CHARGED Electric Vehicles Magazine - Iss 24 MAR/APR 2016

ELECTRIC VEHICLES MAGAZINE

REDEFINING

ISSUE 24 | MARCH/APRIL 2016 | CHARGEDEVS.COM

PREMIUM P. 50

X5 xDrive40e BMW’s big plans for new plug-in hybrids begin with the

A CLOSER LOOK AT WIRE BONDING

TORQUE VECTORING AND ELECTRIC DRIVES

HOW TO SELL MORE EVS: A DEALERSHIP PERSPECTIVE

SEAWARD LAUNCHES NEW EVSE TESTER

P. 18

P. 28

P. 44

P. 70

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THE TECH CONTENTS

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18 | A closer look at wire bonding

The future of bonding battery connections?

28 | Torque vectoring and electric drives

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GKN’s new eTwinster combines an electric motor with twin-clutch torque vectoring

current events 8

Maxwell introduces higher-voltage ultracapacitor cell Sevcon acquires Italian charger manufacturer Bassi

9 Skeleton scores â‚Ź4 million in new investment for its ultracapacitors 10 Data-driven energy management can improve efficiency of PHEVs by 12% 12 GM may license Volt powertrain to other automakers

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UN aviation agency bans shipment of Li-ion batteries on passenger aircraft

13 LG Chem to deliver complete battery pack for Chrysler PHEV minivan 15 DeltaWing to use DHX motors with direct-winding heat exchange system

Bee pollen forms carbon microstructures for Li-ion anodes

16 DOE issues $25-million funding opportunity for next-gen electric machines

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Lithium X acquires potential lithium lode in Nevada

17 Level 2 charger with GaN semiconductors achieves record efficiency

THE VEHICLES

CONTENTS

44 | A DEALERSHIP PERSPECTIVE

44

How we can sell millions of EVs

50 | BMW X5

xDrive40e

The X5 PHEV spearheads BMW’s plan to offer electrified versions of popular models in every market segment

current events

50

36 Porsche to invest a billion euros at EV plant

University of Montana orders Proterra electric buses

37 Study suggests advanced support systems for energy-efficient driving Motiv and Creative Bus Sales partner to build electric school bus

38 Aston Martin and Chinese company to bring RapidE to market in 2018

Daimler tells managers to drive EVs, invests 30 million euros in charging

39 NREL: Battery-electric buses are four times more fuel-efficient than CNG 41 Hyundai Ioniq – in hybrid, PHEV and EV versions – debuts in Geneva 42 EPA asks VW to atone for its misdeeds by producing EVs in Tennessee

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California transit authority goes 100% electric with 85 BYD electric buses

43 Chevrolet Bolt EV to be sold in Europe as Opel Ampera-E

NEVS loses rights to build EVs with Saab brand name

IDENTIFICATION STATEMENT CHARGED Electric Vehicles Magazine (USPS PP 46) March/April 2016, Issue # 24 is published bi-monthly by Electric Vehicles Magazine LLC, 4121 52nd Ave S, Saint Petersburg, FL 33711-4735. Application to Mail at Periodicals Postage Prices is Pending at Saint Petersburg, FL and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CHARGED Electric Vehicles Magazine, Electric Vehicles Magazine LLC at 4121 52nd Ave S, Saint Petersburg, FL 33711-4735.

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70 | Better test equipment Seaward Group says its new handheld charge point tester will help bring quality control to a new level

78 | WAVE of the future

78

Wireless charging helps transit agencies save money by going electric

63 Fastned adds Tesla adaptors to 50 DCFC stations in the Netherlands

Greenlots demonstrates DCFC with storage and vehicle-grid integration

64 Plugless to offer wireless charging system for Tesla Model S

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ClipperCreek increases power and cable length of its LCS-20 charger

65 CPUC approves pilot EV grid integration project with 3,500 charging stations 67 Smart City Challenge draws applications from 77 US cities

Fortum and Charge Amps partner to offer home and workplace charging

69 ChargePoint wins contract to complete the West Coast Electric Highway

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Renault and Connected Energy collaborate on E-STOR energy storage product

Publisher’s Note Now hiring: The EV industry

If a fight for top talent is a good sign of a hot market, then the EV industry is on fire right now. The talent pool for the new industry is clearly stressed - from engineering to experienced sales and management positions.

In the past few decades, the automotive industry has seen a seismic shift from traditional mechanical systems to a world dominated by electronics, chips and software. If you go to a car show and look in the engine compartment of an older vehicle, you’ll see only a handful of connections from the cockpit. Modern vehicles, however, are built with an incredible amount of wiring harnesses and upwards of 20 million lines of code residing on board.

Combine the digital age with the ongoing revolutions in electrification, connectivity and vehicle autonomy, and you see can clearly see a convergence of several industries: automotive, software, telecommunications and energy. As these industries merge, automotive companies of all sizes are presented with a new set of challenges.

Compared to just a few years ago, there is a completely new set of skills that’s integrated into the design, production and life cycle management of vehicles.

Day after day, we continue to see many examples in the media of an auto industry in flux. Many of the world’s biggest automakers now have offices in Silicon Valley to lure top software and battery technology experts. On any given day, Tesla has about 1,000 job openings available online - many of them specialty engineering roles. And perhaps one of the most interesting signs of things to come was a recent press release from GM about its Global Propulsion Systems engineering workforce. The company said that, of more than 8,600 people working on propulsion-related products, nearly 50% are involved with alternative or electrified systems. That’s a remarkable commitment to the technology considering that the current market share for electrified systems is relatively small.

Personally, I’ve encountered countless examples of EV-related companies that are having trouble filling key positions. Many have turned to Charged for help finding employees for some of the toughest-to-fill job openings.

This has led us to launch a new career development site: ChargedEVs.com/Jobs.

Employers can now post open positions that will be promoted throughout our growing network of EV industry professionals: online, in our email newsletters and in print (see page 86 of this issue for the latest job openings). Job seekers can upload their resumes to apply for jobs and be discovered by employers. We’ll also be featuring articles about career-related news from every corner of the EV industry.

EVs are here. Try to keep up.

