Green Blog: Toward a Cure for Range Anxiety

Judging from John M. Broder?s harrowing account of driving a Tesla Model S up Interstate 95, the range anxiety that discourages acceptance of all-electric vehicles in the Northeast is well-founded.

In his case, the vehicle did not live up to his advertised range. But more broadly, such cars appear unlikely to be embraced by consumers until a network of charging stations is established that instills confidence.

That?s the conclusion of a recent report on ways of establishing a charging infrastructure in the Northeast that would begin to match the reach, convenience and speed of gasoline stations.

The five-part study, financed by the federal Department of Energy and written for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and the Georgetown University Transportation and Climate Initiative, outlines recommendations for building out the facilities.

As of last October, the Northeast had 910 charging locations, up from fewer than 100 in January 2011, but only 72 percent of them are accessible to the public, the report said. Most of the stations are ?level 2? sites, which typically charge an electric vehicle?s lithium ion battery in four to eight hours with specialized charging equipment.

Some locations also provide level 1 charging, which takes eight to 20 hours and can be achieved with a standard electric outlet and is therefore more likely to be used in private homes, the report said.

The biggest challenge for the electric vehicle sector is the fear that a battery?s charge will run out before the driver reaches his or her destination. A typical E.V. range of 30 to 100 miles compares unfavorably with that of 300 miles or more for many gasoline-powered cars, the report said.

Still, a single charge will be enough to power most trips, the report argues, citing a 2010 study in the Puget Sound area of Washington State. ?This includes all trips made when away from home, such as work and errands along the way,? it said.

Other obstacles that E.V.s need to overcome include long charging times and the high cost, bulk and weight of the batteries, the report said.

Brian Wynne, president of the Electric Drive Transportation Association, asserts that most early adopters are very happy with their vehicles and that enough charging stations exist to meet the relatively small numbers on the road.

But any substantial increase in the number of E.V. owners will require more charging infrastructure, Mr. Wynne agrees. He argues that the private sector is ready to make relatively simple adaptations, like installing the 110-volt engine block heaters provided by some employers in cold states like Minnesota to allow drivers to charge their cars while they are at work.

The public sector, meanwhile, should encourage development of charging stations by changing planning, zoning and permitting regulations to allow for a build-out of the facilities, he said.

About 38,000 electric vehicles were sold in the United States in the first 10 months of 2012, and sales in October alone were more than triple those of a year earlier. But that total for the first 10 months amounted to just three-tenths of a percentage point of total vehicle sales, the report said.

Within the 11-state Northeastern region covered by the study, where the charging infrastructure is less developed than in some areas of the West and Northwest, only 3,600 electric vehicles have been sold so far, according to the Electric Drive Transportation Association.

Wider adoption of electric vehicles is most likely to be achieved by building more charging stations near affluent suburbs, whose residents who are more likely to be interested in acquiring the cars and in reducing their greenhouse gas emissions, the report said.

?E.V. promotion efforts should continue within communities with the highest rates of E.V. ownership because these places are likely to have purchasers who fit E.V. owner profiles,? it said.

Despite the concerns about range anxiety, Mr. Wynne of the association argues that the biggest challenge facing the electric car sector is acquainting the public with the various vehicle options. ?These cars get rave reviews,? he said. ?We have to make sure that folks are educated.?

Source: http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/11/toward-a-cure-for-range-anxiety/?partner=rss&emc=rss

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