ETI launches research projects to prepare ground for mass-market plug-in cars

Peta Hodge

19th March 2010

The Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) has launched three major research projects, worth £4.5 million, to help prepare the ground for a self-sustaining mass market for electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

The three projects will each look at a different aspect of developing a mass market for electric and hybrid cars – consumer behaviour, the impact of electric vehicles on UK power grid, and the potential economic and carbon impacts – and will be delivered by consortia drawn from industry, academia and consultancy.

Together, the projects are intended to propose an overall architecture for integrating plug-in vehicles, which will take into into account electricity networks, charging points and payment systems, and will help to ensure compatibility across the UK.

According to its chief executive, Dr David Clarke, the announcement of these three projects puts the ETI on track to start extensive real-world testing of consumer attitudes to plug-in vehicles and the supporting infrastructure through 2010 and into 2011.

Under existing Government initiatives, supporting infrastructure for electric vehicles has begun to be rolled out in London, the North East and Milton Keynes and the Office for Low Emission Vehicle's (OLEV) has said it will provide grants of up to ￡5,000 for consumers who buy ultra-low carbon cars.

“By developing and robustly testing these pathways, we aim to act as a guiding light to support over £300 million of UK investment already committed to infrastructure deployment and consumer incentives for plug-in vehicles,” Clarke explained.

Ricardo heads up consortium looking at consumer behaviours around plug-in cars
Innovation and technology company Ricardo is heading-up the consortium – which also involves TRL, Shell, Element Energy and the Universities of Sussex and Aberdeen – looking at consumer behaviours in buying and using plug-in vehicles and the infrastructure that supports them.

The work will attempt to forecast the uptake of plug-in vehicles, based on an analysis of expected consumer behaviours.

Commenting on the importance of such work, Professor Neville Jackson, Ricardo group chief innovation and technology officer and chair of the UK Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership, said: “Personal transportation represents a complex system even at an individual vehicle level – from the energy chain that provides the fuel, the production system that delivers the new vehicle to the customer, the utility of the vehicle and how this fulfills consumer expectations and ultimately, the recycling process at the end of its life.

“As such, an extremely wide range of factors must be considered if an effective, appropriate and ultimately successful deployment of plug-in vehicle technology is to be made.”

IBM-led research to look at electric vehicle impact on grid

The second consortium, looking at the the impact of electric vehicles on UK power grid, will be led by IBM and includes EDF Energy, E.ON and Imperial Consultants.

Its work will focus on a number of areas, including an analysis of how growth in electric vehicle recharging could impact on electricity distribution networks.

It will also seek to identify the smart infrastructure needed for mass market uptake of electric vehicles in the UK and look at design concepts for the ‘intelligent architecture’ of interconnected data and systems needed to enable local networks of electric vehicle charging points to be linked to the distribution networks.

“Electric vehicles have enormous potential for creating a cleaner transport system to help the UK meet its 2050 carbon reduction targets,” said Jon Bentley, energy & environment partner, IBM Global Business Services.

“However, there is uncertainty over the pace of vehicle development, consumer take up and patterns of usage and charging. It is important we anticipate the likely requirements these developments will have for grid enhancement and the need for an intelligent architecture.”

Arup to head up consortium researching electric and hybrid vehicles and their impact on carbon reductions

The third project, which involves the University of Leeds and E.ON, is headed-up by Arup and will develop a model to analyse the economics of UK-wide electric and hybrid electric vehicle usage, and the possible carbon reductions.

Neil Butcher, Arup’s project leader said:"Less than one per cent of the vehicles registered every year in the UK are electric and most of these are currently used in London. By 2020, low carbon cars will be commercially viable, and it’s important that we start to understand the potential carbon reductions and economic impact of plans to use low carbon cars UK-wide is critical in preparing for this change in driving habits."

The £4.5 million to support the three projects announced today is part of the ETI's ￡11 million Electrification of Light Vehicles programme. The job of the ETI is to develop technologies that will help the UK meet its 2050 carbon reduction targets under the Climate Change Act.