Christian Ruoff Publisher

ETHICS STATEMENT AND COVERAGE POLICY AS THE LEADING EV INDUSTRY PUBLICATION, CHARGED ELECTRIC VEHICLES MAGAZINE OFTEN COVERS, AND ACCEPTS CONTRIBUTIONS FROM, COMPANIES THAT ADVERTISE IN OUR MEDIA PORTFOLIO. HOWEVER, THE CONTENT WE CHOOSE TO PUBLISH PASSES ONLY TWO TESTS: (1) TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE THE INFORMATION IS ACCURATE, AND (2) IT MEETS THE INTERESTS OF OUR READERSHIP. WE DO NOT ACCEPT PAYMENT FOR EDITORIAL CONTENT, AND THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED BY OUR EDITORS AND WRITERS ARE IN NO WAY AFFECTED BY A COMPANY’S PAST, CURRENT, OR POTENTIAL ADVERTISEMENTS. FURTHERMORE, WE OFTEN ACCEPT ARTICLES AUTHORED BY “INDUSTRY INSIDERS,” IN WHICH CASE THE AUTHOR’S CURRENT EMPLOYMENT, OR RELATIONSHIP TO THE EV INDUSTRY, IS CLEARLY CITED. IF YOU DISAGREE WITH ANY OPINION EXPRESSED IN THE CHARGED MEDIA PORTFOLIO AND/OR WISH TO WRITE ABOUT YOUR PARTICULAR VIEW OF THE INDUSTRY, PLEASE CONTACT US AT CONTENT@CHARGEDEVS.COM. REPRINTING IN WHOLE OR PART IS FORBIDDEN EXPECT BY PERMISSION OF CHARGED ELECTRIC VEHICLES MAGAZINE.

Christian Ruoff Publisher Laurel Zimmer Associate Publisher Charles Morris Senior Editor Markkus Rovito Associate Editor Jeffrey Jenkins Technology Editor Erik Fries Contributing Editor Nick Sirotich Illustrator & Designer Tome Vrdoljak Graphic Designer Contributing Writers Heath J. Carney Michael Kent Charles Morris Christian Ruoff John L. Sullivan Contributing Photographers Heath J. Carney Michael Bream - EVWest.com Mark Mastropietro Elizabeth McClay Pslawinski Cover Image Courtesy of BMW of North America Special Thanks to Kelly Ruoff Sebastien Bourgeois For Letters to the Editor, Article Submissions, & Advertising Inquiries Contact Info@ChargedEVs.com

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Maxwell cells range in capacitance from 1 to 3,400 farads, and multi-cell modules range from 16 to 160 volts.

They are designed to perform reliably over a temperature range of -40° to 65° C. The new cell should be particularly well suited to applications in the transportation, wind and grid markets, said Maxwell CEO Dr. Franz Fink. “Adding the 3 V ultracapacitor to our product line gives existing customers the flexibility to address higher-voltage or cost-sensitive applications while reducing weight and increasing return on system investments.”

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Image courtesy of Maxwell Technologies

Maxwell Technologies has introduced a new addition to its K2 family of ultracapacitor cells. A 3-volt, 3,000-farad cell is now available in sample quantities. The new cell offers 31% higher power than Maxwell’s existing 2.7-volt, 3,000-farad cell, and is packaged in the same industry-standard 60 mm cylindrical form factor.

Maxwell points out that customers can use the new cell to either increase available power and energy in the same volume or reduce costs by using fewer cells or modules while maintaining the same power and energy. The new cell design incorporates Maxwell’s proprietary DuraBlue Advanced Shock and Vibration Technology, which the company says provides three times the vibrational resistance and four times the shock immunity of competitive offerings – a big plus in transportation applications.

Sevcon (Nasdaq: SEV), a manufacturer of motor controllers for electric and hybrid vehicles, has acquired the Italian charger manufacturer Bassi Srl. The Bassi product line includes fast charging technologies suitable for a range of electrification markets, including rapid, high voltage and high power sectors.

In 2015, Bassi generated a profit on $16 million in sales.

Bassi will operate as a division of Sevcon from its present facility and the existing executive team will continue at the helm.

“Battery charging and power management represent a rapidly growing sector of the electrification market that is highly complementary to Sevcon’s products,” said Sevcon CEO Matt Boyle. “Customers regularly ask for charging solutions in conjunction with our new Gen5 motor controller line, especially in high voltage and high power applications. By offering customers a broader product portfolio that eliminates motor controller/battery charger interoperability concerns, we believe we can secure a greater share of the on-road and industrial electrification markets.”

Image courtesy of Sevcon

Motor controller maker Sevcon acquires Italian charger manufacturer Bassi

Maxwell introduces higher-voltage ultracapacitor cell

THE TECH

Image courtesy of Skeleton Technologies

Skeleton Technologies scores €4 million in new investment for its graphene ultracapacitors Ultracapacitor manufacturer Skeleton Technologies has secured a €4 million investment from the energy-oriented investment company KIC InnoEnergy, part of €9.8 million in Series B financing raised by Skeleton last year.

“We see KIC InnoEnergy as a strong, value-added partner, with a number of their investors being current or potential customers of Skeleton Technologies,” said Skeleton CEO Taavi Madiberk.

Skeleton plans to use the new funds to further optimize electrode and cell design to allow for higher working voltages. The company uses a proprietary graphenebased material it calls carbide-derived carbon (CDC).

It has set an ambitious target of delivering an energy density of 20 Wh/kg by 2020.

“Energy storage is one of the key issues facing the European energy sector,” said Kenneth Johansson, CEO

of KIC InnoEnergy Sweden. “Getting it right will help with everything from smart grids and smart buildings to ensuring better integration of renewables in electricity networks across the continent.”

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THE TECH

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Researchers at the University of California, Riverside have demonstrated an energy management system (EMS) that learns from historical driving cycles how to combine the power streams from an electric motor and an internal-combustion engine in the most energy-efficient way.

In “Data-Driven Reinforcement Learning-Based Real-Time Energy Management System for Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles,” published in Transportation Research Record, Xuewei Qi, Guoyuan Wu and colleagues explain how their EMS can improve the efficiency of PHEVs by almost 12% compared to the standard binary mode control strategy.

Most PHEVs start in all-electric mode, running on electricity until their battery pack is depleted and then switching to hybrid mode. This binary mode EMS strategy is easy to apply, but it isn’t the most efficient way to combine the two power sources.

In lab tests, blended discharge strategies, in which power from the battery is used throughout the trip, have proven to be more efficient, but haven’t been practical for real-world applications. “Blended discharge strategies have the ability to be extremely energy-efficient, but those proposed previously require upfront knowledge about the nature of the trip, road conditions and traffic information, which in reality is almost impossible to provide,” said Xuewei Qi. The new EMS is based on a machine learning technique called reinforcement learning. It does require trip-related information, but it also gathers data in real time using onboard sensors and communications devices.

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In comparison-based tests on a 20-mile commute in Southern California, the UCR team’s EMS outperformed binary mode systems, with average fuel savings of 11.9%. The system gets smarter the more it’s used, and is not model- or driver-specific – it can be applied to any PHEV driven by any individual.

“In our reinforcement learning system, the vehicle learns everything it needs to be energy-efficient based on historical data,” said Xuewei Qi. “As more data are gathered and evaluated, the system becomes better at making decisions.”

