathode technology, which 3M developed in partnership with Professor Jeff Dahn of Dalhousie University.”
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THE TECH
Energy management system claims 30% improvement in PHEV fuel efficiency
Photo courtesy of GKN Driveline
GKN Driveline to invest $179 million to expand North Carolina manufacturing facilities
GKN Driveline’s eAxle technology enables automakers to add plug-in hybrid and AWD capabilities to their vehicles. Customers include BMW, Volvo and Porsche. Now GKN has announced that it will invest nearly $179 million to expand its manufacturing facilities in four North Carolina counties. The new investment, to be made over the next five years, is expected to create 302 jobs. The expansion is necessary to support the company’s growing business supplying several US OEMs. North American All-Wheel-Drive system sales are projected to reach more than 3 million units annually in 2020, up from 2.4 million in 2015.
Engineers at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) have developed a new online energy management system (EMS) that they say can improve PHEV fuel efficiency by more than 30%. In “Development and Evaluation of an Evolutionary Algorithm-Based Online Energy Management System for Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles,” published in IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, Xuewei Qi and colleagues explain that improving the efficiency of current PHEVs is limited by shortfalls in their energy management systems (EMS), which control the power split between engine and battery. In general, existing EMS for PHEVs are either rulebased systems, which use a set of predefined rules, or optimization-based systems, which can adapt according to driving conditions and driver behavior. However, notes the UCR team, most have only limited adaptability to real-time information. “In reality, drivers may switch routes, traffic can be unpredictable, and road conditions may change, meaning that the EMS must source that information in real time,” Qi said. Existing EMS also do not consider the effect of opportunistic charging between trips. Taking inter-trip charging information into account can significantly improve fuel economy. The EMS developed by Qi and his team combines vehicle connectivity information (such as cell networks and crowdsourcing platforms) and evolutionary algorithms a mathematical way to describe natural phenomena such as evolution, insect swarming and bird flocking. “By mathematically modeling the energy-saving processes that occur in nature, scientists have created algorithms that can be used to solve optimization problems in engineering,” Qi said. “We combined this approach with connected vehicle technology to achieve energy savings of more than 30 percent. We achieved this by considering the charging opportunities during the trip something that is not possible with existing EMS.”
JAN/FEB 2017
19
Next-gen semiconductors Wolfspeed launches a new silicon carbide MOSFET for EV inverters By Christian Ruoff
W
ide Bandgap (WBG) semiconductor technologies have attracted a lot of attention and research funding in the past decade. Both public and private institutions around the world have been obsessed with accelerating the evolution of WBG tech into commercial power electronics applications. What’s all the fuss about? WBG materials such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) can greatly improve power conversion efficiency.
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THE TECH Photo courtesy of Rob Bulmahn (CC BY 2.0)
Silicon wafer, also called a slice or substrate
JAN/FEB 2017
21
A bandgap is the energy needed to excite electrons from a material’s valence band into the conduction band, and WBG materials have bandgaps significantly greater than that of silicon. Silicon (Si) has a bandgap of 1.1 eV (electronVolt); silicon carbide (SiC) has a bandgap of 3.3 eV, and gallium nitride (GaN) has a bandgap of 3.4 eV. The wider bandgaps allow WBG materials to withstand far higher voltages and temperatures than silicon. This means they can operate with greater durability and reliability at higher voltages and frequencies, which in turn allows them to achieve higher performance while using less energy. According to the US DOE, WBG semiconductors can theoretically eliminate up to 90% of the power losses that currently occur during power transfer, and they can handle voltages more than 10 times higher than siliconbased devices. Applied in an EV, the math is relatively simple. Increasing the efficient use of energy allows you to reduce the high costs of battery packs, shorten charging times or improve driving range. In January, Wolfspeed - a division of Cree - introduced a new SiC MOSFET specifically designed for EV drivetrains. Charged chatted with Wolfspeed’s senior director of power products Guy Moxey to learn more. Q Charged: Where are you seeing the most near term
commercial opportunity for SiC growth, and where does it fit best?
A Guy Moxey: Cree is a pioneer of SiC wafer technology,
primarily used for high power LEDs. Wolfspeed is the division of Cree that specializes in SiC discrete devices and modules for RF and power products. The power market for SiC is relatively new - it’s really in the last eight years that products have become commercially viable but we see it growing quickly because of what the technology can enable. SiC does basically the same thing as silicon, it just does it far more efficiently. And the world has been asking for more efficient power conversion for a long time. We see the market for it growing through legislation, through consumer demand and through the pure cost of energy. Generally speaking, SiC is best suited for the highervoltage side of life. You’re not going to find a SiC power semiconductor in a cell phone that operates at about 4 V
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A bandgap is the energy needed to excite electrons from a material’s valence band into the conduction band, and WBG materials have bandgaps significantly greater than that of silicon.
THE TECH
Wolfspeed introduced 1000V SiC MOSFET in October 2016 to meet growing need for EV fast chargers
Photo courtesy of Wolfspeed
max. The power and the voltage requirements are very small in these ultra-portable applications, and silicon works fine. Silicon has been around for 60 years - it does a great job and is pretty cost-effective for low-voltage systems. SiC really comes to life around 600 V to 10 kV, in applications such as grid transformation, wind and solar, high-end power supplies and EVs. For the short and mid-term, SiC will be more expensive than silicon - even at scale - due to raw material costs. However, for many power applications, the efficiency increases that SiC enables will unlock greater cost savings throughout the system. You’re not simply unplugging a silicon switch and plugging in a SiC switch. The trick is to redesign the circuit around the SiC. Then, for example, you can reduce the number of switches, increase the switching frequency and reduce the size and cost of all the magnetics. In other words, SiC allows you to increase the overall design efficiency and reduce the bill of materials.
SiC really comes to life around 600 V to 10 kV, in applications such as grid transformation, wind and solar, high-end power supplies and EVs. Also when you think about transportation and EVs, form factor, size, weight, and cooling are all significant factors to consider. If you increase system efficiency with SiC, you can reduce all of those. Q Charged: Are there production vehicles on the road
today that contain SiC power products?
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A GM: Yes. There are EVs from many different manu-
facturers on the road that contain Wolfspeed’s SiC power products. In the last 3 or 4 years, we’ve built up our business base by winning a lot of designs for on-board charging and DC-to-DC power conversion systems for EVs. The SiC-based systems allow for higher switching frequency and lower losses. Among other advantages, SiC allows you to reduce the size and form factor of the system, which is a huge benefit for a car. So we’ve won a lot of that business, which has given us great validation, proving the pedigree of Wolfspeed SiC in automotive. In the auto industry, the testing is rigorous
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In the last 3 or 4 years, we’ve built up our business base by winning a lot of designs for onboard charging and DCto-DC power conversion systems for EVs.
THE TECH but the ultimate validation is the hours of operation in the field. Your quality and reliability has to be top-class. Now we’re starting to also focus on the EV’s powertrain, with the launch of our first products targeted at the motor inverter. Q Charged: How do your products for inverters differ
from those used for chargers and DC-to-DC converters?
A GM: The charger is a similar voltage but it’s a lot lower
power rating. Typically an on-board charger is about 3 to 6 kW total, and to drive a motor you’re looking at hundreds of kW. They operate differently as well. With a DC-to-DC converter, for example, you want to operate at as high a frequency as practical, because the higher the frequency, the smaller the magnetics - which reduces system cost and weight. In DC-to-DC conversion, Silicon is limited to a few hundred kHz in switching frequency, otherwise it gets too hot and inefficient, whereas with SiC, we can do a few times that frequency without any sacrifices in efficiency.
With a DC-to-DC converter, for example, you want to operate at as high a frequency as practical, because the higher the frequency, the smaller the magnetics. The SiC devices used in on-board chargers are smaller, lighter and faster than the devices we have developed that target the motor drive. The inverter wants heavy current and relatively low switching frequency. So, we developed the highest current rated SiC device available - a 900 V, 10 mΩ MOSFET rated for 196 A of continuous drain current.
THE TECH
Q Charged: Traditional motor/inverter systems using
silicon switches are very efficient. What gains can SiC offer?
A GM: When you look at an EV, the inverter drive losses
are about 7% of the total car loss. So yes, the inverter and motor system is pretty efficient compared to things like the gearbox and bearings. But when the car is batteryoperated, it’s very important to get every drop of efficiency you possibly can. What may seem like small increases in efficiency actually translate into noticeable increases in your EV range and time between charges. We have found that using our new SiC 900 V, 10 mΩ MOSFET can reduce inverter loss by as much as 78%. So the energy lost in the motor drive goes from about 7% of the total car loss to about 2%. So, by designing your inverter with SiC, you can then reduce the size of the battery pack while achieving the same range, or increase the range for a given battery pack. The 900 V power module that we recently showcased has a remarkably low 2.5 mΩ on resistance (Rds(on)) - which is a built-in parameter of the transistor that represents the internal resistance when it is in its fully conducting state. You want the smallest Rds(on) as possible, because it’s directly related to the loss. Q Charged: What are the biggest design challenges you
faced while designing the SiC device for inverters?
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We have found that using our new SiC 900 V, 10 mΩ MOSFET can reduce inverter loss by as much as 78% - from about 7% of the total car loss to about 2%. A GM: Packaging is one of the challenges with highcurrent SiC chips. If you take the typical module and simply swap out the legacy silicon chips with a SiC chip, you can’t operate as fast as you want to because it’s handcuffed by silicon packaging. Silicon switches slowly, so those modules can be pretty clunky, with a lot of inductance. Whereas if you’re going to increase the switching frequency three, four, or five times, you’d have to cleverly design the layout and the interconnectivity of these modules to reduce the stray inductance. We need to
Photo courtesy of Wolfspeed
The 900 V power module that we recently showcased has a remarkably low 2.5 mΩ of resistance (Rds(on)) really streamline things to minimize inductance and utilize the potential of the SiC by redesigning components like the wire bonds and the parts that you connect or solder. Also, the thermal performance of SiC is much different, so the thermal management components need to be redesigned as well. Basically, when you put SiC into silicon packaging, it’s like taking an engine from a Lamborghini and putting it into an economy four-door sedan. So we are continually working to develop advanced packaging that can really cope with the potential of the SiC chip inside. Our new module (CAS325M12HM2) is really the first commercially released module in the world that is designed specifically for SiC. Q Charged: How many different iterations or generations of SiC
power products have you commercially released?
A GM: Our latest and greatest MOSFET power portfolio - including our
new SiC 900 V, 10mΩ MOSFET - is part of our third generation of products, which launched about a year ago. We proliferated out with some variations of the products that are getting designed into new generations of on-board chargers. We’ve also had a lot of success with off-board charging stations, particularly in Asia, where we see a huge push to fast charging stations.
THE TECH
Wolfspeed silicon carbide power MOSFET for EV inverters SKU: CPM3-0900-0010A
Photo courtesy of Wolfspeed
Q Charged: GaN is another WBG technology that we
hear a lot about. Do you think that GaN has potential applications in EVs?
A GM: We actually produce more GaN than anyone else
in the world. However, we use it for RF power purposes. We think it’s best for low-voltage, ultra-high switching frequencies - the MHz and GHz range. That is where RF comes in, which is the other side of our Wolfspeed division. There are some companies working on GaN on silicon for use in power conversion, however it is a very new technology approach. We think that GaN complements SiC nicely, because GaN works well for applications starting around 40 V and tops out at about 600 V. So that makes GaN a potentially disruptive technology for portable applications like computers, cell phones and tablets. According to GaN experts working in that area, it can be more cost-effective a device than silicon. So if it can perform better and this price is better, it stands a fairly good chance once it’s proven itself as a technology. But for an application like an EV powertrain inverter, we don’t think it’s a great fit. Because of the way the technology is built, you need very big chips to get high current, and that means higher costs and larger packages.
Blocking Voltage
900 V
Current Rating At 25°C
196 A
Rds(On) At 25°C
10 mΩ
Package
Bare Die
Gate Charge Total
68 nC
Reverse-Recovery Charge (Qrr)
1700 nC
Output Capacitance
350 pF
Reverse-Recover Time (Trr)
32 ns
We think that GaN complements SiC nicely, because GaN works well for applications starting around 40 V and tops out at about 600 V. Q Charged: How soon could there be production EVs
on the road with SiC-based inverters?
