An Open Door To Electrify Transportation
As 2030 approaches, global commitments to keep the Earth’s temperature from increasing over 1.5 degrees need to trickle down to an individual level.
There are different ways to reduce one’s carbon footprint. From what we eat, to what we buy and the waste that we create — our decisions and purchasing power as consumers have a significant impact on the economy, business, and the environment.
Transportation is one of the biggest Greenhouse Gas (GHG) contributors, and one that offers the biggest market opportunity as the world’s population continues to grow and concentrate in urban areas — where emissions per person are higher than in rural zones. Efficient and convenient public transportation is not always an option, so people default to driving an empty box across city, state, and sometimes country lines. Fuel prices continue to fluctuate, and filling up my SUV’s gas tank these days can cost between $50-$70 US dollars in California. I can’t help but think: Is this the most efficient and responsible way to travel on a daily basis?
My husband and I are looking at buying a car soon, and even though there are many options that will support our active and adventurous lifestyle, there are limited options for low emission vehicles that are affordable. It is important to me that we are conscious consumers, thus understanding our vehicle options and the broader marketplace is key for making an informed purchase decision.
We recognize that the next 5–10 years will bring a big shift in the hybrid and electric vehicle offerings as innovation and consumer demand will continue to make this technology more affordable, coupled with more charging stations and corridors to support this growing market. An added benefit is that charging stations can easily be powered by solar, a renewable energy source, reducing the cost per charge for EV consumers, and the overall footprint for their transportation needs…. But we’re not there yet.
Today, hybrid vehicles are a more carbon-friendly option than traditional vehicles with an internal combustion engine (ICE). These combine two or more sources of power -the most common ones for non-commercial drivers are gasoline-electric or diesel-electric. The electric motor complements the ICE, and power is recharged automatically from regenerative braking and stored in onboard batteries. When traveling at low speeds, electric power is used, saving a driver’s fuel and reducing the trip’s carbon output. When the vehicle is under load, or when the onboard batteries are depleted, power is automatically drawn from internal fuel combustion.
Then there are plug-in hybrids, which have the ability to recharge by plugging them into a charge station but will easily switch to an ICE once the electric power is depleted. Follow the hyperlink to learn more about the difference between hybrid and plug-in hybrid technology.
Both of these hybrids are a great option for both city commutes and long trips, given that the technology can switch from one mode to the other based on speed and distance. Frankly, at the moment I prefer the non-plug-in hybrid because it gives me higher peace of mind knowing that if my husband and I decide to adventure into the wilderness, we won’t end up hunting for an EV charging station in the small towns near National Forests or National Parks — which we frequent often.
Amongst the best hybrid SUVs out there with all-wheel or 4-wheel drive, the Toyota Highlander and Rav4 are closest to our price point, but still out of our league. The Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid is awesome, but unfortunately, the trunk space is limited and our two large dogs would not fit comfortably. I’m keeping an eye out for the Forester Hybrid to be released in the US and also hoping that Toyota has a plug-in hybrid 4Runner in its upcoming manufacturing plans. In all seriousness, my dream unicorn vehicle is an R1S from RIVIAN. The company is coming out with a beautiful, fully electric, adventure SUV…I cannot wait! I full-heatedly believe this startup will disrupt the industry in the coming years. Maybe by then, I will have solar energy and DC fast charging at home or work to finally make the switch!
Fully electric vehicles have no ICE, and therefore no tailpipe to produce emissions. However, as my husband often points out: the electricity to recharge the vehicle is still generated somehow, and if the local grid is primarily coal-powered then it’s not exactly guilt-free energy. That’s a bigger tangent than we can dig into here.
In the last decade or so, Tesla’s disruptive technology paved the way for the luxury electric vehicle (EV) to be mainstream, but they’re still out of the price range for those of us at middle-income. The mass-market Tesla still seems far away. Most manufacturers have either a hybrid or a fully electric vehicle in their lineup in order to comply with fleet emission requirements. Consumers are apparently pleased with them — in October 2018, the US market reached one million EVs in operation, and a recent report showed that 55% of Americans are interested in buying an EV. By 2020, six million EVs will be sold in the US, and eleven million worldwide.
Even though one of the biggest barriers to obtaining an EV today is the price, the EV technology continues to innovate and more options will become available, dropping the price and making these cars more accessible across the board. With the support of government incentives, more buyers can access this new market. For example, the US introduced $2,500 to $7,500 tax credits as incentives towards the purchase of new EVs and plug-in hybrids. Additional incentives can be found on the ‘Drive Change. Drive Electric.’ website.
Other countries like France, China, and India are pushing for a strong EV revolution. France will banish the sales of all fossil-fuel cars by 2040 while Paris aims to phase them out by 2030. India announced that it will only be selling EV cars by 2030 and China’s Development and Commission announced a $47 billion fund to support the development of EV technology, as well as a ‘Made In China 2025 Blueprint’ calling for domestic control of 70% of the EV market.
Along with this EV market growth, clean energy will be competitive with fossil fuel pricing and performance by 2020, some becoming the cheaper and better option over fossil fuels — once and for all. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Renewable Power Generation Cost in 2017 reported that the cost of generating wind power has fallen 23% since 2010 while solar PV cost has fallen 73%. This is an open door to electrify transportation by integrating clean charging stations in or near already established gas stations, parking lots, residential developments, malls, universities, etc.
By growing a reliable charging network, it will help address two of the biggest issues facing the hybrid-EV industry: range and charge anxiety. Range anxiety is the fear of not making it to the next charging station. Charge anxiety is the fear of reaching a charge station that is being used by other customers and having to wait for a very long time for a charging turn (we are talking hours here). There are already some apps and maps that help users find charging stations nearby, but it would be beneficial for users to know if the stations are not being used by other drivers or even have the ability to book one in advance.
Usually, homes and some public charge stations have AC Level 1 or Level 2 charging. Most homeowners will spend $2,100 USD to install a Level 1 charger, and $2,700 for a Level 2. The first one provides between 2–5 miles of electric power per hour of charging, taking anywhere between 8–12 hours to fully charge a car. Level 2 charging provides 10–25 miles of electric power per hour of charging, reducing charging time to 6–8 hours for a full charge. Some charge stations may offer Level 3 or DC Fast Charging as an option, and this one can charge 80% of a car’s battery in 30 minutes. Based on convenience, Level 3 or DC Fast Charging is becoming an acceptable alternative to the 10-minute fuel pump experience. Unfortunately, installing a Level 3 charge station at home can cost up to $8,000 USD including parts and labor. The image below provides a good visual of the difference in time per charger across various vehicles. Learn more about the different charging options and networks here.
With the EV market growth, two of the biggest concerns across the industry have been the EV battery’s end of life (EOL) and the potential for toxic waste if not recycled properly. For entrepreneurs that can see a challenge as an opportunity, profitability is on the horizon. A new market boom for used EV batteries is giving them a second life as clean energy storage systems, and it is expected to grow from $1.3 billion this year, to $4.3 billion in 2025. Therefore, the likelihood of these becoming an issue in someone else’s backyard is not foreseeable.
The future of clean transportation is electrification. Consumers are ready to invest in an EV, but most are held back by the challenges that it will bring to their commute and lifestyle. Successful electrification will result from making EV (and plug-in hybrid) charging a seamless experience and not something that complicates planning or adds to the stress of a trip.
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