Advantages Disadvantages Electric cars worldwide Vehicle specification comparison tables Electric car information sources

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1 EI Data Service useful information: DSI09 Electric vehicles factsheet Updated May 2011 Advantages Disadvantages Electric cars worldwide Vehicle specification comparison tables Electric car information sources Overview There are three main types of electric vehicle (EV) technologies: Battery-electric: electricity from a mains power supply charges a battery of electrochemical cells on-board a battery-electric vehicle (cars are usually charged overnight for a full charge). While the vehicle is running electrical energy is drawn from the cells and converted to motive power by an electric motor. Energy is also captured via regenerative braking. Hybrid-electric: uses a combination of a conventional combustion engine and an electric motor to power the vehicle. The electric motor is typically in use when the vehicle is travelling at low speeds, while the petrol or diesel engine powers the car at higher speeds when more power is needed. The conventional engine is used to recharge the battery, so it does not need to be recharged via the mains (although newer plug-in hybrids can be plugged in and charged this way). Fuel cell-electric: If hydrogen and oxygen are fed into a fuel cell, a voltage difference is produced which can be used to drive an electric current, which in turn can operate an electric motor. This can be used to power a fuel cell car. However hydrogen has high production costs and huge investments in infrastructure and technology development would be needed to bring hydrogen vehicles to the market. Advantages Environmental benefits Road transport currently generates about one fifth of EU CO2 emissions, with car passengers responsible for around 12% of this (EUROPA press release: European Commission plans legislative framework to ensure the EU meets its target for cutting CO 2 emissions from cars. Ref: IP/07/155 07/02/2007). The greatest advantage of battery powered EVs is that they are the only commercially available zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs). Even when emissions from a conventional power station producing the electricity fuelling the car are taken into account, most impacts are still significantly reduced for example the life cycle CO 2 for a mains-powered electric car is typically 40% less than for a petrol or diesel equivalent. If renewable electricity is used, then all life cycle emissions are virtually zero. Although to a lesser extent than battery electric cars, electric-petrol hybrids (such as the Toyota Prius and the Lexus CT200h) also provide significant emission reductions. A London Borough of Camden 2006 Life Cycle Assessment of Vehicle Fuels and Technologies report (p5) found that electric-petrol hybrids lower the overall environmental impact of the car by around 26%. The Toyota Prius V Several models of petrol hybrid-electrics cars have become available in the UK; the market-leader is the Toyota Prius, which has been available in Europe since Toyota s Prius 10 model has carbon dioxide emissions of 89g/km compared to an average figure of 140g/km for a new petrol or diesel car in Hybrids are typically more fuel-efficient than a conventional petrol or diesel car too, using around 15-30% less fuel per mile, depending on driving conditions and whether a mild or strong hybrid design is used. Although technology exists to approach 70g CO2/km with a conventional petrol/diesel engine car, advances below 70g CO2/km would be marginal and not considered an economic solution. 1

2 Financial incentives The UK government is trying to encourage the use of electric vehicles; EV users pay no Excise Vehicle Tax (saving 125/annum), no London Congestion Charge (saving around 1700/annum) and have access to an increasing number of free or discounted parking spaces across the capital. While EVs cost more than conventional cars, fuel costs per mile are very low compared to petrol and diesel. Discounted insurance premiums are also increasingly available for electric car owners. The government s Plug-in Car Grant scheme was introduced in January The scheme gives UK motorists a grant of up to 5,000 to purchase electric, plug-in hybrid or hydrogen fuelled cars, providing they meet certain minimum range and performance criteria. However, whereas originally Labour government plans earmarked 230m for the consumer grants, the Coalition government only committed 43m (about 8,600 cars) for the scheme up to March The government will review the scheme in January 2012 and may amend the budget further if deemed necessary. During 2011 only 1,052 electric vehicles were registered for the grant (see Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) figures), so not all the earmarked funds have been used up yet. Other countries offering similar grant schemes include the US, China and France. Businesses can also benefit from using EVs, as all electric vehicles are eligible for enhanced capital allowances (100% in first year) and companies can apply for grants to cover at least 30% of the capital costs