“Our current findings have shown how individual vehicles can learn from their historical driving behavior to operate in an energy efficient manner,” said Xuewei Qi. “The next step is to extend the proposed mode to a cloud-based vehicle network where vehicles not only learn from themselves but also each other.”

Image by Charged EVs

Data-driven energy management system can improve the efficiency of PHEVs by 12%

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GM has floated the idea of selling the plug-in hybrid powertrain used in the 2016 Chevrolet Volt (and in the Cadillac CT6 PHEV and Chevy Malibu Hybrid) to other automakers.

“We want to be the partner of choice in propulsion system development in this complex and turbulent era we are approaching,” GM’s global powertrain chief Dan Nicholson told Automotive News (via Green Car Reports). “We have a history of being a good partner.”

Such an arrangement could be a boon to smaller automakers, which will soon need to start producing plug-ins to satisfy tightening emissions standards, but would be hard-pressed to develop their own advanced powertrain technology.

It could also be a big win for GM, helping it to achieve greater economies of scale without having to sell larger volumes of the Volt, something it has so far been unable or unwilling to do.

The Volt’s hybrid powertrain, including the gas engine, electric transaxle and power electronics, fits under the hood of a compact car.

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Image courtesy of GM

GM may license Volt powertrain to other automakers

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has prohibited shipments of lithium-ion batteries as cargo on passenger aircraft, responding to concerns by pilots and airplane manufacturers that they pose a fire risk.

A 2015 paper published by an aircraft manufacturing trade group found that existing fire-fighting systems on airliners could not “suppress or extinguish a fire involving significant quantities of lithium batteries.”

The ban, which is mandatory for ICAO member states, will take effect April 1, and will be maintained until a new fire-resistant packaging standard to transport the batteries is designed.

“Safety is always our most fundamental priority,” said Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, ICAO Council President.

“This interim prohibition will continue to be in force as separate work continues through ICAO on a new lithium battery packaging performance standard, currently expected by 2018.”

The ban applies only to lithium-ion batteries shipped as cargo on passenger aircraft, not to those contained in personal electronic devices carried by passengers or crew. Li-ion batteries can still be transported on cargo planes.

Image by Charged EVs

UN aviation agency bans shipment of Li-ion batteries on passenger aircraft

THE TECH LG Chem to deliver complete battery pack for Chrysler Pacifica minivan PHEV

Image courtesy of LG Chem

Korean battery maker LG Chem will supply the 16 kWh Li-ion battery pack system and controls for the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan.

LG Chem Power CEO Denise Gray recently noted that LG Chem’s cells, modules and batteries are currently powering some 490,000 vehicles, spanning all levels of electrification from micro-hybrids to BEVs. However, the agreement with Chrysler marks the first time LG Chem will engineer and manufacture a complete battery pack for a US-produced PHEV. The Pacifica Hybrid was introduced at the recent North American International Auto Show in Detroit, and is scheduled for a late 2016 launch. It will be the first mass-produced hybrid minivan in North America. LG Chem will manufacture the cells and packs at its Holland, Michigan facility.

“Our experience with entire battery packs, including cell design and manufacturing capability, as well as our expertise in vehicle integration, makes us the ideal battery supplier for the Pacifica Hybrid,” said Denise Gray. “Our technical strengths, engineering and manufacturing expertise position us as a leading battery and control system provider for electric vehicles today and in the future.”

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THE TECH

EV-builder DeltaWing Technology Group and motor-maker DHX Electric Machines have announced an agreement granting DeltaWing the rights to make and use DHX motors for automotive applications.

Georgia Tech spinout DHX has relocated to DeltaWing’s campus in Braselton, Georgia, and the companies are ramping up motor production and developing applications for several automotive projects.

DHX’s motors use a proprietary direct cooling technology that’s designed to remove motor heat at the source – the stator windings. The direct-winding heat exchange system features a cooling surface up to 4 times larger than that of a standard cooling channel. According to DHX, its technology removes more than 10 times the heat of a standard coolant channel, which means about 4 times more current and thus 4 times more torque.

“Our DHX Falcon electric motor features standard materials, not exotic steels and magnets,” said DHX CEO J. Rhett Mayor. “It achieves power densities of 120 horsepower per gallon (25 kW per liter) and extraordinary torque of 195 lb-ft/gallon (70 N·m/l). In simple terms, it delivers the power and torque of the standard sedan’s powertrain in the space of a one-gallon can of paint.”

DeltaWing’s most visible vehicle is the DeltaWing road car, a lightweight racer that features a narrow front axle.

However, the company plans to apply DHX’s motors to a variety of road-going vehicles, from scooters and small urban vehicles to everyday automobiles and delivery vans.

Image courtesy of DHX Electric Machines

80 HP DHX Falcon electric motor

Conventional 1.5 HP electric motor

Much research in the battery world focuses on finding a replacement for graphite as an anode material. One candidate is hard carbon, which can be formed in various morphologies to deliver the desired properties. But in fact, there are already millions of tiny factories around the world, cranking out as many carbon particles as could be desired.

A team at Purdue University has found a way to use plant pollens as the basis for carbon microstructures.

Plants produce pollen in a vast variety of shapes and sizes, some of which fall in the range of commercial carbon anode particle sizes.

In “From Allergens to Battery Anodes: Nature-Inspired, Pollen Derived Carbon Architectures for Roomand Elevated-Temperature Li-ion Storage,” published in Nature’s Scientific Reports, Jialiang Tang and Vilas Pol explain how they air-activated the carbonaceous particles, forming pores to increase their energy-storage capacity, and then evaluated them as lithium-ion battery anodes at room (25° C) and elevated (50° C) temperatures. They found that an activated cattail pollen electrode delivered high specific lithium storage reversible capacities (590 mAh/g at 50° C and 382 mAh/g at 25° C) and also exhibited excellent high rate capabilities.

“Herein, we report the conversion of allergenic pollen grains into carbon microstructures through a facile, onestep, solid-state thermochemical decomposition in an inert atmosphere at elevated temperatures,” write Tang and Pol. “For this study, carbon derived from both cattail pollens and bee pollens were evaluated for their potential application in LIB anodes. Cattail pollen was chosen to represent pollens with selective morphology but with limited commercial supply, while bee pollens represent pollens with unselective/diverse morphologies but are commercially available in large quantities.”

The next step is to study the pollen-based anodes in a full-cell battery with a commercial cathode.