A GM: We’ve only recently had the right chips that are
powerful enough to satisfy the needs of the powertrain. The automotive industry has really long design cycles and rigorous testing, so it’s difficult to predict. We’ve done all the R&D and produced a commercial product, so now it’s a matter of continuing our work with the EV engineers and winning designs. We know that the current rating of our new chips gives designers what they’ve been waiting for in SiC technology.
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INDEPENDENT
BATTERY BENCHMARKING By Micheal Kent
omparing the spec sheets from different parts manufacturers is tricky business for engineers in any industry. However, the advanced battery market seems to be uniquely challenged in this regard. As Tesla CEO Elon Musk often points out, when it comes to batteries, the BS factor is outrageous. Even if you assume that every vendor provides product specs that are based on real data and not wishful thinking, there are so many important parameters in battery benchmarking that it’s very hard to compare apples to apples without testing different samples yourself. In an effort to help the EV industry cope with this challenge, the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) created the Energy Storage System Evaluation & Safety Consortium (EssEs) in 2011. Now in its second phase, the goal of EssEs is to provide transparency in the automotive, utility and battery markets. Members include automotive manufacturers, electric utilities, OEMs, battery pack integrators and others across the lithium-ion supply chain.
C
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The EssEs consortium puts Li-ion cells to the test to help the EV industry verify battery performance
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We certainly gathered enough interest to decide to start a consortium in the area.
Photo courtesy of Southwest Research Institute
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One of the benefits of the consortium is that it provides a common benchmark by using the same test procedures to conduct a 360-degree view of the cell data. SwRI has a long history of putting consortiums together in different technical areas such as diesel engines, spark-ignited engines, robotics, etc. “We decided to look for interest in pre-competitive benchmarking and research in the battery area,” Bapi Surampudi, Staff Engineer at SwRI, told Charged. “And we certainly gathered enough interest to decide to start a consortium in the area.”
Willingness to share When designing battery packs, companies will develop a lot of proprietary information regarding the packaging, cooling, insulation, heat spreading, management electronics, etc. Most of that is considered competitive product information, and is not something they are willing to share within a consortium. However, the “pre-competitive” data refers to a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of different commercially available cells. These things are partially satisfied by the battery manufacturer, but there is no standard as to how a battery should be completely specified and what type of information has to be provided. So companies are very willing to work together on basic research and benchmarking to share the costs and avoid the need to do testing in-house. “It’s best to reserve as much of the budget as possible for customized product development,” said Surampudi. “Everyone recognizes the tendency for cell manufacturers to highlight the strengths of their batteries. So one of the benefits of the consortium is that it provides a common benchmark by using the same test procedures to conduct a 360-degree view of the cell data. Then members can compare different chemistries and see what will be the best fit for their application.” SwRI says that the majority of members in Phases 1 and 2 have been vehicle OEMs and battery pack integrators. While one battery manufacturer did join in Phase 1, Surampudi describes the industry’s attitude as similar
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to that of the combustion engine industry in the early stages. “Many years ago, engine manufacturers who were competitors would never come to the same table to look at what is the state of the art in the industry. That has changed over time because they’ve realized there is no sense in not sharing that type of information. It’s just the nature of this early stage of the battery market - it forces manufacturers to focus on their products rather than working together wherever possible. But that will change over time.”
The tests SwRI consortiums go through a gradual adoption of the scope of work - Phase 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. - in an attempt to match the requirements at different times. Its diesel engine consortium, for example, is now in Phase 7. In EssEs, each phase of the consortium typically contains both benchmarking and research projects, and
Photos courtesy of Southwest Research Institute
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members vote on which specific cells to benchmark and what research projects to perform. In some cases, cells are not readily available on the open market, so EssEs will buy a vehicle, drop out the battery pack and remove the cells for testing. The cell-level tests are broadly classified into four categories: manufacturing, performance and characterization, calendar/cycle life, and safety/abuse.
Manufacturing In the area of manufacturing, the researchers analyze the cells to see how consistent they are at the beginning of their life. Tests include mass variance, initial internal resistance, open circuit voltage and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy. Statistical analysis then provides insights into consistency of samples and extrapolations to larger populations. Cell samples are binned for different test categories based on sigma levels.
In some cases, cells are not readily available on the open market, so EssEs will buy a vehicle, drop out the battery pack and remove the cells for testing. “Results from the manufacturing tests give members the insight to know that the amount of imbalance between the cells will be as small as possible,” said Surampudi. “They know exactly what to expect when they acquire batteries within a certain sigma level.”
Performance and characterization To test data sheets and marketing specs against compre-
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Photos courtesy of Southwest Research Institute
hensive and objective benchmarking, the consortium will map batteries - just like an engine - across many temperatures and many charge or discharge curves. Tests include static capacity, energy efficiency, hybrid pulse power and cold cranking. Analysis delivers mapping of beginningof-life data for pack sizing and initial calibration of battery management systems. Data includes comprehensive maps of capacity variations with current and temperature along with pulse power data sets as a function of depth of discharge (DOD) and temperature. Cold cranking data allows members to select appropriate cell chemistry for their plug-in hybrid applications in cold climates.
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“We can actually measure the thumbprint electrochemical behavior of the battery and mark the signature of the chemistry inside the battery,” said Surampudi. “We measure how the capacity, power, and energy change across different conditions.”
Calendar and cycle life Life testing helps members determine the true cycle life of cells and packs under normal and extreme conditions. Li-ion cells also age while in storage, so EssEs will also develop guidelines for the best temperature and state of charge (SOC) for long-term storage. Both factors have
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We’ve also patented a special method for life testing in Phase 1, and all the members get access, royalty-free, to any patent that is generated in the consortium. been shown to influence aging while sitting on the shelf. Tests include Taguchi DOE map-based cycle life and calendar life at various DOD, current, power and temperature test conditions, and reference performance testing. The cycle life analysis delivers a model as a function of change in SOC, charge power, discharge power and temperature. Tests also measure temperature variations in cells at different duty cycle stress levels. “Our cycle life data helps to determine how long a manufacturer will warranty the powertrain and pack
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itself,” said Surampudi. “We’ve also patented a special method for life testing in Phase 1, and all the members get access, royalty-free, to any patent that is generated in the consortium.”
Abuse The last category of cell-level testing is abuse or safety. Abuse testing pushes batteries to the limits to evaluate thermal stability, overcharge and penetration risks. One overcharge test is conducted on a production module to study fire propagation. Analysis of test data provides ambient temperature thresholds of venting and fire for each cell type; threshold of overcharge failure and impact; impact of heat spreaders, insulators and battery chemistry towards fire propagation inside a production module; and internal short circuit simulated by nail penetration. Road tests and pack architectures EssEs will also conduct simulated driving tests of the vehicles they acquire before disassembling them to access
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Future work Phase 1 of EssEs was conducted from 2011 to early 2015, and Phase 2 began in late 2015. The consortium is always soliciting new members, and interested parties can join at any time and gain access to all the data, including that generated during Phase 1. Surampudi explained that about 70% of the consortium’s budget is spent on benchmarking, and 30% on research. Currently, one research topic is picked every year. Examples include overcharge tolerance of aged batteries and diagnostics of lithium plating (a Li-ion failure mechanism in cold temperatures). “Moving forward, as membership increases, we expect to benchmark more and more batteries per year and also grow the research content at the same time,” said Surampudi. “For example, our diesel engine consortium does 100% research and development projects. So, as members drive the direction, we expect to generate a lot of useful algorithms for batteries - diagnostics and prognostic data, threshold thermal management strategies, insight into fire propagation, effectiveness of heat spreaders and insulation materials between cells, etc.”
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Photos courtesy of Southwest Research Institute
the cells. “For example, we wanted to test the Panasonic 25 Ah cell that was used in the VW e-Golf,” explained Surampudi. “We weren’t able to get the cell directly from the manufacturer, so we bought an e-Golf. It made no sense to simply disassemble the vehicle immediately without any testing, so we put the vehicle on a chassis dynamometer and simulated high-stress conditions like grades and high speeds.” “When we test a cell acquired from a vehicle, we don’t have a spec sheet from the cell manufacturer, so we have to generate our own. We can do this by monitoring the vehicle voltage, power and charge management to determine the operating boundaries that the manufacturer designed the system within. That is very important to generate our own specifications for our tests so that when we disassemble a battery pack, we can still honor the manufacturer’s specifications.” Also, EssEs provides members a detailed look at the pack design for the vehicles they disassemble. Benchmarking on commercial EVs delivers insights into various active and passive thermal management systems, and members can learn about the delicate trade-off between performance and safety that becomes a major design factor in these systems.
Membership has its benefits EssEs offers four main benefits to members. The first is cost. Members can leverage benchmarking cost-sharing, freeing up in-house resources for product and application development. “If you were to attempt the same testing inhouse, you would spend roughly 10 times the cost of the membership,” said Surampudi.
THE TECH
Second, from an R&D standpoint, members get exclusive comparative intelligence and detailed performance data to help them select the best matching cells for a specific application. The generated proprietary data is shared only among consortium participants. “It’s completely unbiased data, because we’re not partial towards any particular manufacturer,” said Surampudi. “Everything is tested at exactly the same conditions, so they can compare and shortlist battery types that have a natural match for their application - either power-centric or energy-centric.” The third benefit is access to data that members can use for pack system design. The data gathered and its analysis assists in the design of pack architecture, thermal management systems, battery management systems and algorithms. “And finally, our team actually attends all the major conferences,” said Surampudi. “We capture a summary of the state of the art of the battery industry and the various
If you were to attempt the same testing in-house, you would spend roughly 10 times the cost of the membership. applications. We present that to the members during our meetings in San Antonio.” Because consortium testing goes above and beyond industry standards, EssEs says it aims to contribute to standards-making bodies. Members have also conducted many of the international regulatory battery pack safety standard testing at SwRI’s facility. “Ultimately we want to help the industry by providing transparent information, with a focus on safety, performance, warranty and quality,” Surampudi said. “This is what drivers and passengers expect of electric vehicles.”
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Photo courtesy of New Eagle
New Eagle and Inventev demonstrating electric Ford Transit van in Detroit
Two Michigan companies, New Eagle and Inventev, have teamed up to convert full-size commercial vans to electric drive. They demonstrated a fully electric Ford Transit van at the recent North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Production and sale of the vehicles is scheduled to begin in early 2018. New Eagle will provide the core propulsion systems and controls, and Inventev will handle upfitting and distribution. The electric Ford Transit was developed using New Eagle’s Powertrain Kit, which is designed to allow fleets and manufacturers to quickly and affordably convert commercial vehicles to electric drive. The kits are customizable, so customers can select the components that best fit their systems. The kit is available for any light-duty, medium-duty, commercial delivery or shuttle vehicle, and has previously been configured for the Dodge Promaster, Ford F-150 and Fiat Ducato.
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Heavy-duty electric truck builder Orange EV has announced that all of its on-road truck configurations are now eligible for the Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP), which means that fleet buyers in California can purchase a new pure electric terminal truck for less than the cost of a new Tier 4 diesel. HVIP offers savings of up to $140,000 per truck, which brings the price down to $104,950 for a standard-duty (80 kWh) T-Series terminal truck. “California’s HVIP program enables fleets to purchase electric trucks with the same funds earmarked for diesels, and then operate for significantly less, saving up to 90% net in fuel and more in a broad range of other areas,” said Mike Saxton, Orange EV Chief Commercial Officer. “Fleets also avoid the headache of operating and maintaining Tier 4 diesel engines while greatly improving air quality on-site and in neighboring communities. California drivers have repeatedly affirmed that Orange EV trucks do the job [and are] cooler, smoother, quieter and cleaner than diesels.” HVIP is designed to be simple and streamlined. Requests are a few pages long and can be approved within days. An approved vendor (such as Orange EV, also the OEM) handles the voucher request process from start to finish. Once approved, discounts are applied at purchase. HVIP does not require the destruction of an existing truck or engine. Similar point-of-sale discount programs exist in Chicago and the state of New York. The bad news is that funding for HVIP is currently exhausted, and funding has not yet been appropriated for fiscal year 2016-17. Saxton says voucher requests submitted now are placed in line for the next round of funding, due in February, and will be processed in order. “We understand as of last week the line formed already represented $10 of that next $13 million. There’s real urgency to submit voucher requests to get in line and secure funds in this next funding round.”
