http://www.hybridcars.com/lack-of-information-hurting-ev-sales-says-federal-report/ Lack of Information Hurting EV Sales Says Federal Report by Estlin Link April 27, 2015
[image http://www.hybridcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/EV_charging_at_home.jpg ] A new congressionally mandated report published by the U.S. National Research Council states that current battery technology, vehicle cost, and lack of consumer knowledge are all obstacles preventing widespread endorsement of plug-in electric vehicles. The key to lowering overall vehicle cost according to ClickGreen would be to develop less expensive and more efficient batteries, this along with developing a better market strategy for informing consumers in regards to EVs would help to quell consumer skepticism. The report proposes a number of different incentives which the U.S. government could offer in order to overcome these and other impediments. The report itself focused specifically on plug-in hybrids and battery EVs, both of which get charged by being plugged into an electrical source, the difference between them being the way they operate after the charging. Plug-in hybrids use an internal combustion engine that turns on once the battery is depleted to extend the range, while battery EVs rely exclusively on electricity stored in the batteries. The study states that the number one place for charging a plug-in vehicle would is one’s own home seeing that – or assuming that – the vehicle spends the most time parked there, followed by workplace as a close second. The report suggests that local governments should simplify permitting processes and approve new building codes to be able to support future charging installations, as well as advocate workplaces to consider implementing such installations. While the advises the federal government to refrain from further direct investment within public charging infrastructure until more research can be done in regards to it. However, it also says the government should continue to fund and research the development of low cost and high-efficiency batteries in order to assist in reducing overall vehicle costs. As for existing federal financial incentives, the report states that incentives to purchase plug-in EVs should continue past the current production volume limit. Also, that the federal government should consider offering purchasers of plug-in EVs a point-of-sale rebate instead of the current federal income tax credit. Along with that, the federal government should aid state governments in order to create a policy in which plug-in vehicles are free from registration and roadway surcharges for a finite amount of time. After this specified amount of time, the government should reexamine these incentives and take into consideration advancement in technologies, the reduction of production costs, vehicle emissions, and total cost of ownership according to the study and Clickgreen. The study was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. The National Academy of Engineering, National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council make up the National Academies. [© hybridcars.com] http://www.clickgreen.org.uk/analysis/business-analysis/125932-lack-of-consumer-information-hinder-purchases-of-plug-in-electric-vehicles.html Purchases of plug-in EVs hindered by lack of information 22 Apr 2015 http://admin.clickliverpool.class-media.co.uk/admin/article/articleimages/1429729449-evplug.jpg Report looks at obstacles to EV roll-out in United States Vehicle cost, current battery technology, and inadequate consumer knowledge are some of the barriers preventing widespread adoption of plug-in electric vehicles, says a new congressionally mandated report from the US National Research Council. Developing less expensive, better performing batteries is essential to reducing overall vehicle cost, and a market strategy is needed to create awareness and overcome customer uncertainty. The report recommends a range of incentives that the US federal government can offer to address these and other barriers. The report focused on battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, both of which can charge their batteries by plugging into the electric grid. The difference is that battery electric vehicles operate solely on electricity stored in the battery, while plug-in hybrid electric vehicles also have an internal combustion engine that turns on when the battery is depleted and can extend the vehicle range. The report distinguishes four classes of plug-in electric vehicles based on their all-electric range: long-range and limited-range battery electric vehicles; range-extended plug-in hybrid electric vehicles; and minimal plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Despite the notion that range limitation is a problem for plug-in electric vehicles, the total range for each class - except for the limited-range battery electric vehicle - is similar to that of a conventional vehicle using one tank of gas. The study found that the home is the most important location for charging infrastructure, followed by the workplace, in and around cities, and, least important, on interstates. The vehicle fleet spends a vast majority of time parked at home, and most early adopters of plug-in vehicles satisfy their charging needs there. Charging at workplaces - where vehicles are also parked for a substantial amount of time - provides an additional opportunity to encourage plug-in vehicle adoption and increase the amount of miles fueled by electricity. The report says that local governments should streamline permitting processes and adopt building codes that require new construction to be capable of supporting future charging installations, and should encourage workplaces to consider investments in charging infrastructure. Through regulatory action, the federal government should eliminate the proliferation of incompatible plugs and ensure that all drivers can charge their vehicles and pay at all public charging stations using a universally accepted method, just as conventional vehicles can be refueled at any gas station. But the report recommends that the federal government refrain from additional direct investment in the installation of public charging infrastructure until more research has been done to understand the role of public infrastructure in encouraging broader adoption and use of plug-in electric vehicles. Specifically, the government should fund research to determine how much public infrastructure is needed and where it should be sited to persuade more people to purchase and use such vehicles. It should also continue to invest in fundamental and applied research to expedite the development of low-cost, high-performance batteries to increase the all-electric range and reduce vehicle cost. At the anticipated rates of consumer adoption, vehicle charging is expected to have a negligible effect on the electricity distribution system, the report says. However, economic factors such as high electricity costs, regional variability in electricity costs, or rate structures that do not incentivize charging at off-peak hours could discourage ownership. Rate structures that encourage owners to charge vehicles when the cost of supplying energy is low would also be of benefit to the utility. Existing federal financial incentives to purchase plug-in electric vehicles should continue beyond the current production volume limit, the report says. The federal government should consider converting the federal income tax credit offered to purchasers of plug-in electric vehicles into a point-of-sale rebate, and should work with state governments to adopt a policy in which plug-in vehicles remain free from special roadway or registration surcharges for a limited time. The government should re-evaluate the case for incentives after a suitable period, considering advancements in vehicle technology and progress in reducing production costs, total costs of ownership, and vehicle emissions. More research should be conducted on the variety of other consumer incentives that have been offered by states and local governments to determine which, if any, have proved effective in promoting deployment of plug-in electric vehicles. The federal government should also make use of its Ad Council program, particularly in key markets, to provide accurate information about federal tax credits and other incentives and the value of vehicle ownership. The study was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. The National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council make up the National Academies. [© clickgreen.org.uk] For EVLN posts use: http://evdl.org/evln/ {brucedp.150m.com} -- View this message in context: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/EVLN-Lack-of-Plugin-Info-Is-Hurting-Sales-Sez-U-S-Fed-Report-tp4675310.html Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at Nabble.com. _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