MAR/APR 2016

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Image courtesy of Jialiang Tang

Bee pollen forms carbon microstructures for Li-ion anodes

EV-builder DeltaWing to use DHX motors with direct-winding heat exchange system

CURRENTevents

DOE issues $25-million funding opportunity for next generation of electric machines

• High Performance Thermal and Electrical Conductor Manufacturing. Advances in nanomaterials have shown the potential for improvement in the electrical and thermal properties of metallic conductors, reducing stator and rotor I2R losses.

• Silicon Steel Manufacturing. Electrical steel with 6.5% added silicon can reduce core losses without sacrificing saturation magnetization level.

• Superconducting Wire Manufacturing. Breakthroughs in high-temperature superconductors make it possible to eliminate rotor resistance (I2R) losses and enable higher flux densities.

• Other Enabling Technologies. New motor topologies, low-loss high-speed bearings, high-resolution sensors, improved insulation and varnishing materials, other soft magnetic materials such as amorphous, nanocrystalline and soft magnetic composites, novel cooling mechanisms.

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Image by Charged EVs

The DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy intends to issue a new $25-million Funding Opportunity Announcement (DE-FOA-0001467) titled “Next Generation of Electric Machines: Enabling Technologies.”

Goals for next-gen motors include high power density, high revolutions per minute and integrated power electronics. The FOA may include the following topic areas:

The business of prospecting for lithium is still tiny compared to the worldwide oil exploration industry, but some companies are already buying up tracts of land that may contain motherlodes of the light white stuff.

The lithium exploration and development company Lithium X Energy has announced its acquisition of the CVL Lithium Property in Nevada’s Clayton Valley, right next to North America’s only current lithium-producing mine, and just a few hours’ drive south of Tesla’s Gigafactory.

The acquisition, for which Lithium X paid $350,000 plus 4,000,000 shares of its stock, makes the company the largest claims holder in Clayton Valley, with more than 15,020 acres.

Lithium X plans to test several potential lithium-bearing aquifers on the property. According to the company, the geological structure of the sediment-filled basin underlying the claims makes it a likely lithium lode - analysis of geological, geophysical and drill log data shows evidence of potential lithium-bearing aquifers.

Historic and present drilling programs around the Clayton Valley suggest great potential for the discovery of lithium-bearing brines. Other companies, including Albemarle and Pure Energy, are currently drilling in the immediate area.

Image courtesy of Lithium X

Lithium X acquires potential lithium lode in Nevada

THE TECH Level 2 charger with GaN semiconductors achieves record efficiency Charging levels are headed higher, and greater efficiency could make it easier to top up tomorrow’s bigger batteries without straining the grid. Researchers at the Advanced Power Electronics Lab at Kettering University, in partnership with auto electronics giant HELLA, now report that they have built a Level 2 charger with an efficiency of 97%, about three percentage points better than the current average.

The prototype charger uses power switches supplied by GaN Systems, based on gallium-nitride transistors, wide bandgap semiconductors that operate at higher voltages and temperatures than silicon.

According to Dr. Kevin Bai, an Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering at Kettering University, the key to the charger’s efficiency is a two-stage design, which

allows the unit to be lighter and more compact than traditional three-stage chargers.

In a three-stage process, the charger converts AC voltage to DC, inverts the DC to high-frequency AC, then rectifies AC to DC again, losing about 2% of the power at each stage.

Dr. Bai said, “The switching performance we observed with the GaN Systems parts was marvelous. Using these devices, our power electronics exhibited a power density greater than 2.6 kW/l.”

HELLA’s Manager of Advanced Engineering, Matt McAmmond, added, “The results of this collaboration are gratifying and commercially important, because they provide HELLA with a path to ultra-compact and lighter EV charger designs.

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A CLOSER LOOK AT

WIRE BONDING

By Christian Ruoff

ire bonding technology - widely utilized in the microelectronics and power electronics industries since the 1970s - is finding its way into interesting new applications in the growing EV industry - in particular, battery connections.

We’re quite certain that a few EVs are using wire-bonding technology for production battery pack connections, but Charged was unable to find any automaker or wirebonding supplier to confirm our suspicion. However, a simple Google search will provide photos of disassembled batteries where the technology clearly can be seen.

Also available online are the public patent applications from the notoriously tight-lipped Tesla Motors. In 2006, the company filed a US patent application that described a method for using wire bonding techniques to connect multiple cells into a larger battery pack. The EV trailblazer was one of the first to apply conventional wire bonding

W

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Some EV builders have begun to use wire bonding - widely utilized in microelectronics since the 1970s - for battery connections. technology to battery connections.

Groups of individual cells are more commonly connected together with a soldering or welding process.

Tesla’s patent application claimed to find problems with

THE TECH

Wire bonded battery pack connections

Wire bonded power electronics and microelectronics

Image courtesy of EVWest.com

Image courtesy of Pslawinski (CC BY-SA 3.0)

these approaches, saying that “the welding process is time-consuming and prone to failure. It is also difficult to test the connection between each battery and the conductors.�

Beyond the simple connections, Tesla describes a design method that also uses aluminum wire connections as fusible links that allow the expected current to pass, while breaking the connection in an overcurrent condition like a short circuit. Tesla’s engineers believe that another

In 2006, Tesla motors filed a US patent application that described a method for using wire bonding techniques to connect multiple cells into a larger battery pack. problem with other bonding methods is a lack of electrical protection - without a fuse, a single cell can internally short due to a malfunction or damage, and render unusable all of the other cells to which it is connected in parallel.

To learn more about wire bonding technology, Charged reached out to experts at Hesse Mechatronics, a leading manufacturer of fully automatic ultrasonic and thermosonic wire bonders.

MAR/APR 2016

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It is a combination of three parameters that forms the bond: vertical force, ultrasonic power and time.

How it works Hesse representatives Mike McKeown, Dr. Michael Brökelmann, Dr. Matthias Hunstig and Dr. Dirk Siepe describe wire bonding as an ultrasonic metal-metal friction welding process. “It is a combination of three parameters that forms the bond: vertical force, ultrasonic power and time,” explained McKeown.

The process starts with a wire placed under the tip of a slim, rod-like bonding tool. A well-defined force is applied, pressing the wire onto the electrode surface and causing an initial cold-straining at the contact area. The power element comes from an ultrasonic transducer that generates mechanical vibrations in a frequency range of about 60 kHz. Those vibrations are transferred by the bonding tool into the welding area for a period of time on the order of 100 milliseconds. The deformation of the wire and the bonding between wire and substrate steadily progress during this cold-friction process until a pure intermetallic compound between the wire and surface is formed. This process occurs at room temperature.

After the first bond is made, the bonding tool travels in a defined pattern to form a wire loop of a desired height and length, and then the second bond is made. The wire is then terminated with a special integrated cutter.

