By Daniel P. Bearth, Staff Writer
This story appears in the Jan. 16 print edition of Transport Topics. Click here to subscribe today.
A group of executives representing vehicle manufacturers, fleet operators and utility companies said they plan to organize the first large-scale electric vehicle demonstration project and help to create a national model for the deployment of electric vehicles.
The Electrification Leadership Council, whose members include executives from parcel carrier FedEx Express and truck maker Navistar International Corp., said the purpose of the project is to better understand the interoperability between electric vehicles (EVs) and support infrastructure, including charging stations, the electric grid, battery use and communications and service networks.
“This is about developing a more efficient, effective and environmentally friendly EV ecosystem,” said Dennis Beal, vice president of global vehicles for FedEx Express in Memphis, Tenn.
The first demonstration project is expected to get under way in 2012 and will last 12 to 18 months.
Mark Aubry, vice president of Navistar’s eStar electric vehicle brand, said efforts by federal and local authorities to promote use of EVs have “left a huge gap in the middle.”
“No one entity can create a comprehensive solution for the broad-scale deployment of EVs,” Aubry said. “That’s why we have come together to create a public and private model that will help us understand what will be required to operate thousands of EVs within a community.”
Among the issues that need to be addressed before electric vehicles can be adopted on a large scale is training emergency responders how to deal safely with accidents, Council spokeswoman Jennifer Fettchenhauer said.
The council will incorporate the work of other groups, such as the Electrification Coalition and the Electric Drive Transportation Association, she said.
Other members of the Electrification Leadership Council include:
• Hertz Global Holdings, Park Ridge, N.J., the world’s largest car rental company and parent of fleet leasing firm Donlen Corp., based in Northbrook, Ill.
• A123 Systems Inc., Waltham, Mass., is a manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries and storage systems.
• Automatiks Inc., Sunnyvale, Calif., a developer of data and analytics for electric vehicle users, suppliers and utilities.
• Azure Dynamics Corp., Oak Park, Mich., a manufacturer of hybrid electric components and powertrain systems.
• CODA Automotive, Los Angeles, a manufacturer of electric vehicles and batteries.
• ECOtality Inc., San Francisco, a provider of research-and-development and testing of alternative-fuel, hybrid and electric vehicles and charging systems. They also make solar modules, batteries and fuel-cell products.
• GE Capital Fleet Services, Eden Prairie, Minn., a commercial fleet management company and subsidiary of General Electric Co.
• Pacific Gas & Electric Co., San Francisco, an electric and natural gas distribution company.
