For Renault, along with many other OEMs, the electric vehicle (EV) is a long-term solution to today’s environmental and noise pollution issues in cities. Developing technology and the increase and improvement of infrastructure is allowing EVs to become ideal for the majority of trips, with 87% of Europeans currently driving less than 60km (37 miles) a day.
Sebastien Albertus, Head of the Charging Infrastructure and Electric Mobility Department at Renault, recently spoke to Automotive World and discussed his belief that the market is now ready for increased use of EVs.
Globally speaking, what is your view of the market performance to date of electric vehicles?
I think the market is now ready. When you look at Norway, the EV market is 5% of the total market. It really depends on each municipality’s strategy. In Oslo, they have a strong strategy where you have parking that is dedicated to EVs, but this is completely dependent on each municipality.
What role do you think EVs will play in the automotive industry in the next five to ten years?
When we look at the information from the surveys we carry out, we see that EV usage is low, with EVs lacking in exposure. In the municipalities that have really pushed EVs, the technology has had exposure and EVs have started to take off. When this happens, there will also be some improvement to the batteries that are used to make the EVs run for longer without a charge.
What do you think is the single biggest opportunity for EVs?
In the beginning, when we started using EVs electricity was very cheap, €1.5 to €2 per 100km compared to gasoline, at around €10. I own an EV now, and I thought the biggest advantage for me would be the noise, but what I like very much is the torque when pulling away. When you live in Paris and you start as fast as a motorbike, you have a great advantage when it comes to surviving city traffic. So now for me the best is not the silence or the cost – it’s really the fact that I can pass everyone when the lights go green.
Do you think the standardisation of EV charging points is important for the future adoption of EVs?
Definitely, yes, for a number of reasons. The first step has been to push towards creating a standard in sockets, which is more or less done. Now, we are pushing towards another standard – eMI3. The real concern for me is the fact that I cannot use one credit card everywhere, at any charging point. This will start to happen in the future, though. Recently, it was announced that with 50 companies including TomTom, and several OEMs, plus the charging call operators like Charge Your Car, we have gathered to agree on standards for cards to enable clearing and roaming. In the UK, there is Charge Your Car, which has a large network, but in France we have maybe 12 or 13 operators. So if there is no roaming agreement, no clearing, it is not possible. Now that we have a de facto standard, the next big task is to get the implementation of this standard to other customers so they can have a seamless experience. For me, the weakest point in the standardisation now is making it interoperable.
What do you then think is the biggest barrier for EVs?
I would previously have said infrastructure, but I don’t think that’s the biggest barrier any more. Let me give you a few examples. Paris has 4,000 charging points, and almost no EVs. Oslo has 400 points, and EVs account for 5% of the market. Amsterdam has 2,500 points and a big EV market. Lisbon has 750 charge points, no EVs. So what is key for me is really to remove the barrier. In Paris, Amsterdam and Lisbon, you park in the street and you need to find a solution for charging. In Paris, we have 4,000 points, very soon 5,000. But if you buy an EV, how are you going to be sure you’re going to have a parking place? If people are unsure, they won’t buy. In Amsterdam, if you buy one EV, you have two parking places booked so you are always sure there is a space. In Paris, you aren’t guaranteed a space, so that’s the big problem. In Lisbon, they don’t have painted markings on the ground and they do not advertise the facility sufficiently. So the municipalities need to deliver a solution for night charging in cities. You cannot only target people with private garages, which is 25% of the households in Europe.
Do you think this is paramount in making consumers more confident to buy EVs?
Yes, and then it is not only a question of charging points, it is really these barriers. In France, we see that the charge points at IKEA or Carrefour shopping malls are very popular. The charge point in the street is not used as much. We just need to bring in a bit of confidence, find a solution for night time parking and for the key place where you go and charge, supported by the right policy from the municipality.
In your opinion, what is the future of EV charging? Do you think wireless charging is the way forward?
All of us, including the utilities, have wireless charging projects but they are very far from being realised. It’s a huge cost on the highways. In France and Spain, it is difficult to bring a lot of power to the gas stations. When you are in the middle of nowhere and you want to install two 50kW charge points, that is 100kW, which is a lot of wiring and considerable power. In the Netherlands, it is easy, but in France or the UK, it’s not so easy. But no, wireless charging on the highway is far from reality. There are so many questions, like what to do when it’s raining, or when there is ice. The biggest concern is rebuilding highways. It’s like the fuel cell, which is not a problem for the OEMs, it is the high cost of the refuelling infrastructure. You have to transport the hydrogen as well, which is also expensive. Wireless on the highway is not necessarily the problem for the OEM, it’s really a question of external investment.
Rachel Boagey