Photo courtesy of Orange EV
California fleets can buy new electric trucks for less than Tier 4 diesels
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Seattle transit authority to order 73 Proterra buses, will acquire 120 electric buses by 2020
Photo courtesy of Torqeedo
Marine motor manufacturer Torqeedo introduced three new products for electric mobility on the water at the recent Electric and Hybrid Marine World Expo Florida and Miami International Boat Show. Torqeedo has adapted BMW’s i3 battery to work with its 40 or 80 hp Deep Blue outboard motors. The prismatic cell design provides efficient cooling with an integrated compressor and even temperature distribution, and is mounted in a rugged shock-resistant enclosure. Torqeedo’s 25 kW Range Extender is an inverter generator designed to complement the Deep Blue system. The combustion engine runs at its most efficient operating point, supplying the full 25 kW regardless of load demands or battery voltage level. It doesn’t require a separate starter, but uses the electric motor included in the genset. Torqeedo’s Cruise FP fixed pod motor is an alternative to an inboard diesel engine. It features new electronic throttles and a user interface on a high-resolution marine display, and can be from shore power, solar, a generator or hydro-generation while underway.
King County Metro Transit, which serves metro Seattle, has announced plans to acquire 120 battery-electric buses by 2020. Up to 73 of these will be ordered from Proterra, at a cost of up to $55 million. Eight of the buses are to go into service this year, and 12 more in 2019. In a pilot project funded in part by a $3.3-million grant from the Federal Transit Administration’s Low-or No-Emission Vehicle Deployment Program, last year Metro began running three all-electric buses on routes serving some of the county’s densest job centers, including the Microsoft campus and downtown Bellevue. “King County has long been an innovator in clean vehicle technology,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “Now, we’re dramatically expanding our zero-emission electric bus fleet and working with the industry to innovate and offer next generation vehicles that move people quietly and cleanly while helping meet our climate goals.” Metro will acquire up to nine long-range electric buses from different manufacturers to test battery technology. The authority hopes to challenge the industry to produce buses that can travel farther, and also to develop 60-foot buses, better able to replace the articulated buses that make up 55 percent of its fleet. “To better serve our customers, we want battery buses that travel longer distances and can carry more people,” said Metro Transit General Manager Rob Gannon. “We’re committed to expanding our battery bus fleet, and need the industry to accelerate development of standardized battery bus charging systems so they can work flexibly for any bus route, and also build more 60-foot-long articulated buses, which serve as the transit workhorses in King County.”
Photo courtesy of Proterra
Torqeedo introduces adapted BMW i3 battery for marine use, range extender, fixed pod motor
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Ford plans 13 new electrified vehicles
Photo courtesy of Tesla
Tesla Gigafactory begins producing cells
It seems we’ve been waiting forever, but in fact, as these things go, it happened with lightning speed. Tesla’s game-changing Gigafactory has started producing battery cells, destined for the Powerwall and other energy storage products and, beginning in the second quarter, the Model 3. The sprawling Nevada plant is already assembling utility-scale Powerpacks for Southern California Edison. This is a historic event for several reasons. It’s a big win for American manufacturing, giving us a foothold in an industry currently dominated by China, Japan, and South Korea, which together supplied 88% of the global market for lithium-ion cells in 2015. Over 2,900 people are already working at the 4.9-million-square-foot facility (less than a third of its eventual size), and Tesla and Panasonic expect to have 6,500 full-time employees there by 2018. The Gigafactory is a large and prominent illustration that the future of manufacturing lies in high-tech clean energy, not in 20th-century smokestack industries. For Tesla, the Gig is of existential importance. Without it, the company could never come anywhere near its goal of 500,000 Model 3 sales by 2018, because there simply isn’t enough lithium-ion battery production in the world. Furthermore, for Model 3 (and EVs in general) to be profitable, battery prices will need to come down significantly. Tesla is counting on the massive scale of the $5-billion Gigafactory to drive down costs enough to make EVs competitive with legacy vehicles.
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Ford has announced that it plans to introduce 13 new electrified vehicles over the next five years, including hybrid versions of the F-150 pickup and Mustang. The automaker will invest $700 million to equip its Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Michigan to produce autonomous and electric vehicles, part of a $4.5-billion investment in electrified vehicles by 2020. It’s something of an about-face for a company that has shown little interest in hybrids or EVs in recent years (despite the fact that sales of its two plug-in hybrid models together are neck-and-neck with those of the Chevy Volt). In December, CEO Mark Fields implied that electrified vehicles weren’t in line with “market realities” (despite what some media outlets reported, he didn’t go so far as to say there was “zero interest”). Here’s what Mr. Fields says now: “As more and more consumers around the world become interested in electrified vehicles, Ford is committed to being a leader in providing consumers with a broad range of electrified vehicles, services and solutions that make people’s lives better. ” Ford’s strategy is to electrify its most popular, high-volume models. The new vehicles announced today include: • An all-new fully electric small SUV with a range of at least 300 miles, coming by 2020 • A hybrid version of the best-selling F-150 pickup, available by 2020 • A hybrid version of the iconic Mustang that will deliver V8 power and even more low-end torque, also to debut in 2020 • A Transit Custom plug-in commercial van, to be available in Europe in 2019 • Two new pursuit-rated hybrid police vehicles More cool things are in the pipeline. Ford is testing a fleet of 20 Transit Connect hybrid taxi and van prototypes in several US cities, and is piloting wireless charging technology on company EVs. It is also joining with several European automakers to create an “ultra-fast” charging network that will offer thousands of charging points by 2020.
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Photo courtesy of Nicolas Raymond (CC BY 2.0)
China may allow EV makers to produce cars without JV partners China is one of the epicenters of the electromobility revolution, and a new proposal could make it much more so, while also giving a boost to American EV-makers such as Tesla. Currently, foreign automakers are allowed to produce vehicles in the country only through a joint venture with a local partner. Now China’s National Development and Reform Commission and Ministry of Commerce are proposing to relax those laws for makers of “new energy vehicles.” The details of the new policy are not yet clear. Some reports only mentioned battery manufacturers, while others say the new rules will apply both to makers of batteries and complete automobiles. While global automakers are surely licking their chops at the prospect of more access to the world’s largest market, we’ll have to wait for more particulars before we know which companies will
benefit most. Toyota is the king of hybrids, whereas Mitsubishi, Porsche and others make PHEV versions of the SUVs that Chinese buyers love (and probably seldom plug in). One clear winner is Tesla, which is already selling EVs in China - perhaps as many as 10,000 this year - and is keen to build a local manufacturing plant. Earlier this year, Elon Musk said that Tesla planned to choose a location and a local partner by the middle of 2017. We haven’t heard anything since, so it may be that the company is waiting for the new rules to take effect before making its move.
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Yet another EV startup: Romania’s new government Rivian buys Illinois to increase EV purchase Mitsubishi plant incentive to 10,000 euros
Romania’s Social Democratic Party plans to extend the existing Rabla program of EV incentives to 2020, and increase the value of the purchase incentive to 10,000 euros for each EV. The Rabla program, which was launched last year, currently provides vouchers worth 1,100 euros for the purchase of a hybrid and up to 6,000 for an EV (buyers receive the maximum amount if they trade in a gas guzzler). Local business newspaper Economica.net estimates that over 100,000 Romanians will take advantage of the program to go electric. Last year, the country’s Environment Ministry also launched a program to help city halls and other public institutions install EV charging stations. The new government wants Romania to have at least 20,000 EV charging points by 2020. Electrified vehicles are still rare birds in Romania, but the flock is growing - in the first 10 months of 2016, 834 hybrids and plug-ins were sold, double the sales from the same period in 2015, according to the Association of Producers and Importers of Cars.
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Another secretive startup, another web site with pix of smiling multicultural techies and vaguely-worded flights of eloquence about redefining the automobile. But now Rivian Automotive has taken a concrete step towards realizing its dreams, buying a 2.4-million-square-foot former Mitsubishi factory in Normal, Illinois. According to county records, the company paid $2 million for the 500-acre site. It said it plans to invest more than $40 million in the plant by 2022, and begin building EVs there in 2019. Local governments have awarded Rivian a $1 million grant and a 5-year tax abatement, contingent on the company investing $175 million and hiring 1,000 people by 2024. Mitsubishi and Chrysler developed the Normal factory in 1988. It includes stamping machines, injection molding equipment, robots, CNC machine tools, cranes and other equipment, and has an annual capacity of about 250,000 vehicles. Mitsubishi shut down the factory last year. Rivian Automotive was founded as Mainstream Motors in 2009, became Rivian in 2011, and moved its base from Florida to Detroit in 2015. In buying the disused Mitsubishi plant, it’s taking a page from the playbook of Tesla, which famously rejuvenated a former GM/Toyota plant in Northern California.
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Faraday Future reveals productionready FF 91
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Photo courtesy of Faraday Future
Faraday Future (FF), the intriguing EV startup that employs several alumni of Tesla and other automotive and tech giants, revealed its first production vehicle, called FF 91, at a press event prior to the recent CES trade show. FF 91 features a monocoque vehicle structure that integrates the chassis and body, and a multi-motor setup that enables real-time torque vectoring and optional allwheel drive. Peak power is 783 kW (1,050 hp), and 0-60 time is said to be 2.39 seconds. FF engineered the 130 kWh battery in partnership with LG Chem. Estimated range is 378 miles (EPA). The company says the vehicle will be able to charge “at more than 500 miles per hour.” The included Level 2 home charger can charge to 50 percent in under 4.5 hours. Connectivity features, developed in partnership with China-based conglomerate LeEco, are integrated into an “EcoSystem” that “integrates users’ digital lives into FF 91, giving access to apps and content, while learning user’s preferences over time to create a smarter, more personalized experience.” Facial recognition technology allows drivers and passengers to unlock the car without a key, and enables other features as well. “FF 91 can not only recognize faces, but also facial expressions and moods it uses to auto-prompt an experience to match, using music, temperature, scent, content, massage and more.” Autonomy features are supported by retractable 3D lidar, 10 high-definition cameras, 13 long- and short-range radars and 12 ultrasonic sensors. An intelligent self-parking system lets drivers park and summon the vehicle remotely using a smartphone app (for now, only in private parking lots). The announced specs and features of FF 91 are impressive indeed, but some doubt the company will be able to deliver (such skepticism is of course a given for any auto industry startup). FF broke ground on a $1-billion, 3-million-square-foot manufacturing plant in North Las Vegas in November, but work on the site has apparently stopped due to a dispute about unpaid bills. Many in the press have gushed about the over 64,000 advance reservations the company has received for FF 91, but no deposit is required to make a reservation, so while that number does show a high level of general interest in the company, it gives no indication of actual future demand for the car. Faraday says production of FF 91 is planned to start in 2018.
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It was a tragic milestone: last May, Joshua Brown, “a friend to Tesla and the broader EV community,” became the first person to die in a crash that occurred while his Model S was in Autopilot mode. The National Highway Traffic Safety Adminstration (NHTSA) made a full investigation into the circumstances of the accident, and has now announced its findings. The agency “did not identify any defects in the design or performance” of Autopilot, or “any incidents in which the systems did not perform as designed.” It also noted that the frequency of crashes involving Tesla vehicles declined by about 40 percent after the company introduced Autopilot. NHTSA placed responsibility for the accident primarily on the driver. According to the report, Brown did not apply the brakes, and his last action was to set the cruise control at 74 miles per hour, less than two minutes before the crash. The agency said the truck that Brown collided with should have been visible to him for at least seven seconds before impact. He “took no braking, steering or other actions to avoid the collision.” The report did note that drivers could be confused about whether the system or the driver is in control of the vehicle at certain times. “Not all systems can do all things,” NHTSA spokesman
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Photo courtesy of Tesla
NHTSA finds Tesla not at fault in fatal Autopilot crash
Bryan Thomas told the New York Times. “There are driving scenarios that automatic emergency braking systems are not designed to address.” US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx told reporters that drivers have a duty to maintain control of a vehicle, and that automakers must explain the limits of semi-autonomous systems. “The [auto] industry is going to have to be clear about what the technology does and what it does not do.” Legal experts said the agency’s decision does not mean automakers would escape liability claims in cases where driver assistance systems fail to prevent a crash. “If it is known that drivers are misusing and being confused by your self-driving system, then that in and of itself can be a safety-related defect,” product liability lawyer Jason Stephens told Reuters.
