Research: The electric vehicle recharging infrastructure report
Date published: Tuesday, December 07, 2010
Description
With battery-only electric vehicles (EVs), range-extended and plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles at the point of entering the market in mass-production volumes, the need for a comprehensive battery recharging infrastructure is becoming urgent.
While several trial projects worldwide have already established sufficient recharging points for the EVs involved, these are typically confined to a metropolitan area or other small region, limiting the range of battery-powered journeys to that locality. However, many municipalities, utilities, OEMs and a growing list of recharging equipment suppliers are now addressing themselves to the issue and launching substantial installation projects worldwide.
The background drivers for the fledgling recharging infrastructure are essentially those driving the development of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, and include regulations requiring reductions in carbon dioxide (CO2) and toxic emission by the transportation sector, and concerns regarding energy security, the life expectancy of global oil reserves and the volatile price of transportation fuel. In turn, these factors have prompted governments at federal, state and municipal levels to offer incentives to OEMs and consumers in order to stimulate a shift towards vehicles that emit lower volumes of greenhouse gases and reduce the demand on oil resources.
Although the current cost of electricity as a transportation fuel makes it an appealing option, battery technologies, and hence EVs, remain expensive and the realistic electric-only driving range available between battery recharges is very limited when compared to what consumers are used to from conventional vehicles. Compounding this, the time required to recharge an EV battery is still considerably longer than consumers are used to when refuelling with gasoline or diesel.
Some of the barriers to establishing a global recharging infrastructure, such as determining charger, plug and socket standards, will be relatively easily overcome but others, such as the environmental impact of recharging a growing global fleet of battery-powered vehicles from carbon-intensive electricity generation sources, present enormous challenges.
Table of contents:
Executive summary
Introduction
EV history
Recharging infrastructure
Countries
Asia
China
India
Japan
South Korea
Europe
Austria
France
Germany
Ireland
Italy
Monaco
The Netherlands
Portugal
Spain
Switzerland
United Kingdom
North America
Canada
The United States
OEMs
Technology companies
Aerovironment
Aker Wade Power Technologies
Better Place
Carbatt Systems
Circontrol
ClipperCreek
Coulomb Technologies
Eaton
ECOtality
Elektromotive
Epyon
General Electric
Others
Utilities
Electricity grid capacity
Market drivers
EVs and plug-in hybrids
Global
The United States
Europe
China
Carbon dioxide emissions and fuel economy regulations
Toxic emissions
Fuel prices
Energy security
Incentives
The United States
Europe
China
Other countries
Fuel savings
Market barriers
Cost
Batteries
EVs
Plug-in hybrids
Recharging infrastructure
Purchase premium payback
Range
Recharging time
Environmental impact
Consumer preferences
Europe
United States
China
Standards
Rare earth supplies
Battery production capacity
Market forecasts
Enabling technology
Batteries
Smart batteries
Smart chargers
Smart charging software
Solar charging stations
Wireless charging
Mobile charging