to install alternative fuel recharging infrastructure (including electric recharging points). To qualify for funding, charging points must be accessible to 3 rd parties. Electric milk-floats have proved a great success in the UK, and currently comprise the largest battery electric vehicle fleet in Europe, with around 16,000 electric floats in action. Disadvantages Recharging The cost, capacity and lifespan of batteries have greatly improved over the past decade. There are three main battery types: lead-acid (Pb-Acid), nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) and lithium-ion (Li-on) a newer technology which is being used for most EVs being produced today. The latest lithium-ion batteries are lighter, 95% recyclable, long-lasting (with expected performance of over eight years) and can be recharged quickly at special quick-charge points - the Subaru G4e and Nissan LEAF electric models both need only 30 minutes to return to 80% battery capacity. A flat battery is not needed before recharging. Lithium-ion batteries also store more energy, so miles per charge are increasing: the Nissan LEAF will travel for around 160km (99.4 miles) before the 24 kw battery needs recharging. Over 93% of two-way journeys in the UK fall within the 120km range, so battery range should not be a problem for most journeys (BERR/Dft Investigation into the Scope for the Transport Sector to Switch to Electric Vehicles and Plugin Hybrid Vehicles, 2008). In London 84% of car journeys are less than 20km and 95% of Londoners travel less than 75km a day. A Subaru R1e, which has a lithium-ion battery The lithium-ion range potential is 3-4 times that of lead-acid batteries, which also require more regular replacement. However, although newer battery types can store more energy per kg, lead-acid and NiMH cells do have proven reliability and an extensive maintenance support network in their favour. Numbers of publicly available recharging points still need to dramatically increase before electric cars become a viable option for everyone. As of March 2011, the UK had 347 EV recharging points, 257 of which were in London (newride London). The low number of recharging points is reflected in the proportionately low number of electric vehicles on the road during 2010 less than 1% of the UK s total vehicle fleet was composed of electric and hybrid electric vehicles (Department for Transport Vehicle licensing statistics 2010). At the end of 2010 there were just 1,500 electric cars registered in the UK compared with 81,000 hybrids and 28 million petrol and diesel cars. 2

3 London charging points are set to increase to 1,300 by the end of 2013 as part of the Mayor s Source London network scheme, which should help reassure London motorists at least that enough points are available. Points are being developed elsewhere too a Charge Your Car project partly funded by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) was launched in North East England in 2010 and will be rolled out to other regions. Electric vehicle users pay a low cost monthly or annual subscription to use the points and can login to to see the location of charge points and also whether or not they are in use, in real time. And the renewable electricity company Ecotricity are installing the world s first national electric car charging network by putting in charging points at twelve motorway stations across the UK from July to September In the future drivers may be able to replace batteries at recharging stations and pay for the energy stored in the new battery, which would reassure motorists worried about their battery running out during long distance journeys. Renault will be launching the first EV with a switchable battery, the five-seat Fluence, in The electric vehicle networks and services company Better Place is involved in setting up a growing network of battery switch stations that can robotically switch depleted batteries for charged ones a process they claim takes less time than a stop at the gas station. Another option is to use zinc-bromine flow batteries or vanadium redox batteries, which can be refilled, instead of recharged, saving time. Future cars may also be able to run partly on power generated from different parts of the vehicle, whether from shock absorbers, transparent solar cells over windows or thermoelectrically from the engine and exhaust in hybrids. Cost Hybrid-electric cars cost more than their petrol or diesel equivalents, although the higher capital costs are offset to some extent by lower fuel costs due to the high fuel economy of the cars. The capital costs of battery-electric cars are even higher in comparison, with the price for a new car typically increased by 50-80%. Additionally the high cost of batteries means they are often not included in the selling price but leased for a monthly charge. If the battery is purchased outright, it will need replacing after about five-eight years. Adding a standard off-street home charging point connected to the mains will cost around 50. While a standard socket can be used for most electric cars, installation costs for a specialist circuit protected 'slow' charging point cost