THE VEHICLES
The electromobility revolution is gathering speed, but most of the public is still unaware of what’s going on. A recent survey of 2,557 Americans by Altman Vilandrie & Company found limited awareness of EVs. About 60 percent of respondents picked the multiple-choice answers “I’ve never heard of electric vehicles” or “I’ve heard of electric vehicles but I don’t know much about them.” 80 percent said they had never driven or ridden in an electric car. Three percent of respondents said they currently own an EV, and 10 percent said they planned to buy one. 60 percent of consumers who have experienced an EV say they “enjoyed” it, and only 8 percent did not. Reasons for not buying an EV were the usual: 83 percent said they cost too much; 85 percent said existing charging infrastructure is inadequate; and 74 percent say charging takes too long. Younger and wealthier consumers are more likely EV buyers: 17 percent of respondents earning $100,000 or more and 18 percent of 25-34-year-olds plan on making an EV their next car. Older drivers (over 65) said they were more likely buy an EV from Ford or Volkswagen, while young drivers (18-24) preferred Tesla. Overall, Tesla and VW were the most likely brands for a potential purchase. Unsurprisingly, the survey found that the EV market would grow significantly if prices were lower. For example, Tesla’s $35,000 Model 3 is expected to generate up five times more sales than the pricier Models S and X. Altman Vilandrie estimates that if other automakers released models in that price range, it would boost EV adoption by nearly 24 times the current market. “There are signs of strong latent demand in the marketplace,” said Moe Kelley, co-director of the survey. “The auto industry still needs to make more low-priced models available to consumers as well as finding a way for more drivers to try out an EV. If those things happen, we should see the EV adoption rate accelerate.”
Photo courtesy of New Flyer
Survey: 60% of Americans still know little about EVs
New Flyer electric bus deliveries increased by 48% in 2016
New Flyer is one of North America’s largest bus builders, and zero-emission buses (ZEBs) are a growing part of its business. In 2016, the company delivered 213 “equivalent units” as zero-emission buses (one standard transit bus or motor coach equals one equivalent unit, one articulated bus equals two). This represents 8.3% of New Flyer’s total heavy-duty transit bus production for the year. New Flyer manufactures three types of ZEBs: battery-electric, trolley-electric, and hydrogen fuel cell. All are based on the company’s Xcelsior platform, are driven by electric motors, and share common electric accessories. The company is currently validating a 60-foot articulated battery-electric bus with a fuel cell range extender. New Flyer’s partners include Siemens, XALT Energy, A123 Systems, Cummins and, for hydrogen fuel cells, Ballard Power Systems and Hydrogenics. According to the company, each zero-emission transit bus can eliminate 1,690 tons of CO2 over its 12-year lifespan, equivalent to taking 27 cars off the road. It also eliminates 10 tons of nitrogen oxides and 350 pounds of particulate matter. “New Flyer believes that zero-emission acceptance has now hit a breakthrough level for the heavy-duty transit market in 2016,” said President Wayne Joseph. “We estimate that approximately 255 equivalent units of the heavy-duty transit bus deliveries in 2016 were zero-emission, and New Flyer is proud to have delivered more than 83%.”
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THE VEHICLES
After owner outcry, Tesla reverses decision to limit Model S Launch Mode Many Tesla owners rave (in a good way) about the over-the-air software updates that the company uses to add new features or fix bugs. However, some were less pleased when Tesla used over-the-air capability to limit an existing feature called Launch Mode. Launch Mode is an electronic system that helps the driver to achieve maximum acceleration - many ICE performance cars have a similar feature. Some of them also have a system that limits power output if drivers blast off too frequently, in order to prevent excessive wear on the powertrain. Some time ago, Tesla quietly installed such a limiter on some versions of Model S. The issue came to light after a couple of Tesla Motors Club forum users noticed that their use of Launch Mode had been limited, and a Tesla spokesperson confirmed it, saying that the car’s computers “automatically track Launch Mode usage and continually estimate fatigue damage,” and that “depending on how Launch Mode is used, the computer may eventually limit the available power during Launch Mode to protect the powertrain.” In response to owner dissatisfaction with the limiting software, Tesla has decided to scrap it. President of Sales and Service Jon McNeill told the Tesla Motors Club forum that the offending software would be removed in the next software update. “Based on your input, we have decided to remove all software performance reductions tied to frequent max power usage,” said McNeill. “We had put these reductions in place to proactively protect the powertrain from wear and tear. Instead, we will monitor the condition of the powertrain and let our customers know if service is needed so that we can take proactive steps, such as by replacing parts if necessary, to maintain the vehicle’s performance.” Any necessary parts replacements will be covered by the warranty.
McKinsey finds EV awareness increasing, suggests strategies for OEMs As the EV scene heats up, we’re starting to see a steady stream of studies and surveys analyzing the growing market. Assessments of consumers’ EV awareness vary considerably, and predictions for the future are all over the map. Management consulting firm McKinsey & Company has released a new report based on a survey of 7,000 consumers in the US, Germany, Norway and China, as well as interviews with executives from automakers and other industry insiders. Around half of respondents in the US and Germany said they know how plug-in vehicles (PHEVs and EVs) work, and about 30% of vehicle consumers in the US and 45% in Germany said they would consider buying a plug-in vehicle today. However, less than 5% of potential buyers ultimately choose a plug-in over a legacy ICE model (3% in the US, 4% in Germany, and 22% in Norway), and government subsidies are a big incentive for doing so. This implies that there is a good bit of pent-up consumer demand for EVs (as does the enormous level of interest in upcoming EVs from Tesla, Faraday Future and others). McKinsey also identifies several factors that should accelerate the transition to e-mobility: the self-reinforcing auto industry megatrends of autonomy, connectivity and sharing; faster-than-anticipated improvements in battery costs, vehicle range and charging infrastructure; increasing urbanization; and accelerating regulatory forces. Not surprisingly, the report finds that automakers are slow to rise to the challenge: “They must strike the right balance between selling enough EVs to comply with tightening regulatory targets, while preventing [the cost of battery packs] from cannibalizing corporate profits.” McKinsey’s report goes on to suggest some strategies OEMs can use to “electrify” their customer base. But it’s no secret that automakers (and other giant corporations) have a poor track record when it comes to adapting to new trends.
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BOLT EV 48
THE VEHICLES
2017 CHEVROLET The long-range, mid-priced EV is here By Charles Morris
Photos courtesy of General Motors
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T
he 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV will surely be remembered as a milestone model in automotive history - and hopefully for more than just the hype that heralded it. For several years, the punditocracy has been saying that the “killer app” that would bring electromobility to a “tipping point” and build that all-important “critical mass” would be an EV with a range of over 200 miles, at a price point in the $30k range. Well, here it is, and it’s arriving at a most propitious time - EV sales are in a steady growth pattern around the world, and GM is the only company with a “200 for 37” EV on the lots. Tesla’s Model 3 is still months away (and considering the backlog of orders, years away if you’re placing an order today). Other competitors are even further behind: Nissan, BMW and Ford are all overdue to update their EVs, which are looking pokey down in the 100-mile range, but none has announced any details of the next generation.
Possibility and reality The stars are aligned for the Bolt to be a big seller, and indeed it made a strong start, moving 579 units in De-
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cember, its first month on the market, and another 1,162 in January. However, the auto business doesn’t operate on an “if you build it, they will come” basis. Automakers rely heavily on advertising - according to a report issued by Global Equities Research last July, they spent an average of $1,000 per vehicle sold in the US market in 2015. When it comes to EVs, that figure is much closer to zero. It’s an open secret that automakers do little or no marketing for their plug-in vehicles, and GM is no exception. This is (probably) not the result of some irrational hatred of electricity, but rather a sound short-term business
THE VEHICLES
EV sales are in a steady growth pattern around the world, and GM is the only company with a “200 for 37” EV on the lots. decision. Thanks to still-high battery prices, OEMs’ profit margins on EVs (with the exception of Tesla) are meager, or even negative. The Detroit News estimated in November that GM will lose up to $9,000 on every Bolt it sells, noting that this “sounds crazy, but...makes perfect business sense,” as it allows the company to earn ZEV credits from state regulators, and subsidize its profitable portfolio of ICE vehicles. JP Morgan analyst Ryan Brinkman, who met with GM CFO Chuck Stevens in December, wrote that the Bolt is part of an “improving array of electric vehicles from auto-
makers which are pricing such vehicles with the aim not to turn a profit but rather to sell in sufficient volume from a regulatory compliance perspective.” So, realistically speaking, those who were expecting the Bolt to break into the mass market are probably bound for disappointment. To the best of our knowledge, GM has no plans for any substantial ad campaign, and production for the first year will probably be limited (some observers have thrown out the speculative figure of 30,000 units). All that said, there is still every reason to welcome the Bolt as a historic step forward, and to applaud GM for building it. The plucky new EV may not be a profit center today, but it’s a serious investment in the future. GM has
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plans to use the technology it developed for the Bolt for several future EVs. “The Bolt is our platform that we’re going to continue on and have a huge range of vehicles,” CEO Mary Barra said at the recent Detroit auto show. “We haven’t announced them yet, but you’re going to see more coming.” As battery prices fall, and consumer awareness of EVs grows, that loss-per-vehicle figure will shrink - sooner or later the Bolt or a successor vehicle will become a profitable proposition, and GM’s steady progress in electric drive tech is bringing that glad day closer. It’s also worth mentioning that GM is by far the most charged of US automakers, surpassing Ford’s halting efforts, to say nothing of Chrysler’s kicking and screaming.
Evolution of an EV The Bolt is the product of a long learning process at GM. The lessons learned about batteries, motors, controls and other EV tech from the Volt, Cadillac ELR and Spark EV enabled GM to make a major step change in electric specs for the Bolt.
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The Bolt is our platform that we’re going to continue on and have a huge range of vehicles “One of the top priorities of our team during development of the Chevrolet Bolt EV was affordability,” Bolt Chief Engineer Josh Tavel told Charged. “We wanted to provide our customers with the best value in a longrange EV. That meant we had to leverage the more than a decade of experience that we’ve gained from the firstand second-generation Volt as well as the Spark EV.” “For example, the basic motor design for the Bolt EV is pretty similar to the motors used in the Volt and
THE VEHICLES
Spark EV,” Tavel continued. “That enabled us to reduce motor development cost and time. The same can be said for the overall drive system. The software used to control the charging system and battery management system is also based off the technology used in the Volt and Spark EV.” “On the battery, our experience enabled us to work with our cell supplier, LG Chem, to develop a chemistry that’s more energy-dense, which enabled us to use less active material, resulting in a lower cell cost. We also optimized the pack design to make the battery system a fundamental part of the overall structure of the vehicle, which helped to reduce costs as well.” While GM’s overall EVolution may have been long, the development of the Bolt occurred on something of a rushed schedule. “[The team] has done a phenomenal job,” Tavel told us. “They took the challenge just a few short years ago to do the car in an accelerated timeline, but get over 200 miles of range. They blew by that number with 238.”
Global cooperation Is the Bolt an American vehicle, or a Korean one? It’s both, as well as a perfect illustration of how the auto industry (like much else in the modern world) is a cooperative enterprise among many nations. GM and LG Chem have long had a close partnership - the Korean firm has supplied lithium-ion cells, which it builds at its plant in Holland, Michigan, for all of GM’s plug-in vehicles. For the Bolt program, however, the two companies formed a partnership that GM North America President Mark Reuss called “unprecedented,” and “a different kind of OEM-supplier relationship.” Developing the Bolt “was a true collaborative effort from the beginning,” said Reuss, “one that set aside the traditional model of product development.” Development teams from both companies worked in both nations, and components are being manufactured in the US, South Korea and other countries as well. LG Electronics is investing more than $250 million in a Korean facility to manufacture the Bolt’s motor and other parts. GM designed the motor, and was involved in the design of most of the other components. It tested and validated all parts and integrated the powertrain into the vehicle. However, almost every major electrical component that goes into the Bolt is being built by one or another division of the giant LG conglomerate. LG companies supply all the major powertrain components, including the motor, inverter and onboard charger, as well as the HVAC system, the instrument cluster and infotainment system, and even the OnStar telematics system.
