Battery Electric Vehicles

Automobile pollution and depleting fuel resources are issues that are becoming more and more important. The future of the private automobile will change to become more environmentally sound. The addition of catalytic converters on cars in the 1990’s reduced automobile pollution drastically. Today’s cars pollute 90% less than their 1970 counterparts. However, battery electric vehicles are the cars of the future which will be environmentally-friendly and, eventually, economical. They will eliminate automobile pollution completely and reduce engine noise.

The battery electric vehicle, or BEV, is a type of electric vehicle (EV) that uses chemical energy stored in rechargeable battery packs. The concept of battery electric vehicles is to charge batteries on board vehicles for propulsion using the electric grid.

The main advantages of battery electric vehicles are that:

1. No pollutants are emitted directly by the vehicle potentially reducing urban pollution. This does not take into account additional pollutants that are emitted if any fossil fuel power plant is used to create the electricity, though a centralized pollution source can be dealt with more easily.

2. Gasoline is indirectly replaced by whatever is being used to generate domestic electricity, reducing dependence on foreign commodities. The electrical energy stored within the battery can be generated by any source, including renewable, nuclear, natural gas, coal and petroleum.

Battery electric cars are becoming more and more attractive with the advancement of new battery technology (Lithium Ion) that have higher power and energy density (i.e. greater possible acceleration and more range with less batteries) and higher oil prices. BEVs include automobiles, light trucks, and neighbourhood electric vehicles. As with other electric vehicles, BEVs use electric motors and motor controllers instead of internal combustion engines (ICEs) for propulsion.

British Columbia is the only place where you can drive an LSV electric car, although it also requires low speed warning marking and flashing lights. Quebec is allowing LSVs in a three year pilot project. These cars will not be allowed on the highway for now, but will be allowed on inter city streets.

This brief introduction to the battery electric vehicle (BEV) is excerpted from a larger analysis in progress, that will present the current (no pun intended) state of the BEV in a rigorous yet accessible analysis, to assist the general public to make an informed judgment about a future role for the BEV. A strong BEV challenge to present anti-car / transit-only policies is possible. The transport market examples are set in the context of the province of Ontario, Canada.)

The battery electric vehicle (BEV) deserves serious consideration, by anyone concerned about the future of motorized transport. BEVs are attracting significant worldwide interest from: new and established automotive industry actors, mass media, and the travelling (and environmentally conscious) public. Early BEV operational experience is by and large encouraging, pointing the way to fast-paced improvements, conceivably leading to market growth liftoff within 2 to 5 years.

In summary, the analysis shows that the battery electric vehicle (BEV), appears to offer an attractive plausibly feasible alternative for many of the Ontarians, who are presently burning 12 billion litres of gasoline per year driving 7 million cars, vans, SUVs and pickup trucks. A BEV alternative could replace up to 40% (up to 85% with "smart grid" charging) of these fossil-fuelled light vehicles, powered instead with Ontario-produced environment-friendly electricity, surplus to present needs, priced equivalent to road gasoline at 12.1 cents per litre (overnight charging) to 26.6 cents per litre (peak hours charging), figures factoring in energy conversion efficiencies.

BEV adopters will make some compromises because existing battery technologies limit their electric energy storage equivalent capacity, to a fraction of that provided by the fuel tank of today's fossil-fuelled vehicle. The present lack of public-access charging / battery-swap infrastructure, restricts a pure battery-only (no fossil-fuelled engine for extended range) full-performance (highway-capable) BEV (FPBEV), to daily commute plus errands service. The best (although unattractive) on-board solution for extending BEV operating range beyond battery capacity, is adding a fossil-fuelled engine that powers electric generation.

