September 24, 2009

Duke Energy, FPL Plan EV Conversion by 2020

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Two major utilities plan to convert their fleets of trucks and cars entirely to plug-in hybrid or completely electric vehicles by 2020.

The move by FPL Group Inc. and Duke Energy Corp. will mean a $600 million investment in up to 10,000 vehicles.

The two announced the initiative jointly at a Clinton Global Initiative meeting in New York, saying the move could reduce GHG emissions by 125,000 metric tons over the next decade as the fleets ramp up their adoption of electric vehicles.

The two utilities will undertake the effort in earnest Jan. 1, when they begin tracking their commitments, according to a press release.

A key is determining the effectiveness of some prototype bucket trucks that will be tested in 2011 and 2012.

In May, TXU Electric Delivery began using a hybrid bucket truck (pictured above).

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Theme : Addressing Range Anxieties.

1. The range of noticeable EVs are sufficient to meet the daily driving needs of more than 95% of drivers ((The vast majority of people (95%) drive less than 100/km a day, 82% of the respondents said they drive 40 miles or less a day, with an average daily driving distance of 27 miles.)).

As for long trip needs, all but Americans and many of developed nations have existing automobiles, in this regard, EVs are best suited to their daily use until the infrastructure comes into wide use. And people are already doing that.

2. The on-board IT system shows the driving radius on a maximum range display under the current state of charge and calculates if the vehicle is within range of a pre-set destination. And the navigation system points out the latest information on available charging stations within the current driving range.

3. In 21st century, home, workplace, or stores etc also serve as a charge station as electricity is everywhere. With a long extension code inside, just in case, riders can get help from almost anyplace, not to mention the stores to provide charge service, and many of EVs are equipped with a quick charger.

4. Unlike fuel price, as time goes by, the price of battery is expected to drop dramatically in the foreseeable future as with computer components, in that case, mounting additional battery might be not a problem. And the EVs that come in a range of 200 to 300 miles between charges are on fast-tract toward mass-market, as Batteries become more efficient.

5. Indian EV maker Reva said it has also set about addressing anxieties about e-car range, this fantastic wireless electricity/ “instant remote recharge” will be widely available down the line.

6. The vehicle-to-grid communication technology is helping the battery serve as a storage to prevent the costly blackout standing at about $90 to 100bn per year. That means utilities are shedding cost for additional storage facilities and ratepayers are selling electricity during peak demand so that EVs can make more economic sense, as we know. ((The cost of running the vehicle should be 1 to 2 cents per mile, compared to 10 cents or more per mile to run a gas car. Electric vehicles require little maintenance — no oil changes, for instance –. Better still, they can sell electricity or charge at the stores offering charge service.))

It is also in the best interest of electricity utilities that EVs are going mainstream, thereby they need to put in charge stands where needed around highways, major roads with card readers or cell phone tech.

7. I’m hopeful that the charge network will extend the select districts to nation-wide scale throughout the world, and this environment can usher in “active private investings” in EVs. And I remain confident that investing in charge stands could give rise to multiple times as much investing effect, so to speak, some billions of investing, this simple deployment, could call into the most-sought energy independence and solid recovery around the world.

Thank You !

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