Advantages While soldering and welding have been used for many years, Hesse believes they have several drawbacks, such as induced thermal stresses, required post-process cleaning, minimal flexibility and poor quality control and monitoring. “Wire and ribbon bonding perform much better in these aspects,” said McKeown, “and offer a quality monitoring system that evaluates each and every bond, without any negative impact to production throughput.”

The company explained that when working with aluminum wire or ribbon, the process is done at room temperature. No external heat is necessary and the welding zone is not heated up by the ultrasonic friction welding

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An ultrasonic transducer generates vibrations in range of about

Vibrations are transferred to the welding area for a period on the order of

kilohertz

milliseconds

60 100

No external heat is necessary and the welding zone is not heated up by the ultrasonic friction welding process. process. Most other welding and soldering processes do require or generate heat to cause the metal to melt.

Ultrasonic wire bonding is also a “clean” process, meaning there is no post-cleaning residue to remove afterwards. With soldering there are flux residues, and, in some cases, welding has bursts of molten metal that need to be removed to avoid any reliability problems. However,

Image courtesy of Hesse Mechatronics

THE TECH

Large diameter aluminum wires with low loop hieghts

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THE TECH Wire bonding does not work with every metal, but the list of bondable surfaces makes it very suitable for electronics applications.

Heavy copper wire bonding on direct bonded copper substrate

the only cleanliness requirement for wire bonding is that the surface be free of contaminants and tenacious oxides.

When it comes to designing and integrating system connections, Hesse explains that, due to the combination of pattern recognition and adapted loop trajectories, wire bonding gives unique advantages over high-tolerance processes like soft soldering, gluing or injection molding of single parts, which then need to be combined. The company lists several other aspects that make wire bonding a flexible design approach, including low loop height, multi-stitch capability, large working area, ribbon or round wire options and deep access.

Looped wires are also flexible in many directions, and can therefore handle mismatches among different thermal expansion coefficients better than other joining technologies.

Bondable surfaces Wire bonding does not work with every metal, but the list of bondable surfaces makes it very suitable for electronics applications. Possibilities include aluminum, gold, copper, nickel, Electroless Nickel Immersion Gold (ENIG), Electroless Nickel Electroless Palladium Immersion Gold (ENEPIG), and many conductive thick films.

Some metals, like tin and stainless steel, cannot be bonded to directly. However, it is possible to wire-bond to metallizations on top of those, such as nickel-plated stainless steel.

Mono-metallic bonds are the strongest: aluminumto-aluminum or copper-to-copper, for example. With dissimilar metals there is a range of bonding strengths.

Aluminum-to-nickel (commonly used for wire-bonding battery connections) is considered the fourth-best bonding system between wire and surface. Aluminum wire also bonds well to copper, and one of the newest wire and ribbon materials Hesse is working with is a combination of aluminum and copper.

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Image courtesy of Hesse Mechatronics

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Wire bonder forming copper wire loops on a test substrate

Hesse told us that for heavy wire bonding, aluminum wire with diameters up to 500 microns is the most commonly used material. The company explained that aluminum is an ideal material because it is relatively inexpensive, readily available, a good electrical conductor and easily malleable to make wire bonds. Also, due to aluminum’s flexibility, the space needed to do the wire bonding is not as restrictive as it is with welding, which leads to an increase in power density in comparison to laser or ultrasonic welding.

In addition to aluminum wire, Hesse says that aluminum ribbon and copper wire are also becoming more common. Copper is used mostly in high-power electronics applications, in which it allows higher current densities and higher operating temperatures than aluminum.

Hesse explained that aluminum and copper wire bonding will likely coexist for a long time to come, because each technology has its own unique advantages.

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Images courtesy of Hesse Mechatronics

Copper is used mostly in high power electronics applications where it allows higher current densities and higher operating temperatures Quality machines and quality control Creating dependable connections with the speed and precision demanded in the microelectronics industry requires some advanced production machines. Hesse has been building and refining wire bonding systems since 1995 and boasts that all of the major semiconductor manufacturers are among its worldwide customer base.

Hesse machines allow for a combination of wire types within the same module. This is particularly useful for power module applications in which there are heavy alu-

THE TECH

Bond head consumables via E-Box

minum wires for the silicon die-to-substrate and heavy copper wires for the leadframe-to-substrate. Multi-stitch bonds, or “daisy chains,” are also easily bonded and can have the same or different loop heights and shapes.

With an eye on the expanding market for wire-bonded battery connections (as well as solar applications), Hesse developed the wire bonder model BJ980. The system’s large working table (700 mm [X] by 1132 mm [Y] by 48 mm [Z]) and a bond head rotation of up to 440° gives it the ability to complete connections for large battery modules. Bond heads can be easily changed within minutes to do either round wire or large ribbon.

Hesse explained that setting up a production machine, and its consumables, is always one of the main issues in ensuring optimum equipment performance. Sometimes these setups are done while looking through a microscope, which can be difficult, and yield different results depending on the user. So, Hesse developed E-Box to help

Setting up a production machine, and its consumables, is one of the main issues in ensuring optimum performance eliminate the subjectivity of the bond head setup. E-Box enables the user to view the intricate setup on a large video monitor. Colored templates are situated where the bond head components should be located. This makes it easy to recognize if components are not correctly situated, including the bond tool, wire guide and cutter blade, each of which has its own height and spacing requirements.

Hesse also has a patented quality monitoring system called Process integrated Quality Control (PiQC) that continuously checks the formation and integrity of the bonds being made. A specially designed sensor is mounted onto the ultrasonic transducer and provides real-time

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Testable results

Hesse machines collect reference data within normal production - without reducing yield - in a fully automated and integrated learning phase. The correlation of all current and further bonds to this reference enables the calculation of five individual quality indices. An overall quality index can then be calculated and a threshold value set to determine what constitutes a good bond.

Figure 1

Figure 1 shows an example - captured by Hesse’s PiQC - of a good bond with all of the aluminum wire placed on the bonding surface. The corresponding radar chart has 100% for all five individual quality indices.

Images courtesy of Hesse Mechatronics

Figure 2

Figure 2 shows three separate bonds made with different levels of bond placement on the pad. The leftmost bond has 75% coverage, the middle bond has 50% coverage, and the rightmost bond has approximately 25% coverage. The darker surface is not wire-bondable, so the wire is only adhering to the pale surface that is metallic. PiQC has successfully captured the differences with the associated radar charts. The 75% coverage bond is “on the edge,� but still normally deformed and well bonded, which corresponds to a quality index of 100% (blue lines). The bond pad with 50% coverage shows a radar chart with significant degradation (pink lines) and the bond with only 25% coverage (yellow) shows strongly decreased quality values.