around , depending on the difficulty of installation. Fast charging points can cost between 5,000-50,000per point. Like the public in general, car buyers are naturally highly price-conscious and adverse to taking risks. The RAC s Report on Motoring 2010 concluded that: motorists are becoming more inward-looking. They are more concerned about their home and local area than national or global issues and their energy is being spent on using what resources they have in the most cost efficient and effective way. They are not in the mood for change and if this has to happen then they need to be incentivised or forced to make the change through increased restrictions and penalties. The survey results indicate that environmental benefits alone are not going to sway the public towards buying pricier electric vehicles. Therefore the financial incentives will have to be significant before we start seeing greater numbers of EVs on the roads (the 5,000 government Plug-In Car Grant mentioned above for new EV purchases should help). More encouragingly, 32% of the 1,150 RAC respondents said that when buying a new car they will definitely consider buying an environmentally-friendly car, while 56% may consider it. Of those that said definitely or maybe to considering an environmentally-friendly car, three quarters would look at a smaller/ lower CO2 emitting car, 62% would consider a hybrid, 50% a natural gas powered car and 44% an electric car. The biggest concern the motorists surveyed had was how far an electric vehicle could travel on a single charge. Other concerns include a lack of recharging points and the cost of buying and running the vehicles themselves. Grid overload? Some urban planners and energy companies have concerns over whether electricity grid systems may become overloaded as the number of EVs increase. This is more likely to happen if a large number of 30-minute quick charge spots are used at once, as quick charge spots present greater challenges to the grid. The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) s Fourth Carbon Budget report predicts that even when EVs represent 60% of all new sales and 31% of the entire UK car fleet, generating capacity would only require an increase of 8%. A large fleet of EVs could even help ease strain on the grid by providing vehicle-to-grid (V2G) power, allowing the National Grid to draw power from plugged-in vehicles to cope with peak demand. V2G technology also enables the retrieval of electricity from batteries to power home appliances during peak hours. 3

4 Availability of materials Cobalt oxide is often used as a key material for producing the cathode in lithium-ion batteries, accounting for roughly a quarter of the battery mass. Unfortunately world estimated cobalt reserves are relatively small and located in politically unstable regions such as Congo, Cuba and Zambia. Presuming current global estimates are accurate, should 30 million battery packs capable of powering EVs be made annually cobalt reserves would be depleted within six years. If electric vehicles are to be a viable alternative to conventional petrol and diesel vehicles the cobalt will need to be recycled or an alternative, more abundant material such as lithium iron phosphate (which has lower capacity but is more stable) used instead. Electric cars worldwide Europe The European Commission has announced that a total of 40mn will be allocated to its green cars initiative, first announced in November The Commission, under its transport work programme for , has proposed a fund to enable investment in projects aiming to cut vehicle carbon emissions as public-private partnerships. The funding for road transport projects in 2010 will focus on the electrification of road transport and research into hybrid technologies. The EU has paid Poland to develop charging stations, while Nissan s Sunderland plant is benefiting from a 380mn EU backed-loan. France The French car maker Renault has announced its intention to produce tens of thousands of electric cars from A 5,000 incentive is available towards electric cars. Paris plans to introduce an electric car hire scheme in Autumn 2011, including 700 pick-up points and around 2,000-4,000 cars available. The payment tariffs have not yet been announced. Germany The German Government has announced its intention to have one million electric cars running on German roads by It plans to invest 500mn on the development of battery technology and to build a network of charging infrastructure, according to the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LCVP). E.ON have installed the country s first fast charging minute motorway point at the Irschenberg exit of the country s A8 motorway in Bavaria. E.ON intends to further develop even faster public charging stations with recharging taking less than five minutes. Netherlands The Dutch utility Essent has said it expects to see one million electric vehicles on the roads in the Netherlands by Essent is working with other Dutch companies to stimulate the industry, lobbying the government to speed up the introduction of electric cars and launching demonstration projects around the country. They