GETTING CARS ON THE GRID

An indication of how serious General Motors Corporation (GM) is about making its current run at plug-in vehicle technology successful is a new alliance it has formed with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI).

Felix Kramer, founder, nonprofit EV & PHEV advocacy group CalCars: "GM was unsuccessful in the commercialization of electric cars before for reasons that remain controversial…This time, they realize they need partners."

With each passing week, it seems more and more rests on the success of GM’s PHEV.

Republican presidential candidate John McCain visited the GM plant and summarized the situation accurately: "The eyes of the world are now on the Volt…"

GM executives continue to express confidence they will deliver the PHEV in 2010 with the 40-mile battery-powered range promised. They are determined to prove they can compete in this arena with Toyota, which plans to capitalize on the success of its hybrid technology by bringing a plug-in Prius to market in 2010.

The partnership with EPRI indicates GM is keenly aware of what the coming brave new world of plug-in vehicles means for the nation’s grid and for its utilities, exciting new possibilities GM and EPRI are preparing to take advantage of:

(1)Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) - Utility-built smart charging stations will prime vehicle batteries with cheap, excess, off-peak power and then, during periods of peak demand, upload available stored electricity. This will roll back the costs of battery-charging for the car owners and it will allow the utility to smoothly access stored power (“load-shaving”) to avoid brown outs.

(2) Recycling used batteries - Decommissioned lithium-ion batteries from older cars, their storage inadequate for continued transport service, have capacity enough to be of value. In very large numbers, they will become linked elements in massive electricity storage centers. This will provide another source of storage/load-shaving for utilities. Revenues from such energy storage centers will defray the cost of the transition to plug-in vehicles.

An announcement in mid-July from GM that it will cut $10 billion from its budget is another indication of how determined it is to get to the coming transition to plug-in vehicles.

Yes, there IS a plan. (click to enlarge)

GM, utility group to announce electric car tie-up
Kevin Krolicki (w/David Bailey, Gerald E. McCormick), July 18, 2008 (Reuters)

WHO
General Motors Corp (GM); Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI); Ford Motor Co (Ford); Southern California Edison (SCE)

WHAT
GM and EPRI will coordinate plans for grid development in anticipation of the coming launch of GM’s Volt and other plug-in vehicles.

The vehicle in question. (click to enlarge)

WHEN
- GM has repeatedly promised to bring its Volt to market in 2010.
- Ford formed a similar alliance with EPRI in March.

WHERE
- EPRI represents ~90% of U.S. utility-generated power.
- GM is one of the “suspects” in the killing of the 1990s California electric car program.

WHY
- The Chevrolet Volt from GM will be a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) capable of driving 40 miles on battery power before switching to a normal-sized gasoline tank for continued operation.
- The Volt will use a lithium-ion battery rechargeable at any standard electric outlet. GM has not yet selected a battery supplier but will announce its choice this summer.
- Like the hybrid Prius, the Volt will recapture braking energy and use an on-board engine to recharge its battery pack.
- Ford is working with Edison International subsidiary SCE to develop a plug-in version of the Escape hybrid.
- During John McCain’s visit to GM he proposed a $5,000 tax credit for Volt PHEV purchasers.

click to enlarge

QUOTES
Jesse Toprak, auto industry analyst, Edmunds.com: "The big paradigm shift, the revolutionary vehicle for GM, will have to wait until 2010 with the Chevrolet Volt…Anything between now and then will just be little bumps on the road."