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Developing the Bolt was a true collaborative effort from the beginning, one that set aside the traditional model of product development 54
THE VEHICLES
The Specs
Some people assume that cost is first and foremost, but that’s not the only driver “We have the capability as a company, obviously, to make all of these components ourselves,” Reuss said. However, GM chose to take advantage of LG’s expertise and scale in manufacturing, as well as its flexibility in responding to new developments in EV tech. “Some people assume that cost is first and foremost, but that’s not the only driver,” Reuss continued. “This is a space where technology and new ideas are fostered on a very regular basis.” In early 2015, Dr. Prabhakar Patil, CEO of LG Chem Power at the time, explained to Charged that the company was committed to helping the new EV market succeed. The battery manufacturer has the potential to become a titan in a robust EV industry and it’s willing to sacrifice short-term profit margins to make that happen. “We also recognize that battery costs have to keep coming down in order for this technology to become mainstream,” said Patil. “We can’t take what I would call a self-centered kind of perspective that says, ‘I have to have my margins, therefore it’s better for me to have a higher battery price.’ We have to realize that the name of the game, at this point, is growing the volume
System power
200 hp, 266 lb-ft of torque
Drivetrain
Front-wheel drive
Battery capacity
60 kWh
Range
238 miles
Fuel efficiency
119 MPGe (EPA combined)
Charging
7.2 kW on-board charger can fully charge the battery in 9 hours using Level 2; optional DC fast charging ($750) can add 90 miles of range in 30 minutes.
0-60 speed
“less than 6.5 seconds”
Top speed
93 mph
Cargo capacity
17 cu ft
Curb weight
3,563 lbs
Warranty
100,000 miles or 8 years
of vehicles. And the only way that’s going to grow is if customers see a value equation that makes sense to them. So, we will do whatever we can to go down that cost curve as fast as possible.” Last fall, however, the two cozy companies had a lover’s tiff when GM revealed its battery cell costs to the press, apparently without LG Chem’s knowledge. The automaker announced that the Bolt’s battery cost would be $145/kWh, a hundred bucks or so cheaper than what others were paying at the time. As South Korea’s E-Today reported, “LG Chem is ticked off, because now all of LG Chem’s other customers are going to be asking for the price.”
Sporty and state-of-the-art Bolt Chief Engineer Josh Tavel is a race driver himself,
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and is keenly aware of the fact that performance can be a strong selling point for an EV. He set out to build a car with handling comparable to the best models in its price range, and by all accounts, he succeeded (see First Drives, below). Almost all EVs are amazingly quick off the line, as many a surprised muscle-car driver has learned in a friendly stoplight drag race. However, between 30 and 60 mph, they tend to lag. Not the Bolt - it gets to 60 in 6.5 seconds. That’s hardly Tesla territory, but it smokes the Nissan LEAF’s 10.4 seconds. As do various other EVs, the Bolt has two selectable regenerative braking modes. Low mode gives you strong regen, enabling one-pedal driving. In Drive mode, the Bolt coasts like an old-fashioned car. As in the Volt and the ELR, there’s a steering wheel paddle that can be used to manually engage regenerative braking. Using these features can extend range a little bit and, as an added
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THE VEHICLES bonus, reduce wear on your brake pads. A large multifunction display is de rigueur for modern cars (and everywhere else in our lives, it seems), and the Bolt has the latest and greatest (provided by LG, of course). The 10.2-inch touch screen displays energy consumption data and the usual climate, audio and phone functions. Another 8-inch screen serves as the instrument cluster. Both screens are customizable to a certain extent. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility comes built in. All the latest connectivity and infotainment features are here, with a couple of handy innovations. The driver’s saved preferences (climate, audio, etc.) are associated not with a particular key fob, but with a paired phone. The Bolt can be programmed to sense the phone approaching (via Bluetooth) and automatically unlock itself. Safety features are likewise plentiful. Ten airbags are standard, and high-tech functions such as Forward Collision Alert, Lane Departure Warning and Low-Speed Forward Automatic Braking are available as options.
An optional rearview camera provides a view of the road behind, even when driving forward. It’s built into the traditional rearview mirror, and a familiar lever switches between camera display and mirror. The camera provides a wider view than the mirror, and it can be handy if the mirror’s view is obscured by rowdy backseat passengers or cargo.
The cure for range anxiety Like Tesla’s vehicles and BMW’s i3, the Bolt is a native EV - it was designed around its large 60 kWh battery pack, which forms much of the floor. This has two advantages: it places the car’s center of gravity close to the ground and between the axles, which greatly improves handling; and it opens up the interior, allowing for a much roomier cabin that can be configured with the needs of passengers and cargo in mind. Unlike EV-makers such as Tesla, with its Supercharger network, and Nissan and BMW, which have cooperated with EVgo to roll out DC fast chargers across the country, GM hasn’t focused on supporting
public charging infrastructure. The company hasn’t announced any new infrastructure projects to coincide with the Bolt’s debut. There’s no doubt that, for the first generation of EVs, a rapidly growing public charging infrastructure was a critical selling point that assuaged buyers’ range anxiety. However, there’s a good argument to be made that, for a vehicle with over 200 miles of range, this is much less of an issue. “We’re not working on [infrastructure] right now because the range is so darn good, this can be a primary car without a lot of charging stations,” said Mark Reuss. “We’re working on the battery technology to get the range competitive with a regular car, and we’re really almost there. So that’s where our focus is right now. There’s a lot of charging stations happening right now and we’re going to let that happen, but we’re focused on making a car that can be anybody’s primary car.”
When can you get one? As of press time, the Bolt is showing up at dealers in California, Oregon, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Virginia. According to GM’s official timetable, it will be available in all 50 states by September. However, buyers around the country have reported that, as is usually the case with plug-in vehicles, many local dealers don’t seem to be very informed about availability. The Bolt is sold in Europe as the Opel Ampera-e. It went on sale in Norway in December. GM’s staggered launch plan for Europe will give priority to “the markets that have an existing EV infrastructure in place and/
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or have shown the greatest ambition to populate their streets with electrically-powered vehicles.” Germany, the Netherlands, France and Switzerland will get the Bolt this spring, and “most other European countries will follow in late 2017 or during 2018.” There are two trim levels: The LT model starts at $37,495. The Premier model, which starts at $41,780, adds leather, heated seats, roof rails, a 360-degree-view camera system, a rearview camera, rear parking sensors and blind-spot monitoring. The optional Infotainment package ($485) includes a Bose 7-speaker stereo, wireless phone charging, and two USB ports in the rear. The Driver Confidence II package ($495) adds intelligent features such as Forward Collision Alert, Lane Keep Assist and IntelliBeam headlamps. The Bolt is of course eligible for the $7,500 federal tax credit.
THE VEHICLES
First Drives Chevy started making preproduction units available months ago, and there are plenty of reviews out there. They are almost overwhelmingly positive, and remarkably similar. By all accounts, the Bolt offers a sportier ride than other EVs, and it easily delivers its stated range, or even more. InsideEVs found that “economical driving could extend the range to even 290 miles.” GM seems to have put most of its investment into performance rather than aesthetics (probably a wise tradeoff). While the cabin is surprisingly spacious, and the large windows give it an open feel, most reviewers noted that the interior details leave something to be desired.
The Bolt EV has decidedly sporty but civilized handling dynamics. Body roll is well controlled, with the fun factor here largely limited by the modest grip of its self-sealing Michelin Energy Saver tires. - Kelley Blue Book No complicated math was required to see that the Bolt clearly can far outperform Chevy’s initial [range] estimate. We were a bit disappointed with its interior quality, which is more befitting a $20,000 car than a $30,000 one. Clear forward visibility, a spacious back seat with plenty of leg- and headroom for two adults, and a deep rear cargo well help offset the interior’s shortcomings. While developing the ride and handling of the Bolt, Chief Engineer Josh Tavel - an avid SCCA racer - says that he discouraged benchmarking other electric cars such as the Nissan LEAF and the BMW i3. Instead, he set loftier targets by seeking out great-handling cars for around $30,000. The effort paid off: The Bolt isn’t just good to drive for an electric car, it’s good to drive, period. - Car and Driver
The Bolt...was the first EV in which we could ignore the remaining range altogether for the first five of our six hours behind the wheel. That’s freedom of a sort that only Tesla owners can enjoy today - and delivering that freedom, at a price half that of the average Tesla sold today, sets the Bolt apart from every other electric car on the market. We’d say the Bolt sets a high bar against which [other upcoming 200mile EVs] will be measured. - Green Car Reports The Bolt is very quick off the line and has decent passing power at highway speeds as well. It scaled the Malibu hills as effortlessly as any diesel-powered car. Unfortunately, the seats aren’t very comfortable. Chevy made them exceptionally thin to maximize interior space. All steps taken result in an exceptionally roomy cabin for a car of the Bolt’s size. People well over 6 feet tall had enough headroom and reasonable legroom even in the backseat. - Cars.com Chevy took the best bits of EV technology and crammed it into the Bolt. Chevy could easily have hit its mileage range and price points and called it a day. But it made something better: an excellent car that just happens to run on electricity instead of gas. - Engadget The Bolt’s rather mundane looks mask the car’s advanced technology and sophistication. Take a turn behind the wheel and you immediately feel the silent, instant electric torque from the moment you tap the throttle. This small hatchback accelerates with gusto. By virtue of the low-mounted battery, the Bolt feels planted in corners, despite its tall stance. The car is eager to tackle a curvy road and is actually fun to drive - virtues that most EVs can’t claim. - Consumer Reports
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GLOBAL FUELS CONSUMPTION
Photo courtesy of Volvo Car Corporation
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Photo courtesy of Uber
THE VEHICLES
Navigant Research’s Global Fuels Consumption report analyzes how a transition to a shared vehicle environment will effect energy markets By Scott Shepard, Senior Research Analyst at Navigant Research’s Transportation Efficiencies program
martphones have really changed the way things get done, and the continuous and sometimes overwhelming revolutions enabled by our hand-held devices are only just beginning. The transformations still to come include the basic process by which people and things are moved. The addition of autonomous vehicle technologies to emerging car sharing and ride hailing services is the first step toward a transportation landscape increasingly dependent on shared vehicles. The potential move away from the personally owned vehicle has implications likely to cascade through all industries that support or are touched by the automotive sector. “Transportation network company” (TNC) is another new term that resulted from the creation of companies such as Uber and Lyft. Put simply, TNCs use smartphones to connect vehicle owners with people in need of a ride, and to handle all the interactions between driver and passenger regarding destination, cost, and transactions. As it turns out, these small efficiencies really matter to the average consumer, and
S
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Photo courtesy of Volvo Car Corporation
These small efficiencies really matter to the average consumer, and the business model has prospered in its short existence. the business model has prospered in its short existence. However, the greatest efficiency savings are yet to be achieved, and they will be made at the expense of the human driver. An analysis performed by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) on the per-mile costs of existing TNC services versus personally owned vehicles - based on a Toyota Camry ICE vehicle - found that the average TNC cost per mile was just over $2, while personally owned vehicles cost around $0.85. Driver earnings accounted for the vast majority of the TNC cost per
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mile calculation - when automation costs were added and driver earnings removed, the cost per mile of TNC services dropped to near-parity with the personally owned vehicle, at under $1 per mile. RMI’s conclusion: such cost savings would enable consumers to choose TNC services exclusively over a personal vehicle. If this is correct, it is likely that vehicles enrolled in such services could displace personally owned vehicles and demand for public transit options at alarming rates.