expect the first rollout of electric cars on Dutch roads in , with more widespread usage around 2015, when advances in battery technology are likely to have reduced costs. Portugal Portugal is to install 300 electric vehicle one-hour fast charging stations under its MOBI.E project to advance electric mobility. The charge points are planned for 25 cities by 2012, in public car parks in areas such as shopping centres, hotels and airports, as well as on main highways. The MOBI/E project aims to create a standard for recharging infrastructure and to give the public easy access to electric mobility, making Portugal a pioneering country for developing sustainable transport. The project is also expected to reduce emissions 43% of electricity supply is produced by renewables in Portugal. 4

5 UK The government has committed to developing a national network of electric vehicle recharging points in streets, car parks and commercial facilities. It is supporting the 'Plugged-In Places' programme, which provides funding to local consortias made up of businesses and other public sector partners to help provide electric vehicle recharging infrastructure in a range of different locations. Toyota has teamed up with EDF to collaborate on producing plug-in hybrids and develop a recharging infrastructure for London. There are currently around 15 electric vehicles and eight hybrid electric models available in the UK. Electric models include the G-Wiz, Nice Mega City, Citroen C1 ev ie, Tesla Roadster and Nissan Leaf. Hybrid models include the Honda Insight and Toyota Prius. It is predicted that by 2018, with the advantages of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, there will be a 9.7% increase in UK car sales and an 18% take up for light commercial vehicles, resulting in a significant reduction of carbon dioxide emissions from road transport. Asia China There is obviously a huge demand for transportation in China, with more than 4 million registered vehicles in Beijing alone. In 2009 car sales in China were the highest globally, with more than 13.6 million cars sold. By 2020 there is likely to be around 290 million vehicles on China s roads, roughly four times current levels (International Transport Forum, Transport & Innovation: Unleashing the Potential: 2010 Forum Highlights, p21). China has so far made a slow start toward its ambitious goal of putting 500,000 hybrids and electric vehicles (EVs) on its roads by the end of 2015, rising to more than 5 million by In 2011, only 8,159 were sold across the entire country, including those for government pilot programs for e-taxis and e-buses. A general lack of charging stations and high battery prices appear to be contributing to the slow pace of sales. India Electric cars are reasonably popular in India, with the REVAi, or G-Wiz, a market leader across the country. However, capacity constraints on electricity production prevent any widespread use of electric vehicles. Japan A number of major Japanese car manufacturers are currently involved in electric car development, including Nissan, Toyota and Honda. Nissan has said it plans to build 200,000 electric cars annually from 2012, and has now started production of its all-new 100% electric, zero-emission Nissan LEAF five-door hatchback, which is planned to go on sale in December 2010 in Japan and the United States, and from early 2011, in select markets in Europe. Nissan s UK plant in Sunderland will begin producing the LEAF from 2013, rolling out 50,000 vehicles and 60,000 batteries each year and creating almost 600 new jobs. Toyota s Prius hybrid electric/petrol model sold well, with enormous waiting lists. Toyota is the only company committed to offering a hybrid version of each of its models. In 2009 Honda launched the second generation of its hybrid Insight model. United States After the US car manufacturing industry was hit by the recession, manufacturing electric cars presents a way for the industry to move forward and generate some positive publicity. The US Department of Energy has funded a $25bn Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program to encourage vehicles manufactured in the US that meet higher millage requirements and lessen U.S. dependence on foreign oil. President Obama supports electric vehicles and has promised to put 1m electric vehicles on the road by A number of new electric or hybrid models are currently under production or have just been launched, for example General Motors have produced a Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid, which will have a fuel consumption of 230 miles per gallon, and Ford have produced a Fusion Hybrid 2011 model. San Francisco has attempted to position itself as America s green car capital by adopting building codes requiring all new homes and offices to be wired for electric car chargers. The city also provides a green finance scheme for homeowners wishing to install dedicated charging stations. 5

