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January 26, 2010
BC Hydro to provide sneak peek at Chevy's electric car
Blaine Kyllo
For bchydro.com
In the carport of the Home of the Future at BC Hydro's Power Smart Village from February 10 to February 19 will be a Chevrolet Volt, General Motors’ latest range-extended electric vehicle (EV). The car will usually be around between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. each day.
Mark Dubois-Phillips, a Senior Manager of Technology Development for BC Hydro, says that having a Volt on site was an excellent opportunity to raise the profile of the vehicle and to let the public know that the corporation is preparing for the arrival of EVs.
“Vancouver is fast-becoming an initial Canadian launch point for electric vehicles, and with the world coming to Vancouver for the Olympics, we are thrilled to partner with General Motors at PS Village to showcase the Volt and BC Hydro's work to meet the needs of an increased electric vehicle load on our grid,” says Dubois-Phillips.
Get Google Map directions to the Power Smart Village
The provincial government sees the electrification of the automobile as a way to reach their carbon-reduction objectives. In B.C., transportation accounts for 37 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions. Operating an EV, in a place like B.C. where electricity generation is extremely clean, is largely carbon free.
BC Hydro is moving quickly and collaborating on national signage, charging infrastructure and other areas so that the utility's electric vehicle plug-in requirements are ready when electric vehicles hit the road. Recently, the City of Vancouver’s Green Homes Program also mandated that all new homes be equipped with a dedicated electrical circuit in the garage, for future installation of an electric vehicle charging system.
”Sure these cars are cool,” says Dubois-Phillips, "but we're interested in these vehicles for the impact the cars will have on the grid, the charging infrastructure that will need to be built to support these vehicles and for the ground-breaking collaboration work going on between utilities and the automotive industry."
Parking an EV in your garage, even if you're not in a Home of the Future, is easy. The Volt is designed to plug into either a normal 110-volt household outlet, or a 220-volt outlet that you'd use for a clothes dryer or stove.
"The integration is pretty straightforward," explains Dubois-Phillips, who expects the Volt will be in dealerships in California and a few other select U.S. markets before the end of the year.
Getting ready for plug-in vehicles
BC Hydro has been collaborating with a consortium of utilities assembled by California's Electric Power Research Insitute (EPRI) to investigate infrastructure options and demand impacts of plug-in vehicles.
By charging vehicles during the evening, we'll be able to tap into generating capacity that is not being fully used, rather than increasing demand for new energy. And we'll benefit from the lowered emissions and lower operating costs of plug-in electric vehicles.
"As a participating utility, we'll have an opportunity to get in early," says Dubois-Phillips, stressing that BC Hydro is interested in the vehicles because of the impact they will have on the corporation. "Our mission is to ensure our utility is ready for the cars when they arrive."
The Home of the Future at the Power Smart Village presents a vision of the near future, where a charging station is part of your home. In the future, the electricity grid will be plug-in ready, allowing you to charge your vehicle when electricity is cheap. You may also have the option to sell electricity stored in the car’s battery back to the grid during the day when electricity
rates are higher.
By charging vehicles during the evening, vehicles will tap into generating capacity that is not being fully used, rather than increasing demand for new energy. And we'll benefit from the lowered emissions and lower operating costs of plug-in electric vehicles.
The environmental benefits of electric vehicles will be significant and immediate.
Dubois-Phillips says that, while operating in “electric mode” (the Volt uses a range-extending gas generator when the battery is low), the Volt will emit only 4 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre, compared to the 240 grams that comes from gasoline-powered vehicles.
Volt fast facts, from Chevrolet
- The 2011 Chevrolet Volt is an electric vehicle with extended range capability and is propelled by electricity at all times and at all speeds.
- Energy is stored on board in a 16-kWh, “T”-shaped lithium-ion battery pack. The battery pack powers an electric drive unit, which is capable of meeting full vehicle speed and acceleration performance while driving the car electrically for up to 64 km without a drop of gas.
- When the battery is depleted of energy, the Volt’s on-board engine generator creates electricity to extend the range of the Volt for hundreds of additional kilometres, meaning drivers won’t be stranded if they can’t charge the battery at an electrical outlet.
- The Volt electric vehicle is a no-compromise car with the passenger space, cargo room, functionality and amenities of a typical compact sedan. Thanks to instantaneous torque, the Chevy Volt will be a fun-to-drive car with quick acceleration.
- The Chevrolet Volt will be available in Canada in mid-2011. Pricing has not been announced.
- Charging the Volt daily will consume less electric energy annually than the average home’s refrigerator and freezer units.
- At a cost of about .50-.80 cents a day for a full charge, for most owners the Volt will be less expensive to recharge than purchasing a daily cup of their favorite branded coffee.
- When using British Columbia’s clean electricity, the Chevrolet Volt will have less than 4 per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions of the most fuel efficient hybrid on the market today.
- At 10 cents per kilowatt hour – BC Hydro's base residential rate is actually 5.91 cents – GM estimates that an electrically driven mile in a Chevy Volt will cost about one-sixth compared to a conventional gasoline vehicle.
- Most Chevy Volts are likely to be charged off-peak in the evening or overnight when electricity rates are lower, potentially further reducing the cost of recharging.
- The Chevrolet Volt is the most aerodynamic car GM has on the road today.