Math The transportation system is a function of demand, measured in either passenger miles traveled (PMT) or cargo miles traveled. These two measurements are the sum of miles traveled by people or things; for example, a car traveling one mile with two people would represent two PMT. Estimating average vehicle occupancy (number of people or things traveled per mile) and average annual vehicle miles traveled (VMT), allows the calculation of the likely number of vehicles in use as follows; vehicles in use=PMT/(OccupancyĂ—VMT). Unburdened by driver fatigue, the automated TNC
THE VEHICLES
Image courtesy of Lyft
vehicle will undergo significantly more utilization than the personally owned vehicle - likely beyond 60,000 miles annually. If the theorized economics of automated TNC services prove out, then the number of automated TNC vehicles in use is likely to grow. As the above equation portends, increasing the number of highly utilized vehicles would consequently increase average VMT, putting downward pressure on the number of vehicles in use.
Theory This does not mean there will be fewer vehicles driving - in fact there will probably be more. Automated TNC services are likely to pull demand from public transit options (buses, light rail, etc.) and increase transportation system use among populations with limited capabilities to use the existing system. More vehicles in use means that there are likely to be far fewer vehicles parked, which would have significant benefits for inner-city congestion and landscapes. Beyond the congestion and space savings that automated TNC vehicles likely enable, it is also prob-
Unburdened by driver fatigue, the automated TNC vehicle will undergo significantly more utilization than the personally owned vehicle - likely beyond 60,000 miles annually. able that they will increase vehicle energy efficiency, but, at least initially, decrease overall transportation system efficiency. Advances in vehicle energy efficiency are driven primarily by the natural desire of TNCs to reduce costs and the likely decline of inefficient stopand-go driving because of increased vehicle automation. However, the advance in vehicle energy efficiency will likely be lost as passengers are pulled from public transit options. Although public transit vehicles are usually the most energy-inefficient, their service yields the greatest efficiencies due to the large number of passengers they can hold. Therefore, each PMT displaced from that system by even the most energy efficient TNC vehicle will likely result in an energy efficiency loss.
Analysis Navigant Research’s upcoming report, Global Fuels Consumption, analyzes the overall effect that auto-
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110,000 105,000
BTU (Trillion)
100,000 95,000 90,000 85,000 80,000
None
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Energy Consumption from Light, Medium, and Heavy Duty Vehicles by Scenario, World Markets: 2035. Source: Navigant Research
mated TNC services are likely to have on transportation system energy consumption by fuel under four autonomous TNC vehicle penetration scenarios, including a scenario in which there is no penetration. Scenario penetrations vary across the globe, with the highest found in regions with dense populations. The low scenario places automated TNC vehicle penetrations within the vehicle fleet between 4%-10% by 2035, the high scenario does so between 13%-41%. Under no penetration, energy consumption rises from near 80 quadrillion BTU in 2016 to over 94 quadrillion BTU by 2035. In the highest TNC penetration scenario, total energy consumption increases by nearly 7% in 2035. The real question underlying this is, what fuel will provide the energy? The answer to this question is a function of the vehicle powertrain that is preferred by the future TNC. Vehicle durability, refueling capability, range, and government policy (more local than national) will play pivotal roles in determining TNC preferences, but it is too early to determine which powertrain will offer the best option. Beyond these considerations, the most important vehicle aspect will be its
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size. In that regard, if average light vehicle occupancy remains unchanged (as Navigant Research assumes it will), TNCs are likely to prefer smaller vehicles. All other considerations held equal, vehicle powertrains with competitive cost advantages in small car segments should benefit the most. Also, vehicle powertrains competitive in bus segments should be negatively affected. The final results of the analysis are mixed regionally, due to the varying distribution of the existing vehicle fleet and likely market preferences and vehicle availability by powertrain. Generally, however, electricity consumption benefits are greatest due to the com-
(% Increase Over No Penetration Scenario)
Photo courtesy of Volvo Car Corporation
THE VEHICLES
25%
High Mid Low
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
-5%
G
o as
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a th
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es Di
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Autonomous TNC Scenario Impacts by Fuel, World Markets: 2035 Source: Navigant Research
petitive advantages of battery-electric powertrains in small car segments. Similarly, fuel-efficient stop-start vehicles and hybrids - also highly competitive in small car segments - buoy gasoline and ethanol consumption. Other fuels with competitive advantages in bus or light truck segments fare less well, though the high penetration scenario does have a slight benefit to almost all fuels due to the dramatic pull from highly energy-efficient public transit options. The pairing of highly efficient powertrains in autonomous TNC vehicles can mitigate efficiency losses witnessed on behalf of moves from public transit options. Potential cost declines for batteries are likely to
The pairing of highly efficient powertrains in autonomous TNC vehicles can mitigate efficiency losses witnessed on behalf of moves from public transit options. realize significant cost advantages to battery-electric vehicles over competing powertrains, which may naturally make them better options for TNCs. It is not yet clear, however, if these vehicles can achieve capability advantages that would make them ideal for TNC services before 2035 at such competitive costs. Needed capability achievements are focused on the speed and process of charging as well as the durability and capacity of batteries.
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Fresno County, California orders 13 solar-powered EV ARC chargers
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Photo courtesy of Envision Solar
Hubject is a Berlin-based company that provides a solution for the exchange of data among charging networks. Its eRoaming platform is analogous to the networks that enable ATMs, mobile phones and other conveniences of modern life to work together smoothly. Hubject was founded in 2012 by a group of companies including BMW, Daimler, Bosch and Siemens. According to the firm, its platform is used by over 240 companies, and connects some 40,000 charge points on three continents. Now Volkswagen has become a Hubject shareholder, part of the German giant’s strategy to become a major player in e-mobility. “We have set our sights on becoming a globally leading provider in the field of sustainable mobility,” said Thomas Sedran, Head of Group Strategy at Volkswagen. “With our investment in Hubject, we are supporting the digital transformation and making an important contribution to the transition to the era of e-mobility.” Christian Hahn, CEO of Hubject, added, “We now have seven strong shareholders from three sectors of industry, which gives us the ideal basis for systematically pursuing our growth course in e-mobility.”
Photo courtesy of Hubject
Volkswagen invests in eRoaming provider Hubject
Envision Solar (OTCQB: EVSI) has secured an order for 13 of its EV ARC self-contained charging units from the Fresno County Rural Transit Agency (FCRTA). The solar-powered EV ARC EV chargers will be installed throughout Fresno County, particularly in disadvantaged communities. The EV ARC fits inside a parking space and does not reduce available parking. The system’s solar generation is enhanced by the company’s EnvisionTrak system, which tracks the sun, increasing electricity generation by 18 to 25 percent. Energy is stored in integrated batteries for charging day or night. The EV ARCs are equipped with emergency power panels, which can be used in the event of a power outage. First responders can depend on them as a source of emergency power. “We are dedicated to helping the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District meet its air quality goals and to making the people of our community safer during emergencies,” said Moses Stites, FCRTA General Manager. “Transportable solar-powered EV chargers that also provide emergency power deliver a highly compelling value proposition.”
THE INFRASTRUCTURE
Tesla Supercharger V3 could have power output greater than “a mere 350 kW”
Photo courtesy of BMW Group
Nissan and BMW partner with EVgo to install 174 new DC fast chargers
Nissan and BMW have joined forces with network operator EVgo to deploy an additional 174 fast charging locations in 33 states. This expansion builds on the 120 fast chargers that Nissan and BMW announced in December 2015. Each location offers a dual 50 kW DC fast charging station with both CHAdeMO and SAE Combo (CCS) connectors. All are strategically located near shopping and dining establishments along well-traveled routes. “BMW’s continuing collaborations with Nissan and EVgo demonstrate the company’s commitment to building a robust public charging infrastructure across the country,” said Robert Healey, Head of EV Infrastructure for BMW of North America. “Infrastructure for all is a key strategic priority for us as we continue expanding the network of dual-port quick chargers,” said JeSean Hopkins, Senior Manager, Nissan EV Infrastructure Strategy & Business Development. “We are constantly looking at strategic ways to expand our network and promote EV adoption to help make everyday EV use a reality,” said Rob Barrosa, VP of OEM Strategy and Business Development at EVgo.
As EV ranges increase, charging levels are on the way up too. Many companies are developing more powerful charging systems. Naturally, Tesla has plans to outdo them all. In a recent tweet, Elon Musk hinted at something called Supercharger V3, which presumably will offer charging levels higher than the 145 kW delivered by the latest Superchargers. When Electrek’s Fred Lambert asked Musk if we’re talking about 350 kW, the ever-quotable Musk tweeted, “A mere 350 kW…what are you referring to, a children’s toy?” Of course, current EVs can’t handle that much power, but some believe that the new battery cells Tesla plans to make at the Gigafactory for Model 3 have been designed to work with a much higher charging level. Musk has also hinted that solar arrays and Powerpack stationary storage could allow some Supercharger V3 stations to operate off-grid. Another possible feature: the rumored “robotic snake cable” that could enable human-free autonomous charging for self-driving vehicles. Significantly higher power levels could enable much shorter charging times (perhaps 10-15 minutes), which Lambert calls “the very last piece of the puzzle” that would eliminate any advantage legacy ICE vehicles have over EVs. Lambert also points out that Supercharger V3 could increase Tesla’s income from California ZEV credits. Under current ZEV rules, vehicles with over 300 miles of range and a charging time of 15 minutes are eligible for 9 credits instead of the 4 that current EVs earn. This was intended to give a boost to fuel cell vehicles, but it could theoretically apply to a future ultrafast-charging Model 3.
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Photo courtesy of Evercar
EVgo selects Driivz as IT service provider
Charging network EVgo, which operates over 800 DC fast chargers in 66 markets, has chosen Driivz, which has offices in California and Israel, as its preferred IT solutions service provider in North America. Driivz offers a cloud-based software platform that manages operations, user grid integration, billing and driver applications. According to the companies, the new platform will offer new benefits for network users, including an upgraded web portal that will enable remote vehicle charging, an improved enrollment process for EVgo’s billing plans, simplified payment, and roaming and instant notification capabilities. For charging site owners, EVgo will offer a new portal for charge reporting and data collection. “Following an extensive worldwide review of options, EVgo selected Driivz as the most user-friendly, stable, advanced and innovative SaaS platform for the management of electric vehicle charging infrastructure available today,” said Dave Schembri, CEO of EVgo.
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Photo courtesy of BMW Group
BMW Digital Charging Service optimizes charging to minimize costs and maximize solar
Recognizing that smart charging is the wave of the future, BMW i has introduced its new Digital Charging Service (DCS), which it calls an “intelligent service for predictive, convenient, cost-effective and green power-optimized charging.” DCS is designed to carry out the charging process independently and autonomously. Its two core functions are tariff-optimized and solar-optimized charging. Tariff-optimized charging aligns the charging plan to the customer’s electricity cost, automatically charging at the lowest available rates. Solar-optimized charging is aligned to a domestic photovoltaic system. DCS predicts available solar power based on the weather forecast and establishes a charging plan. Along with DCS, BMW i is launching two additional Wallbox home chargers, which can now handle threephase charging levels up to 22 kW. The top-of-the-range Wallbox Connect can record the amount of electricity delivered separately for each vehicle, and export the data to track charging costs. The new service will be offered on a pilot basis in Germany and the Netherlands in early 2017.
THE INFRASTRUCTURE
SAE releases global standard for wireless charging
ChargePoint, which operates over 31,000 independently owned public charging stations around the world, has announced a higher-level DC charging solution designed to accommodate the coming generation of longer-range EVs. ChargePoint Express Plus can deliver up to 400 kW, plenty of power to charge new EVs such as the Chevy Bolt at their maximum rates, as well as upcoming models such as the Tesla Model 3. Express Plus features a modular design to allow site owners to incrementally build out charging infrastructure, adding capacity to meet future demand. The system intelligently allocates power among vehicles, charging each car as quickly as possible while making efficient use of the power available at each site. ChargePoint has also introduced Express 250, a standalone DC fast charging station capable of adding 90 miles of range in 30 minutes. “Express Plus is a platform built to support ChargePoint’s vision for the future of DC fast charging: ultra-fast, scalable and incredibly efficient charging that’s conveniently located where drivers need it for long trips,” said Pasquale Romano, CEO of ChargePoint. “Express Plus charging centers can start small and grow as needed by adding charging capacity without further construction.” Express Plus will be available in July.