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THE TECH vibration feedback to help calculate a bond quality value. on-engine or under-the-hood, where the interconnecPhysical signals are also monitored during the wire bondtions are exposed to strong vibration and temperature ing process, including wire deformation and ultrasonic drifts from -40° to 125° C. So, as the automakers continuvoltage/current, which are evaluated in real-time. Using ally push to drive out costs and increase the reliability of these measurements, five individual quality indices are EV systems, it’s likely that we’ll see more and more wire derived: Wedge, Friction, Ultrasonics, Frequency and bonds inside battery packs in the future.

Wire Deformation.

Wedge and Friction are derived from the ultrasonic sensor in a special signal processing unit.

Wedge refers to the mechanical oscillation amplitude of the bond tool tip. Friction corresponds to the friction effects within the FLOW − THERMAL − STRESS − EMAG − ELECTROCHEMISTRY − CASTING interface between the wedge, wire OPTIMIZATION − LI-ION CELL DESIGN − REACTING CHEMISTRY and bond surface. Ultrasonics VIBRO-ACOUSTICS − MULTIDISCIPLINARY DESIGN EXPLORATION monitors the ultrasonic power.

Frequency reflects the process feedback to the ultrasonic resonant vibrations, such as variations in the stiffness of the bond placement and the substrate clamping.

Wire Deformation evaluates the vertical wire deformation during bonding.

DISCOVER BETTER DESIGNS. FASTER.

The future of battery bonding?

Hesse believes that automotive battery packs are one of the largest potential growth markets for wire bonding. And, in some cases, the company’s machines are used for ultrasonic battery bonding without the use of wire. The process known as tack bonding removes the wire and enables the bond tool to transfer the ultrasonic energy to interconnect two metal surfaces or foils. If a company uses a battery with two external tabs, Hesse can bond them together by ultrasonically exciting the top metal to form a bond with the bottom layer.

Heavy wire bonding is already widely used in automotive power semiconductors, and has been shown to withstand harsh automotive environments that are

FLOW, THERMAL & ELECTROMAGNETIC ANALYSIS OF AN INDUCTION MACHINE

FLOW, THERMAL & ELECTROCHEMISTRY ANALYSIS OF A HYBRID BATTERY PACK, COURTESY OF ASCS, STUTTGART

info@cd-adapco.com cd-adapco.com

TORQUE VECTORING AND ELECTRIC DRIVES GKN explains its new eTwinster drive: how it performs torque vectoring with a motor and dual-clutch system; why the company thinks it’s an ideal fit for the coming wave of PHEVs; and how it compares to a dual-motor setup

By Christian Ruoff

T

Q&A with

Theo Gassmann

orque vectoring technology is generally defined as a vehicle’s ability to vary the power to each wheel. Quickly controlling the torque applied to the wheels independently of one another allows the driving characteristics of a vehicle to be improved in significant ways - more stability, more responsiveness and more agility.

A conventional differential distributes the driving power equally to each wheel. Whether the vehicle is rear- or frontwheel-drive, there is basically a 50/50 torque distribution, meaning that the wheel with the lowest traction defines the total traction of the car. Technologies like limited-slip differentials and traction control systems help to overcome major problems on slippery surfaces like ice, but they do

Images courtesy of GKN

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THE TECH GKN's eTwinster demonstration vehicle

Torque vectoring systems will control the wheel torque in such a way that each wheel receives the exact amount of torque required to give the best possible stability or traction for a particular situation.

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Theo Gassmann, GKN’s Advanced Engineering Director and Product Technology Director of eDrive Systems

not add all the drivability benefits available with full torque vectoring systems.

By actually redistributing the torque during normal driving - independent of the slip condition or position of the wheel - torque vectoring technology can create advanced “yaw moments” to respond to all of a vehicle’s inputs. The system will control the wheel torque in such a way that each wheel receives the exact amount of torque required to give the best possible stability or traction for a particular situation.

For example, while steering around a corner, torque vectoring allows you to apply more torque to the outside wheels, which helps to push the car into the corner - a reaction known as oversteering. Similarly, by providing more torque to the inner wheel, the vehicle can then be pushed to straighten out - known as understeering.

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Image courtesy of GKN

GKN’s new eTwinster system designed to make it simpler for vehicle platforms to offer electric all-wheel drive and torque vectoring - is a combination of its eAxle and Twinster twin-clutch torque vectoring systems.

THE TECH To achieve torque vectoring effects in ICE vehicles, engineers have traditionally used advanced mechanisms like planetary gears or offset gears to superimpose and distribute torque from right to left across the differential. Automakers like Toyota, Mitsubishi, BMW and Audi have been using different types of sophisticated torque vectoring systems in performance cars for years.

UK-based GKN Driveline is one of the leading developers of mechanical torque vectoring systems, producing a few different products for various production vehicles. The company has a lot of experience developing complex clutch and gearing systems, including AWD couplings, disconnects, prop shafts, power transfer units and differentials. The company is the world’s largest producer of CV joints.

GKN’s latest torque vectoring technology, called Twinster, was introduced to the market as a system that is far less complex than other options. With no additional gearing or superimposed planetary gear sets to redistribute the torque, the system simply replaces the differential with two clutches that allow it to control the torque to each wheel individually. GKN says that Twinster’s simplified torque vectoring concept (found on the Ford Focus RS and Range Rover Evoque) provides almost identical performance to other, more complex systems.

In recent years, GKN has also been building up its electrification bona fides, producing electric drive transmissions and electric axle products that help automakers turn vehicles in many different segments into PHEVs. Versions of its eAxle can be found on production PHEVs from Volvo, Porsche, BMW and Peugeot Citroën.

The company’s latest electric drive concept combines these two areas of expertise. The eTwinster system designed to make it simpler for vehicle platforms to offer electric all-wheel drive and torque vectoring - is a combination of GKN’s eAxle and Twinster twin-clutch torque vectoring systems.

Charged recently talked to Theo Gassmann, GKN’s Advanced Engineering Director, to learn more about why the company decided to combine these two technologies into the eTwinster.

Charged: You developed the eTwinster with a focus on creating better PHEVs, is that correct?

Gassmann: Yes, we initially developed the eAxle as an electric-driven secondary axle for axle-split hybrid systems. Vehicles like the BMW i8, Porsche Spyder 918,

The combination offers degrees of freedom beyond all the mechanical and complex gearing torque vectoring systems.

PSA 3008 Hybrid, and Volvo XC90 T8 currently use the eAxle on either the front or rear axle. So, the concept of having a primary combustion drive and secondary electric drive axle has been on the market already in many different configurations.

Around the same time as the eAxle, we launched the Twinster coupling technology. So, now what we have done with the eTwinster is combined the torque vectoring technology with our electric drive hybrid technology. So it’s an electric-driven axle, and instead of having a differential to distribute the torque, we’ll use the Twinster’s two friction clutches, allowing individual torque control and management for each wheel. The combination offers degrees of freedom beyond all the mechanical and complex gearing torque vectoring systems.