It appears that two distinct major BEV styles may emerge:

o       The pure battery-only full-performance FPBEV. A somewhat utilitarian streamlined small size highway-capable (maximum speed 100+ km/h) regenerative-braking light weight commuter vehicle (range 100+ km), suitable for carrying 2 to 4 occupants. Elimination of (the weight of) a fossil-fuelled engine, significantly more than proportionately extends the battery range, maximizing the two main benefits obtained from using electricity instead of fossil fuel: energy cost savings and emissions reduction. Lack of fossil-fuelled engine, means battery power used for: window defrosting / occupant / cabin heating and / or air-conditioning, can somewhat to significantly reduce FPBEV range.

o       The plug-in hybrid battery-electric vehicle (PHEV). Equipped with a fossil-fuelled engine extending range well beyond battery capability. Essentially today's fossil-fuelled battery-equipped regenerative-braking hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), made chargeable from the grid and with increased battery storage capacity. The PHEV's fossil-fuelled engine adds complexity, cost and weight. For technical engineering reasons, PHEV range per unit vehicle weight per unit of battery weight, is significantly less than in the FPBEV, resulting in severely compromised PHEV battery range, greatly reducing the cost and emissions advantages of electricity vs fossil fuel.

Likely only a further, sustained and cataclysmic plunge in oil prices will slam the door on the BEV. In the author's opinion, a massive shift to BEVs in Ontario over the next 15 years is very probable, for the following 6 reasons:

o       Practical BEVs are definitely feasible and promised by numerous well-funded development efforts worldwide.

o       Ontario grid electricity is overwhelmingly competitive with current fossil fuel prices (gasoline $0.85 / litre).

o       Surplus overnight Ontario electricity supply is sufficient to replace 40% to 85% of present road gasoline use.

o       The BEV is the only practical choice to greatly reduce our fossil fuel dependency for road transport.

o       The FPBEV demolishes the anti-car pollution argument. The PHEV weakens it.

o       "Smart road" technology eliminating expressway congestion and energy waste, will improve BEV prospects.

BEV negative impact on road gasoline tax revenues is sure to politicize the BEV in Ontario. Objective engineering advice is essential, to confirm the total transmission capacity to charge BEVs, already available in the existing Ontario electricity distribution grid, especially residential service. Government enthusiasm and fiscal support for development of public-access BEV charging / battery-swap infrastructure, will be largely driven by hunger to replace lost gas tax revenues, with enforced tax collection on non-residential sales of motive electricity.

Although the ZENN (Zero Emission No Noise) company is headquartered in Toronto, and the car is manufactured in St- Jérôme, the vehicle was first introduced in the United States. Federal regulations set up by Transport Canada to approve low speed vehicles (LSVs) for public road use excluded the ZENN and other NEVs from Canadian roads. ZENN's battle with Transport Canada over LSV regulations has been periodically mentioned in Canadian news.

The ZENN car met all the regulatory requirements in the United States; the same regulations adopted by Transport Canada in 2000. It took 2 years of political red tape before ZENN received its National Safety Mark from the Canadian Ministry of Transport. The safety mark was granted after a report by the CBC caused public outcry against the governments lack of interest in environmentally friendly alternatives to fossil fuel vehicles.

Since August 16, 2000, British Columbia has allowed LSVs on its roads, but this exception to the federal law was designed mainly for large slow-moving farm equipment. Although the ZENN was technically legal in British Columbia, the cars would have needed to be equipped with warning signs and yellow flashing lights to distinguish themselves as slow-moving. ZENN Motor Company did not see these conditions as viable to establish a retailer market. After ZENN received its National Safety Mark, the province of British Columbia vowed to improve their support for electric vehicles, and granted the right to each municipality to make LSVs legal on their roads. As of November 2008, The City of Vancouver and the township of Oak Bay, a suburb near Victoria are the only municipalities to grant LSV use.

In Ontario, LSVs can be used on roadways within provincial or municipal parks and conservation areas (when driven by an authorized park employee) or on private property. On June 17, 2008, Quebec announced a pilot project for the ZENN, which would allow residents of Quebec to drive a ZENN in Canada. On October 4th, 2008 ZENN Motor Company opened up a retailer out of its production plant in St. Jérôme with a factory direct approach to sales. This marked the first time a ZENN or any other low-speed commercial vehicle could be sold in Canada. It is expected that the ZENN car will become the regular family car of the near future. The United Kingdom government is even now offering grants to British citizens who purchase BEV’s in order to help the environment.

Nissan produces electric cars in the UK for the general public running on lithium batteries