Photo courtesy of Chargepoint
ChargePoint Express Plus offers DC charging at up to 400 kW At a recent standards meeting, carmakers, Tier 1 suppliers and technology providers have reached agreement on key technical and procedural elements of the upcoming SAE Recommended Practice (RP) for Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) and automated parking alignment and charging. The goal of this standardization is to ensure interoperability among different brands of EVs and wireless charging stations. Task force members agreed on specifications for the SAE J2954 Test Stations, which automakers will use to verify that their wireless charging systems will interoperate with systems and vehicles sold by other makers. The task force agreed that the WPT1 (3.7 kW) circular coil system and the WPT2 (7.7 kW) circular coil system will be included in the Test Stations. SAE International has already performed bench testing of these systems to confirm that charging rates, efficiency, and emissions can meet regulatory guidelines and consumer expectations. The goal is to standardize key elements but at the same time keep the door open for future innovations in wireless automated charging. In 2017, the task force will decide on other aspects of the standard, including standardization for wireless charging systems capable of WPT3 (11 kW) charge rates. Specifications of the SAE Test Station and procedures for charger validation will be defined in the SAE J2954 Recommended Practice, to be published later this year. The final SAE J2954 Standard is to be published in 2018, based on actual vehicle test data. “Charging your vehicle should be as simple as parking it and walking away – and wireless charging with SAE J2954 enables that freedom and convenience to do this automatically,” says task force chair Jesse Schneider.
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THE INFRASTRUCTURE
Tesla announces details of new Supercharger pricing model
Photo courtesy of HUBER+SUHNER
Cooled cable from HUBER+SUHNER allows for greater EV charging power
Charging power levels are heading upwards to accommodate longer EV ranges, and it’s becoming apparent that some sort of cooling system for charging cables will be needed. The Swiss firm HUBER+SUHNER has introduced a cable and connector with an integrated cooling system that allows high power throughput while keeping charging times below 20 minutes (to 80% state of charge). The cables are designed to be highly flexible, lightweight and easy to handle - they are slimmer in diameter than a gas hose at a legacy filling station. HUBER+SUHNER’s cooled cable system enables charging currents of 500 amperes and higher. It is available with CCS type-1 (USA, Canada) and type-2 connectors (Europe), and can be customized with customer-specific design and labeling. The system includes the connector, cable, junction to power supply, cooling system with pump heat exchanger or cooler and coolant. It features integrated stress relief, and has nominal system performance of 350 A and 1,000 V according to the ISO/IEC 61851-23 standard.
As Tesla evolves from a low-volume startup into a major automaker, its decision to stop offering unlimited free Supercharging for new vehicles is entirely understandable. The company recently announced the details of the new pricing policy, which is designed to keep charging convenient for everyone, while still allowing drivers to fill up for long highway trips at a bargain price. Here’s the new deal, as described by Tesla in a blog post: Tesla Model S and Model X cars ordered after January 15, 2017 will receive 400 kWh of free Supercharging credits (roughly 1,000 miles) annually on the anniversary of their delivery. We carefully considered current Supercharger usage and found that 400 kWh covers the annual long-distance driving needs of the majority of our owners. As a result, most owners will continue to enjoy the benefits of Supercharging on road trips at no additional cost. If customers travel beyond their annual credit, they will be charged a small fee to Supercharge. In North America, pricing is fixed within each state or province; overseas, pricing is fixed within each country. In most regions, Tesla owners will pay per kWh, as it’s the fairest way to pay for the exact energy used. However, due to local regulations, in several regions we will charge per minute of usage instead, though we are actively working with regulators to update the rules. Tesla pledged to keep prices low, saying that Supercharging will never be a profit center, and will always be significantly cheaper than gasoline. For example, drivers “will pay about $15 for a road trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles, about $120 from Los Angeles to New York, about €60 from Paris to Rome, and about ¥400 from Beijing to Shanghai.”
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WARNING Many of the best-selling EV charging stations on Amazon are not safety-tested and certified By Christian Ruoff ave you ever researched the safety certification of an appliance before buying it? I’ll admit, I have not. Hair dryers, space heaters, battery chargers - you name it. Without ever giving it much thought, I always assume that any product sold in the US will have some basic safety certification. Typically, that’s a fair assumption, considering that most big-box retailers such as Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Home Depot require that products sold in their stores have the standard safety certifications for their category. So, Charged was alarmed to learn that many of the best-selling EV charging stations on Amazon are not safety-certified.
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When properly designed, tested and certified, charging stations are very safe.
THE INFRASTRUCTURE
Amazon's best seller on Janurary 12th, 2017: Ebusbar BEV-H02A10 sold by a company called Evmiles
D E T S E T Y T E F A S NOT ED
I F I T R E C D N A
The primary function of a charging station is to act as an electrical safety device, so there is potential for a big problem when the world’s largest online retailer is selling hundreds, if not thousands, of units that have not been sufficiently tested. With all the challenges that face the EV industry - including increasing pressure from other industries and politicians - playing fast and loose with safety is a risk that’s not worth taking. When properly designed, tested and certified, charging stations are very safe. However, they are delivering a fairly large amount of power, so if a device is defective, failure modes can include serious shock hazards and catastrophic fires. In the past decade, there have been a handful of EV garage fires in the headlines, and long before investigations are concluded and root causes identified, the public relations damage is done.
Alarming search results Charged first became aware of this issue in early January 2017, when we watched a video produced by ClipperCreek titled “EV Charging Station Buyer’s Guide Series: Staying Safe.” The company posted the video on YouTube in November 2016 as part of a video buyer’s guide series to help educate consumers about the ins and outs of charging stations. The three-minute video explains why safety certifications are so important, and what certification marks to look for on products. The video shows a clip of what appear to be Amazon search results, and warns buyers that many of the charging stations available online are not certified. We immediately headed over to Amazon and searched for “EV Charging Stations.” On that particular day, the product that sported the bright orange “Best Seller” rib-
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In November 2016, ClipperCreek produce a video titled “EV Charging Station Buyer’s Guide Series: Staying Safe.”
bon was the Ebusbar BEV-H02A10, sold by a company called Evmiles. The level 2 charging station - manufactured in Shenzhen, China - had an Amazon star rating of 4.4 out of 5, based on 149 customer reviews. Unfortunately, after some digging we found that the product has not been tested and safety certified by any of the accredited third-party testing labs. In fact, three out of the four top-selling options on Amazon that day were products without safety certifications.
Customer reviews alone are a terrible indicator of safety Regular Amazon shoppers rely heavily on its 5-star customer review system. And typically it works pretty well. If you’re in the market for a new book, iPhone case or office supplies, it’s a no-brainer to go with the product that has earned more stars, all other things being equal. However, as we read through reviews of Amazon’s charging station selection, it became immediately clear that customers’ reviews are woefully inadequate at filtering out products that are sporadically defective. Charging stations need to work with dozens of different vehicles from many manufacturers, and the spectrum of different operating conditions varies wildly. That’s why exhaustive product testing is so important. Imagine if a particular charging station has 499 5-star reviews and one 1-star review (the lowest rating). The average shopper will see an overall rating that is
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Three out of the four topselling options on Amazon that day were products without safety certifications. very high. However, if the one poor rating represents a customer whose charging station started a garage fire, statistically that’s a huge problem, when you consider how many charging stations are sold each month. Unfortunately, this is exactly what we found on Amazon. There are charging stations for sale without safety certifications that have a high overall customer review rating and a handful of 1-star reviews claiming that the products operated very hot, worked for a while before acting up, and even burst into flames.
Exhaustive testing In North America, UL 2594 is the primary standard for Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment. To ensure that a charging station adheres to the construction and operational guidelines in the standard, manufacturers
Customers’ reviews are woefully inadequate at filtering out products that are sporadically defective.
THE INFRASTRUCTURE
Intertek's ETL Mark
Organizations currently recognized by OSHA as NRTLs: • Canadian Standards Association (CSA) (also known as CSA International) • Communication Certification Laboratory, Inc. (CCL) • Curtis-Straus LLC (CSL) • FM Approvals LLC (FM) (formerly Factory • Mutual Research Corporation) • International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials EGS (IAPMO) • Intertek Testing Services NA, Inc. (ITSNA) (formerly ETL) • MET Laboratories, Inc. (MET) • NSF International (NSF) • QAI Laboratories, Ltd. (QAI) • QPS Evaluation Services, Inc. (QPS) • SGS US Testing Company, Inc. (SGSUS) • (formerly UST-CA) • Southwest Research Institute (SWRI) • TUV Rheinland PTL, LLC (TÜVPTL) • TUV SUD America (TÜVAM) • TUV SUD Product Services GmbH (TÜVPSG) • TUV Rheinland of North America (TÜV) • Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL)
will send samples to one of the Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories (NRTLs), such as Intertek or Underwriters Laboratories (UL). Safety engineers at these labs perform months of extensive safety testing. “We go through the standard line by line with many tests to ensure that the product complies in every way,” Dave Vanderlin, Staff Engineer at Intertek, told Charged. “We test to both construction and performance requirements of the standards. If we find any non-compliance, we issue a letter outlining what clauses of the standard it doesn’t comply with, and then the manufacturer has the opportunity to respond. Depending on the issue and what is done to correct it, we’ll determine what tests need to be resubmitted to make the product comply.” Once a product passes all of the tests, the NRTL will
Mark registered by Underwriters Laboratories Inc.
issue the product its mark - for example, the familiar UL mark, or the ETL mark for Intertek. Only products which bear one of these marks, or the mark of another approved NRTL, on or near the rating plate, are safety-certified. NRTLs will also inspect the charging station manufacturer’s factory four times a year to ensure the products being sold are constructed in the same manner as the samples that were tested. Changes cannot be made to the products without going back through the certification stages. It’s quite an exhaustive process, but it’s absolutely critical in order to ensure that charging stations operate safely in every imaginable circumstance. That’s why most major retailers require it for all products sold in their stores - it protects them from liability claims. Also, most state and federal tax incentives are only available
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for safety-certified stations, and all the EV builders strongly recommend that you only use NRTL-certified charging stations with their plug-in cars.
Codes and regulations In the US, there are no federal regulations that require all electrical products to be safety-certified. However, there are different regulatory agencies that may require such things. For example, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that any equipment workers are exposed to must be safetycertified. “These requirements get implemented and enforced at the state or local levels by the Authority Having Jurisdiction, or AHJ,” Rich Byczek, Global Director of Business Development at Intertek, told Charged. “AHJs include agencies such as state OSHA officials, local building inspectors, fire marshals, etc. They’re the ones that decide whether or not an EV charging station needs to be safety-certified or not.” Even if you live in an area where local ordinance requires a permit, and requires a safety-certified charging station to be installed by a licensed electrician, it’s really easy to skip that step with a do-it-yourself garage install. You can simply buy any product you want off the internet and install it without ever pulling a permit. “Unfortunately, there is minimal oversight or enforcement in a lot of these cases,” explained Byczek. Safety awareness Last year, ClipperCreek conducted a survey of potential customers to identify the most important features people are looking for when they shop for a charging station. “We were totally shocked to see safety certifications at the very bottom of the list,” said Suzanne Guinn, ClipperCreek’s Director of Marketing and Communications. “I don’t think it’s that people don’t care about safety, it’s that they take it for granted. When you buy an appliance in the US, it’s just assumed that it’s not going to shock you or start a fire.” After seeing that safety ranked so low in the minds of buyers, ClipperCreek decided to produce its safety buyer’s guide video, to warn customers that there are many options available online that are not tested and certified. Not only are these available, it’s often very difficult to determine which products are certified and which are not.
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I don’t think it’s that people don’t care about safety, it’s that they take it for granted. While products that are certified will carry the mark of the NRTL that tested it, there is no clear indication on Amazon whether or not each product carries the mark. It’s up to each individual seller to include statements about certifications in the product description. To make matters worse, products that are not safetycertified are often described with statements that mislead shoppers into thinking they have been tested. Phrases like “this product follows all EVSE standards,” or “this product was designed to and is compatible with international EVSE standards” can easily confuse a buyer. If those products were actually safety-tested and certified, the statements would read something like: “this product is safety-certified and listed by UL,” and would carry one of the NRTL-approved marks. The difference in wording is subtle, but hugely important. It’s as if a car company were to claim, “We’ve designed
THE INFRASTRUCTURE
this car to the highest safety standards,” but never actually sent the car to a government organization to crashtest it. The claim has never been verified, so who knows if the car is safe or not?
