PHEV 1.1.07 Interview study of 23 PHEV drivers in Spring 2007

Research questions: PHEVs are a brand new automotive technology, with the widest set of technical changes and new features for drivers, including two drive systems, electric charging, optional use of two types of fuels, new instruments, and environmental benefits. Additionally, PHEVs represent a broad range of potential designs, from blended strategies to all electric ranges and all electric top speed options, plus a whole new infrastructure of charging to interface. While the first drivers of PHEVs are mostly enthusiasts and industries experimenting with this technology, nevertheless, the experience of this first group of drivers and owners offers insights to the PHEV future.

Description: This is a set of in-person and phone interviews with the first drivers of PHEVs in US, to examine driver response to vehicle concept.

• Researchers: Ken Kurani, Rusty Heffner, Tom Turrentine
• Funding: California Institute for Energy Efficiency
• Time frame: Spring 2007
• Reports: Available soon

PHEV 1.2.07 Survey study of potential PHEV market

Research questions: The potential market for PHEVs is shaped by the electric infrastructure; an owner must have a good location to charge the vehicle, or the potential to equip that location for recharging. Some drivers may have multiple locations to charge as well as travel patterns, which fit certain types of PHEV designs well. Additionally, some drivers are more motivated than others by the potential use of electricity for economic and environmental reasons.

Description: Internet survey to examine potential market for PHEVs, constraint study of household recharging infrastructure, attitudes, and travel behavior

• Researchers: Jonn Axsen, Ken Kurani, Tom Turrentine
• Funding: CEC PHEV Center
• Time frame: July-October 2007
• Reports: Available Fall 2007

PHEV 1.3.07 Alternative Fueled Vehicle Ride and Drive

Description: Ride and drive test with PHEVs, fuel cell, electric and ethanol vehicles in Sacramento Area. In the early 1990s, UC Davis conducted a pioneering ride and drive with battery electric, methanol, and compressed natural gas vehicles with more than 200 households from Pasadena, California. The ride and drive proposed here is an update of that study, and will give selected households a chance to drive and comment on the latest in alternative-fuel and electric-drive vehicles.

• Researchers: Ken Kurani, Dahlia Garas, Tom Turrentine, Kevin Nesbitt
• Funding: CEC PHEV Center. Air Resource Board
• Time frame: Spring 2007

PHEV 1.4.07 PHEV Charging, travel and consumer response to using PHEVs

Description: This project will extend over at least two years, with a number of interim reports. The ultimate goal of this project is to measure the portion of energy PHEV users will consume as grid-derived electricity in the course of their day-to-day driving. Additionally, the study aims to understand how consumer will respond to PHEVs (or at least a selection of the wide-variety of possible PHEVs), with an eye towards explaining and anticipating market demand.

10 conventional hybrids will be converted to PHEVs, placed in selected households and businesses for periods of 6-8 weeks each. These vehicles will be instrumented to record all recharging, refueling, travel, and other variables needed to assess demand for electricity and demand for the vehicles. Additionally, all users will be interviewed about their interest in buying and using a variety of PHEV designs.
Additional PHEV demos will be cooperating with UC Davis Researchers including SCAQMD, SMUD, SEMPRA, PG&E, SLVG to provide additional PHEV users for data collection and interviews.

• Researchers: Ken Kurani, Dahlia Garas, Kevin Nesbitt, Tom Turrentine
• Funding: CEC $325,000, ARB $1.5 million
• Time frame: July 2007-July 2009

PHEV 1.5.07 PHEV drivers and advanced energy instrumentation

Description: PHEVS will be outfitted with advanced energy instrumentation packages developed at Argonne National Labs. The instrument will have screens, which will display to the driver their real time energy use and costs for electricity and gasoline (or diesel), real time CO2 emissions as well as accumulated fuel use, costs and emissions. This study will watch which information drivers track, and how it affects their driving. Additionally, we will be interviewing drivers about their likes, dislikes and overall use and value for these new instrument systems.

• Researchers: Ken Kurani, Tom Turrentine
• Funding: UC Davis Sustainable Transportation Center $50,000
• Time frame: July 2007-July 2009
• Partners: Argonne National Laboratories, and other PHEV projects, nationwide.

2. Vehicle Design Research Projects

PHEV 2.1.07 PHEV System and Charging Technology Evaluation and Optimization

Description: In this task, system modeling and vehicle design research will be performed to evaluate and optimize the operation of PHEVs using various control strategies and battery technologies. The goal is to provide detailed information and data on vehicle performance, efficiency, energy consumption, and cost for a wide range of plug-in hybrid powertrain and battery options relative to conventional ICE, battery-electric, and charge sustaining hybrid vehicles. This information will be applied by vehicle developers as well as used to inform policy makers.

• Researchers: Dr. Andrew Burke, Bryan Jungers,
• Funding: UC Davis PHEV Research Center
• Time frame: March 2007-March 2008
• Partners: EPRI

PHEV 2.2.07 Evaluation of Emerging Lithium Battery Technologies

Description: This task will focus on the requirements for and the characterization of batteries, primarily lithium-ion, for use in PHEVs. Lithium battery chemistries considered will include lithium-titanate-oxide, iron-phosphate, and lithium-polymer as well as battery/ultra capacitors combinations. Testing of cells, modules, and packs will be undertaken using test cycles and temperatures appropriate for PHEV applications to determine battery performance and cycle life. The results of the battery testing will be incorporated into the vehicle simulations, design, and cost comparison studies.

• Researchers: Dr. Andrew Burke, Dr. Marshall Miller, Eric Van Gelder
• Funding: CARB, EPRI
• Time Frame: March 2007 – March 2009
• Partners: Altairnano, Southern California Edison, EPRI

PHEV 3.1.07 Lifecycle Emissions Analysis and Social-Cost Analysis

Description: The goal of this task is to analyze the lifetime social-costs and lifecycle emissions of PHEVs compared to other advanced light-duty vehicles, providing important information for policy makers regarding the potential contribution of PHEVs to meeting California’s transportation energy priorities. In the cost analysis, manufacturing, retail, and full lifetime costs will be estimated. (Lifetime costs include all initial costs spread out over their life, plus all periodic costs. Social costs are equal to private plus the monetary value of “external” costs that society bears.) In the emissions analysis, lifecycle emissions of air-pollutant emissions and greenhouse-gases from the use of PHEVs will be estimated. Initial results of the consumer behavior and PHEV powertrain modeling projects will be integrated into these lifecycle models. The process of adding of PHEVs to existing lifecycle vehicle models has already begun.

• Researchers: Dr. Mark Delucchi, Dr. Marshall Miller
• Funding: UC Davis PHEV Research Center
• Time frame: March 2007-March 2008