We believe PHEVs are a great target for torque vectoring, because when you hybridize a vehicle, you add a lot of redistributed weight that changes the behavior of the base car. The weight naturally has a negative impact on responsiveness, so you can use torque vectoring technology to not only compensate for the weight, but actually add more customer-relevant features than the base model. The result is more agility and more safety.

Torque vectoring adds a lot of degrees of freedom and intelligent responses to support what the driver wants.

You actually feel like a better driver because of the way the car responds. It adds a lot of pleasure.

You could also have a pure battery electric vehicle with two eTwinsters and 4-wheel drive. Then you have one of the best performance machines you can think up, no question.

Charged: At first glance, many engineers in the EV industry might look at the description of eTwinster and ask, “Why not use two electric motors on the one axle?

Wouldn’t that be simpler?” Can you describe how the eTwnister would compare to a dual-motor system?

Gassmann: There are some pros and cons to each system. One of the main benefits of using two motors

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GKN’s eAxle - currently in production vehicles like the Volvo XC90 T8 PHEV

When you want to apply full power to two smaller motors - one for each wheel essentially you have no torque vectoring capacity because each motor is at full torque in the forward direction.

Images courtesy of GKN

GKN’s new eTwinster that combines the eAxle tech with twin-clutch torque vectoring

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In contrast, with one larger motor and clutches that are big enough to handle high torque capacity, you could theoretically put 100 percent of the available torque to one wheel, not just 50 percent. would be that you could apply negative torque to one side and positive torque to the other side - while with one motor in the eTwinster you can either break or drive. So, two motors offer that option for more torque vectoring potential - an additional degree of freedom.

However, there are also many drawbacks to using two motors, including cost, complexity and even performance limitations.

With dual motors there are some disadvantages in traction and torque vectoring functionality, particularly in full acceleration. When you want to apply full power to two smaller motors - one for each wheel - essentially you have no torque vectoring capacity because each motor is at full torque in the forward direction. It’s the same for both wheels.

THE TECH In contrast, with one larger motor and clutches that are big enough to handle high torque capacity, you could theoretically put 100 percent of the available torque to one wheel, not just 50 percent. With the eTwinster, you have all of the torque available to redistribute it in a way that always keeps the maximum traction and driving performance. During full acceleration you have the ability to redistribute the torque and, for example, put 20 percent to one side and 80 to the other.

This is also important during critical traction situations, with one wheel on ice, for example. If you have two electric motors in this case, one motor is not providing any traction, because it’s just driving the slipping wheel.

Again you have a lack of traction performance, because you’re splitting the power, more or less.

Without an additional locking feature, you cannot put all the power to one wheel.

single-motor configuration.

So, given the technology available today and looking at weight and packaging cost, a single motor is still the preferred configuration, and the Twinster technology is a very reasonable and affordable way to provide additional traction and stability enhancement.

I think in the future, maybe 10 to 20 years from now,

Proven semiconductor technology.

There are also cost and weight drawbacks to using two motors.

There are also cost and weight drawbacks to using two motors.

Today, electric motors are still pretty expensive, and having two is significantly more expensive than having one bigger motor, even when you split the power 50/50. Most of the traction motors are high-speed lower-torque machines, so you still need a gear for each motor and in some cases even a disconnect, because the motors are not prepared to cover the entire vehicle speed. You end up with two complete electric drivelines for each wheel, and that adds a significant amount of weight and cost compared to a

Trust the Power of Fuji Electric.

Image courtesy of GKN

Torque vectoring-like systems Some “torque vectoring” systems, including that used on Tesla’s vehicles, use the braking system to achieve simple vectoring effects. However, GKN says that these can actually slow the vehicle down. The company explains that fully dynamic torque vectoring requires an intelligent driveline that can apply increasing tractive force directly to individual wheels.

This produces purer performance and feel, while also preventing excessive brake wear.

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With the same hardware, you can provide a very different driving feeling, which means you can create a one-drivetrain-fits-all kind of approach. direct-drive wheel motors could become a reality. If the technology continues to improve, wheel motors could be a different story in terms of packaging and cost.

Charged: Are there drawbacks to using clutches in terms of response time, i.e. how many times you can adjust the torque distribution per second?

Gassmann: No. It is negligible, because the advanced clutch response time we achieve in today’s application is so close to that of an electric machine. And you typically have some other factors in the car which limit the response time - like the CAN bus refreshment rates or

THE TECH some delay in the data processing - and these are the same factors that limit an electric motor.

Also, it’s true that motors have an extremely fast response time, however in many automotive applications engineers actually have to slow them down to smooth out the responsiveness. If they react too quickly, it’s not a comfortable feeling for the passengers.

Charged: Do you think torque vectoring will be best suited for a particular segment of PHEVs - like SUVs, luxury or performance vehicles?

Gassmann: Quite the contrary.

In fact, we think it will be really important when you start talking about having different vehicle segments on one platform.

Torque vectoring technology can help you give the vehicle any character you want, without actually changing the suspension or powertrain configuration in a major way. With the same hardware, you can provide a very different driving feeling, which means you can create a one-drivetrain-fits-all kind of approach. Then it comes down to the software, tuning and refinement for any specific segment you want to address.

The axle-split hybrid vehicles are actually not easy to tune.

They can be run in front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, batteryonly, or a blend. And drivers don’t want to be able to notice which mode the vehicle is in.

They expect the car to behave repeatably and predictably. So eTwinster torque vectoring tech can actually help you maintain the character of the car in all modes. And any vehicle that has traction controls - ABS, etc - has the proper sensor technology and required information on the

CAN bus to do very sophisticated torque-vector controls as well. Modern cars have all the acceleration and yaw data you need.

So that’s another great feature of torque vectoring. It offers an unparalleled amount of flexibility in terms of what the vehicle feels like while driving.

CURRENTevents

As Porsche begins work on its first pure EV, it is embarking on a major program of capital investment. Reuters reported that the company will invest about 1 billion euros ($1.12 billion) at its Zuffenhausen plant, where the new battery-electric Mission E is in development.

A couple of months ago, Porsche announced plans to invest a mere $700 million, so some have speculated that the increased investment reflects greater interest in EVs. Chief Executive Oliver Blume recently said that the company has “many new products in the pipeline.”

In December, Porsche announced plans to build the Mission E at its base in Zuffenhausen, which will create over 1,000 jobs. But wage costs of the 13,000 workers are higher than those at the company’s other plants, so management and labor leaders agreed on several cost-cutting measures. Factory workers at Zuffenhausen will see their workweek extended to 35 hours from 34, and will forfeit part of a planned pay increase.