A ClipperCreek charging station bears NRTL-approved marks verifying its safety-certifications
To make matters worse, products that are not safety-certified are often described with statements that mislead shoppers into thinking they have been tested.
Pressure from the industry When a charging station is tested and certified, the NRTL that issued its mark will list the product on a publicly-accessible web site. However, when we went looking for this information to compare it to the products available on Amazon, it was not a quick or easy process. It took about an hour for us to figure out where to find the right information and compile a list of all the safety-certified products listed on the Intertek and UL web sites. And on the web sites of other NRTLs, for example MET Laboratories, you can’t search for every product that’s been certified to the UL 2594 EV charging station standard. Instead, the site requires you to enter a listing number or brand name for each product one by one, which is even more tedious. It’s totally unreasonable to assume that the majority of consumers will go through this process when shopping online for a charging station. So, it’s very important for the EV industry to pressure the majority retailers - like Amazon - to only carry products that are certified to be safe. Charged contacted Amazon to encourage it to update its charging station policy. After we explained our concerns in detail and provided links to over a dozen charging stations listed on the site that are not safety certified, an Amazon spokesperson provided this official comment: “Safety is among our highest priorities. We monitor the products sold on our website for product safety concerns, and when appropriate, we remove the product from the website, reach out to sellers and manufacturers for additional information, place relevant warnings on the product detail page, or take other actions.” Unfortunately as of press time - approximately three weeks after we first reached out to Amazon - there are still many charging stations for sale that have not been safety certified. Find the latest updates at: www.ChargedEVs.com/features/amazon-EVSE-safety
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CALIFORNIA’S BIG THREE UTILITIES
SUBMIT PROPOSALS
TO INCREASE
ACCESS TO EV
INFRASTRUCTURE By Tom Ewing, a freelance writer specializing in energy and environmental issues
Photo courtesy of Jimmy Baikovicius - CC BY-SA 2.0
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THE INFRASTRUCTURE
anuary 20 was an important day for transportation electrification in California. That was the deadline for the state’s three major investor-owned utilities (IOUs) to submit applications for major upgrades to electric transportation infrastructure. California’s Senate Bill 350 (2015) requires the IOUs to establish programs that will increase “access to the use of electricity as a transportation fuel.” Pacific Gas & Electric, San Diego Gas and Electric, and Southern California Edison provide about three quarters of California’s electricity supply. Applications from the smaller IOUs - Liberty Utilities, Bear Valley Electric and PacifiCorp - are due June 30.
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Photo courtesy of Citytransportinfo -CC0 1.0 (CC BY 2.0)
Last September, California’s Public Utility Commission (PUC) issued a lengthy document, written by Commissioner Carla Peterman, describing what the IOU applications should contain. This complex document cross-references multiple energy and transportation programs, from reducing petroleum use to stimulating innovation and competition. In something of an understatement, Commissioner Peterman wrote that “the electric utilities will need to think outside of the box on how they can provide electricity to fuel vehicles, integrate and maximize the use of renewable energy, and accelerate the adoption of transportation electrification in order to achieve the multiple objectives outlined by SB 350.” Peterman lists some priorities: • Light-duty vehicles: New projects need “to be different” from existing pilot projects, which, the IOUs are cautioned, should not just be scaled up until results are checked. • Rates: Shifting costs among ratepayer classes may not be a viable solution. • Environmental justice and benefits within disadvantaged communities. • Leveraging resources: Transit electrification, for example, can provide neighborhood air-quality benefits and draw upon “other funding sources.” Or, plans for ports and freight may be a good starting point because single owners control many vehicles. • Vehicle-to-grid communication interface (VGI): Applications should reference program compliance with the ISO/IEC 15118 VGI Standard; or plans must justify alternative approaches. So, what did the three IOUs propose to jump-start big shifts in private sector transportation investments? Each utility’s application has two core sets of ideas: “priority review” programs and “standard review” programs. The priority programs are relatively quick and easy. However, they are deliberately limited by the PUC: each priority project must cost less than $4 million and, altogether, cannot total more than $20 million for each utility. Allowing “priority” projects is important, though, because PUC’s review will likely take all of 2017. Priority projects can at least get some actual work started relatively quickly. But importantly, priority projects are not viewed as hefty enough to fulfill the requirements of SB 350. Those more substantive ideas are within the “standard review” category.
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California’s Senate Bill 350 (2015) requires the IOUs to establish programs that will increase “access to the use of electricity as a transportation fuel.”
Photo courtesy of mariordo59 (CC BY 2.0)
THE INFRASTRUCTURE Photo courtesy of EDI
The electric utilities will need to think outside of the box on how they can provide electricity to fuel vehicles, integrate and maximize the use of renewable energy, and accelerate the adoption of transportation electrification
Photo courtesy of Kecko (CC BY 2.0)
Priority projects SCE proposes six priority projects, totaling $19.45 million, including rebates for residents to install EV charging infrastructure, an EV rideshare reward and electrifying freight equipment at the Port of Long Beach. PG&E and SDG&E suggest similar proposals: electrifying airport ground equipment, charging infrastructure for electric delivery vehicles and a rate (fee) to encourage rideshare drivers and services to use EVs. PG&E would spend $20 million, SDG&E $18.2 million. Priority projects will undergo PUC review - they are not shoo-ins. But they won’t receive the same extensive scrutiny as the “standard review” projects.
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Standard review Here’s a brief summary of the IOUs’ big-picture ideas. The PUC will closely evaluate whether they present the kinds of programs and investments that will start an unstoppable demand for electricity as a transportation fuel. San Diego Gas & Electric SDG&E proposes to spend $226 million, over five years, for 90,000 in-home Level 2 (L2) charging stations, paying for installation and maintenance, although there is a cost cap. The offer is paired with a customer requirement to sign up for a residential “grid integrated rate,” a combination designed to promote renewable energy development and efficient grid operations and to save money. (High-energy programs present technical challenges, so the reference to “efficient grid operations” is important.) At least 20% of installations would be set aside for disadvantaged communities. SDG&E expects the L2 program will increase EV demand and lead to “market expansion opportunities for all market participants.” The program would remove “a significant barrier to more rapid EV market growth: lack of consumer confidence in convenient and cost-effective charging.” The utility believes the plan provides the en-
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The PUC will closely evaluate whether they present the kinds of programs and investments that will start an unstoppable demand for electricity as a transportation fuel. vironmental, safety, equal access and grid management benefits consistent with SB 350.
Pacific Gas & Electric In northern California, PG&E seeks two major programs. One proposes $22 million in rebates to help purchase DC fast chargers in disadvantaged communities. The second would build out PG&E’s FleetReady program, which provides “make-ready infrastructure to support the accelerated electrification of non-lightduty electric vehicles,” e.g. trucks, commuter and school buses, forklifts and other off-road commercial vehicles. “Make-ready” is a California utility term for certain electrical equipment, usually including distribution infrastructure (wires/cables/utility poles) linked to a transformer and then through a meter to the panel
THE INFRASTRUCTURE Photo courtesy of SDG&E
by 2022, new EV work vehicles might number between 800 and 8,000.
and conduit. Make-ready is a substantive commitment, prepping a customer’s site for the final vehicle charging equipment. PG&E proposes spending $210 million on FleetReady, possibly totaling 700 installations over five years. A final number depends on demand, location and the actual costs at a specific site. Success also depends on customer commitments - which are significant. Fleet impact is variable, too. PG&E estimates that
Photo courtesy of Mariordo59 - CC BY-SA 2.0
Southern California Edison SCE’s standard review program includes two parts. First, the utility would build and own charging infrastructure for medium-, heavy-duty and non-road vehicles, thereby supporting electrification for transit and freight. And SCE would provide rebates for similar projects at private sector sites. The second part is a proposed new “rate design” to promote EV adoption. This would establish three new, optional commercial rate schedules for different customer demands. The rates would use up-to-date time-of-use periods for accurate “price signals” reflecting grid conditions. For the first five years, SCE would not assess monthly demand charges. Customers would just pay “volumetric energy charges.” After five years, demand charges would be phased in. SCE writes that its standard review program costs would total $554 million. The charging infrastructure accounts for all of that sum (which is not clearly broken out in the application). No costs are listed for the intellectual work of designing new rates. Although rates always deserve a close look, the utilities are not looking for major rate increases to pay for their EV programs, at least as rates are presented within their applications. Indeed, some initial rates appear to fall even as the programs are adopted. One utility spokesperson said that residential monthly costs will increase by about $0.28/month to pay for its electrification programs. The next steps The utilities suggest a schedule that the PUC might follow to approve the plans. The last quarter of 2017 is the common target date, but the PUC sets its own schedule. Citizen and ratepayer intervention would add time. Program implementation likely won’t start before 2018, although some priority projects, once approved, could start sooner. Finally, it’s worth mentioning that the applications leave open the vehicle-to-grid interface (VGI) issue. VGI is referenced in supporting documents. All of the utilities seek a working group for VGI solutions “for the many diverse use cases for charging all types of EVs.” All of the application documents are available via the California PUC’s web site.
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Change is coming,
but how quickly? T
he momentum behind electromobility can no longer be denied. US plug-in sales grew by 37% in 2016, and January’s 71% jump portends another banner year to come. GM’s historic Bolt is at the dealerships, and most other major automakers have their own second-generation plug-ins in the pipeline. Tesla is producing cells at the Gigafactory, and powering ahead with big plans. The narrative in the media has shifted from “EVs aren’t selling” to “How are EVs going to change the world?” The world’s management consultancies, investment analysts and think tanks are cranking out a steady stream of reports and white papers that aspire to answer that question. Unlike the gee-whiz articles that we read in newspapers and popular magazines, most of these are based on solid sources, including interviews with industry insiders and painstaking analysis of economic data. However, for all their expertise, the authors of these carefully-crafted studies do not agree: forecasts for the growing EV market vary wildly. Unsurprisingly, some of the most conservative predictions come from the oil industry. BP’s 2017 Energy Outlook predicts that EV sales will grow to a mere 6% of the global auto market by 2035 (from around 1% today). According to BP’s analysis, “the increase in demand for car travel from the growing middle class in emerging economies overpowers the effects of improving fuel efficiency and electrification.” A recent report by Goldman Sachs is only a little more sanguine, predicting that by 2025, pure EVs will account for 5% of the market. The DOE’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) has doubled its forecast from last year, but still thinks EVs will account for only 8% of the US market in 2025, and that sales will plateau there as mileage standards stagnate. Others are more optimistic (or pessimistic, depending on where your paycheck comes from). Greentech Media Research expects EVs to score 12% of the US market in 2025, and Bloomberg New Energy Finance predicts 35% globally by 2040. A study from the Carbon Tracker Initiative argues that the more conservative studies vastly underestimate the impact of falling battery costs, which “could halt growth in global demand for oil from 2020.” The authors think EVs could capture 33% of the global market by 2035.
Image courtesy of GM
By Charles Morris
A new report from IDTechEx also predicts rapidly growing sales in a report entitled Electric Vehicles Change the World 2017-2037. None of these recent studies are as bold as Tony Seba’s 2014 book Clean Disruption, which (also supported by loads of data and interviews) argued that the clean energy revolution will be all over by 2030, or earlier. So, who’s right? Don’t ask us! The actions of millions of car buyers, business leaders and scientists all over the world simply can’t be reduced to a foolproof formula. And unforeseen events such as political upheavals, natural disasters or unexpected discoveries could rewrite the rules in an instant. Everyone agrees on one point: the motor trade is on the cusp of major changes, driven not only by electrification, but also by the interrelated trends of autonomy, connectivity and new ownership models. Of the many reports we’ve seen, not one argues that the industry can look forward to a period of stasis. Auto and oil industry insiders may envision a gradual, decades-long transition, while greenies see things happening more quickly, but whatever the timeline may be, very few fully understand the extent to which our society is about to be reorganized. The automobile is such a pervasive part of modern life that the coming changes will propagate far beyond the auto and oil industries. Auto repair, taxi services, city planning, mass transit, the insurance industry - all of these fields and more will be transformed. Human productivity and health could take major leaps forward, and tyrants could be deprived of funds. Almost no aspect of human society will remain untouched...by such a simple matter as replacing a gasoline engine with an electric motor.
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