Hybrids, plug-in hybrids, battery electrics and fuel cell vehicles demonstrate the flexibility of technology
Submitted by the EDTA
Electric drive will increasingly power the future of transportation,” says Brian Wynne, President of the Electric Drive Transportation Association (EDTA). “Consumers and lawmakers are demanding solutions that will strengthen our economy, reduce oil imports and emissions, and increase our energy security.” Hybrids, plug-in hybrids, pure battery electrics and fuel cell vehicles demonstrate the flexibility and scalability of this technology.
EDTA, founded in 1989 and based in Washington, DC, promotes all configurations of electric drive and infrastructure. It has over 80 members including automotive and other vehicle manufacturers, utilities, battery and component suppliers, government agencies and non-profits. EDTA conducts public policy advocacy, education, industry outreach, and international conferences.
Why Electric Drive?
The United States is 97 percent dependent on oil for transportation. More than 60 percent of this oil is imported, costing the U.S. $430 billion in 2008. “This dependence creates strategic and economic vulnerabilities that will only increase with the growing global demand for a finite resource,” says Wynne. “Electric drive can insulate the U.S. from the price and political volatility of the global oil market.”
What is Electric Drive?
“Electric drive” simply means that electricity moves the vehicle to some extent. Battery electric vehicles use no gas, travel exclusively on electric power, and produce no tailpipe emissions. In hybrids, a combination of an electric motor with a gasoline engine increases fuel efficiency and decreases emissions. Plug-in hybrids provide a range of all-electric driving and a combustion engine takes over when the battery is depleted. Fuel cell electric vehicles combine hydrogen fuel and oxygen to produce electricity, which powers an electric motor that moves the vehicle.
When Can I Buy One?
“Today, hybrid electric cars are well known in the United States. They have been on the roads for over a decade with cumulative sales over 1 million,” says Wynne. “The technology is proven, and automakers are continuing their commitment to hybrids with ten vehicle introductions set for 2009 and 2010.”
In addition to hybrid vehicles, battery electric sports cars and neighborhood electric vehicles are available at the high and low ends of the electric drive market. Automakers have also announced production plans for new plug-in cars, including plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles, expected to hit showrooms between 2010 and 2012.
With more than 250 million vehicles currently in the U.S. fleet, widespread hybrid and grid-connected electric drive will not happen overnight. “We have real challenges ahead of us, primarily, energy storage and manufacturing capacity,” says Wynne. “And, the current economic situation is an additional hurdle for automotive and component manufacturers to invest in the retooling of factories and the supply chain.”
EDTA is working on a bipartisan basis with Congressional and Administration leaders for meaningful federal support for electric drive. Included in the recent American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is significant funding for creating green manufacturing jobs by immediate investment in advanced technology battery and component manufacturing. The bill also expands the number of consumers who can receive a tax credit to help overcome the higher cost of purchasing a plug-in vehicle. And, it directs investment in smart-grid development and deployment.
“These next few years are critical. We need to establish a domestic manufacturing base for electric drive vehicles, batteries, and components,” stresses Wynne. “As more vehicles get on the road, the costs will come down, the grid will get cleaner and smarter, our wallets will benefit, and our economy will be more secure.”
Joining forces
With close to 20 grid-connected vehicle introductions expected over the next four years, automakers and utilities are preparing themselves and their customers for a new way of driving.
“What is interesting is the growth and success of partnerships, especially between automakers and utilities,” says Wynne. “At EDTA, we work across industry lines to identify electric drive solutions. And, as more vehicles connect to the grid, these two major industries will have shared customers for the first time.”
Several EDTA members have multi-industry partnerships underway to prepare for grid-connected vehicles. Ford Motor Company and General Motors have established demonstration programs with utilities across the country to test plug-in electric vehicles, as have Mitsubishi, Tesla, and others. There are similar programs in Europe. These collaborative efforts are essential for mapping a directional shift in transportation that will require changes in vehicles, in fuel providers, and by consumers.
There is a great deal of interest in upcoming grid-connected vehicles, and automotive manufacturers also continue their dedicated development of all applications of electric drive, including new hybrids and fuel cell vehicles. “The faster the adoption of electric drive vehicles, the greater the rewards in creating green energy jobs, reducing oil consumption, and cutting greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector,” says Wynne.
View Digital Corporate Profile of ElectricDriveGP in Energy Digital May 2009