6 Vehicle specification comparison: electric cars A brief comparison of a few major electric car brands Manufacturer Model Type UK launch date Top speed Charge time Mahindra Reva G-Wiz Electric: mph 2 1/4 (80%) 2 seater to 8 hours hatchback (100%) Mahindra Reva G-Wiz L- ion (new model) NICE Car Company Electric Car Corporation (ECC) Nissan Mega City 2 Seater Citroen C1 Ev ie Nissan LEAF Electric: 2 seater hatchback, lithium-ion battery Electric: 2 seater, lead acid battery Electric: 4 seater, 3 or 5 door versions Electric: 5 seater, 5 doors, 24 KWh lithiumion battery mph 6 hours Full charge cost up to 90p mph 5-8 hours. Full charge cost approx mph 6-7 hours Full charge cost up to 90p March mph 80% charge: 30 minutes on a fast charger; 100% charge: 8 hours Charge cost Range Price Tailpipe emissions 48 miles per charge Previously owned G-Wiz s selling for around 2,200-3, miles per charge From 9, miles per charge (but stop-start driving in London around 40) miles per charge (in normal driving conditions 100 miles per charge (based upon US EPA LA4 city driving conditions lab tests; actual range will vary from around 62 in a winter traffic jam to 138 miles in ideal constant 38mph driving conditions) From 12,684 From 19,860 From 28,850 but UK motorist pays around 23,990 after UK Plug-In Car Grant has been applied 6

7 Vehicle specification comparison: petrol/electric hybrids A brief comparison of a few major hybrid/extended range electric car brands Manufacturer Model Type UK launch date Honda Toyota Toyota Honda Insight SE Toyota Prius T3 Toyota Prius Plugin Hybrid Hybrid: 1.3 IMA (Petrol Hybrid) CVT Hybrid: 5 dr hatchback 1.8 WT-i Plug-in hybrid with lithiumion battery Top speed Miles per gallon Price Tailpipe emissions CO 2 / km (average petrol/diesel engine emissions were 140 CO 2 / km in 2009, with a target of 120 CO 2 / km by 2012) mph 64.2 (combined) From 16, gms mph (combined) From 20, gms Early mph in EV mode TBA TBA. Eligible for 5,000 UK Plug-in Car Grant 59 gms Chevrolet Volt 2011 Volt Plug-in hybrid electric Vauxhall Vauxhall Ampera Extendedrange electric vehicle, 4 seater mph 93 in all-electric mode, 37 in gasoline-only mode, 72 combined Early mph 40-80km lithiumion battery range Not yet launched in UK. Anticipated price around 20,000 Not yet confirmed. Likely to be around 28,995 after UK Plug-In Car Grant has been applied 52.5 gms Average less than 40 gms The first nine cars to become eligible for the UK Plug-in car grant of up to 5,000 are: Mitsubishi imiev, Smart fortwo electric drive, Peugeot ion, Citroen CZero, Nissan Leaf, Tata Vista EV, Toyota Prius Plug-in, Vauxhall Ampera and Chevrolet Volt. More will follow later in

8 Further electric vehicle information Electric cars in the UK London Borough of Camden Life Cycle Assessment of Vehicle Fuels and Technologies: Final Report (2006) An in-depth study into the life-cycle emissions of electric vehicles. Newride London Transport for London s website for users and buyers of electric vehicles in London. Includes an interactive map showing all the public access recharge points in the capital. RAC Report on Motoring 2010 The RAC s annual report is based on the views of 1,150 drivers in Britain and provides a snapshot of motorists' attitudes and behaviour, including their opinions on electric vehicles. Databases Transport Fuels Technology update service Regularly updated transport news, including electric vehicles. EI member access only via member login to EI website. Electric car network infrastructure Better Place - Better Place are a global developer of EV batteries, battery switch stations and charging points. The company plans to launch its first public trials in Israel in 2011 and is also building networks of switch stations in Denmark, Australia and Hawaii. In collaboration with Renault-Nissan, in 2011 they are launching the Fluence, the first mass-market electric car with a removable battery. Source London - Information on the Mayor of London s charging network scheme Electric car reports Global Fuel Economy Initiative, 50by50 Report (2009) outlines the fuel efficiency and carbon emission benefits of electric vehicles and policy options to help achieve the Initiative s target of a 50% fuel economy improvement worldwide by International Transport Forum, Decision-Makers Session Summary: Sustainable Transport: Is the Future Electric? (2010) Fuelling the future: Reducing the emissions of passenger cars in the UK by 2020: Summary report: Workshop report THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CHEMISTRY; RSC. (Hardcopy available for EI members to borrow in the Energy Institute Library) The King Review of Low Carbon Cars, Part 1: the potential for CO2 reduction (2007) Commissioned by the UK Government, Part I: The potential for CO2 reduction sets out the environmental challenge for road transport and looks at the scope for emissions savings from more efficient vehicle technologies, cleaner fuels and smart consumer choices. The King Review of Low Carbon Cars, Part II: recommendations for action (2008) Part II of the King Review offers policy recommendations to help meet the challenge set out in Part I. WWF, Plugged in: The end of the oil age (2008) This survey provides in-depth analysis of the advantages of electric transport and the effect a significant increase in grid-connected vehicles would have on national grids. 8