“Employer and employees have jointly drawn up measures that have led to the decision of producing the Mission E model at Zuffenhausen,” a Porsche spokesman told Reuters

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Image courtesy of Porsche

Porsche to invest a billion euros at EV plant

Proterra’s zero-emission battery-electric buses are serving in city transit systems around North America, and the company is now setting its sights on the university market.

The Associated Students of the University of Montana (ASUM) Transportation, one of a handful of student-led transit agencies, has ordered two 40-foot Catalyst Fast Charge buses and one semi-autonomous fast charger for its UDASH routes.

ASUM has a weekly ridership of nearly 15,000, and 14 percent of all trips to campus occur on its UDASH service. The Proterra buses enter service this September, and ASUM expects them to reduce emissions by 1,392 tons over their 12-year lifespan.

ASUM was able to finance the new buses through the state of Montana’s INTERCAP program, and received a $163,000 Diesel Emissions Reduction Act grant from the EPA. “As part of our ongoing effort to innovate service, align with student advocacy and reduce our carbon footprint, we take great pride in our decision to go electric,” said Jordan Hess, ASUM Office of Transportation Director.

“We hope this encourages - and challenges - other universities to seriously consider the economic and environmental benefits of zero-emission buses.”

“Bringing more zero-emission buses to university campuses around the US will be an integral part of Proterra’s next stage of growth,” said Ryan Popple, CEO of Proterra. “Millennials are driving less and seeking out transit more. With this increase in demand, our mission is to guarantee that younger riders have clean, quiet, emission-free public transportation.”

Image courtesy of Proterra

University of Montana orders Proterra electric buses

THE VEHICLES

Obviously, hybrids can save gas, but reaching the true potential of the technology requires drivers to adopt a driving style that maximizes fuel economy. A team from the Technical University of Chemnitz in Germany and the University of Southampton in the UK attempted to quantify these driving techniques.

In “Ecodriving in hybrid electric vehicles - Exploring challenges for user-energy interaction,” published in Applied Ergonomics, Thomas Franke and colleagues explain that even drivers who are motivated to save fuel do not always follow the same “eco-driving” strategies.

Based on their findings, the team presents a number of suggestions for the design of systems that encourage energy-efficient driving.

The team collected interview data, questionnaire responses and long-term fuel efficiency recordings from 39 Prius drivers. They found large individual differences in driving strategies, and found that the drivers expressed different ideas about energy efficiency, including false beliefs that could affect fuel economy.

The drivers made suggestions for advanced driving support systems, which the research team consolidated and presented as general design guidelines for hybrid vehicles. These include: comprehensive feedback, ease of perception with minimal distractions, tutoring systems that provide advice on correct strategies, automated functions and configurability.

“HEVs are key for sustainable road transport as they can reduce fuel consumption without necessitating complex changes in energy-supply infrastructure (in contrast to plug-in or fuel cell electric vehicles). Yet, ultimately, sustainability strongly depends on the actual energy efficiency that users achieve in everyday usage.

User behavior is, therefore, a critical factor with regard to the ultimate effect that such systems have on making the road transport system more sustainable.”

Motiv Power Systems, which makes electric powertrains for a wide variety of commercial vehicles, will partner with bus dealership Creative Bus Sales to build a new electric school bus.

The Starcraft e-Quest XL will use the Motiv All-Electric Powertrain, a Ford F59 chassis and a Starcraft body.

It has a passenger capacity of up to 48 and a range of up to 85 miles, and can charge to 50 percent capacity in 2 hours.

The Motiv All-Electric Powertrain includes all of the components needed to transform a chassis to all-electric drive, including batteries, motors, a universal charger, and electric power for auxiliary systems. Motiv also offers up-fit packages for the Ford E450 and Crane Carrier COE2 class 8 chassis.

“Developing more options for all-electric school buses offers more opportunities for school districts to reduce harmful pollutants near children who are especially vulnerable to health impacts from diesel emissions,” said Motiv founder and CEO Jim Castelaz.

This partnership will allow fleet conversion company Green Alternative Systems (GAS) to add Motiv’s All-Electric Powertrain to its portfolio of available alternative fuel systems for fleets across the country.

“After making our mark with compressed natural gas up-fits, we are thrilled to be able to collaborate with Motiv and offer an all-electric option to our customers,” said Mark Matijevich, General Manager of GAS. “Greening the nation’s fleets is not a one-size-fits-all solution; between CNG, propane and now an all-electric option, we continue to guide schools and commercial fleets towards the best options to fit their operational needs while reducing their carbon footprints.”

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Image courtesy of Motiv

New study suggests advanced support systems for energyefficient driving

Motiv Power Systems and Creative Bus Sales partner to build electric school bus

CURRENTevents

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Image courtesy of Aston Martin

Aston Martin has formed a partnership with Letv, a Chinese tech company that has reportedly invested in several EV ventures, including Faraday Future and Atieva. The two companies plan to work together to develop and manufacture the RapidE, an electric version of Aston Martin’s Rapide four-door sports sedan that was unveiled as a concept last October.

The company has revealed few details about the RapidE, but CEO Andy Palmer has said that it will feature all-wheel drive, about 800 hp and a 200-mile range.

Industry observers expect the price to be in the $200,000 to $250,000 range.

Aston Martin and Letv have already been working together to study production feasibility issues for the new vehicle, including technology solutions for the battery systems and powertrain. The companies plan to bring the RapidE to market in 2018.

The RapidE will be “the first model developed by this partnership,” but it may not be the last. The companies have “plans for launching a range of new electric vehicles during the second half of the decade.”

“Aston Martin are dedicated to developing a range of cars with low-emission technologies,” said Dr. Andy Palmer. “We have been encouraged by the project speed and technical depth shown by Letv in the development of the RapidE concept towards full production.”

The makers of plug-in vehicles generally agree on the importance of charging infrastructure, and several have invested substantial sums in workplace charging. Daimler, the maker of the Mercedes B-Class Electric Drive and S500e Plug-in Hybrid, as well as the smart electric drive, has already built 556 employee charging points. The company recently announced an additional investment of 30 million euros in charging facilities.

“In order to enable the convenience of using our electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, we have now decided to extend the charging infrastructure at our company locations even further,” said Board Member Ola Källenius. “This work will be undertaken over the next few months.”

Daimler employees are encouraged to set an example by driving electric. Both EVs and PHEVs are “available at attractive terms through the employee car scheme.” The company has also announced that “in the future managers will drive electrified company cars.”

Daimler’s head of E-Drive development, Harald Kröger, sounds like a convert: “I can only commend to my colleagues to experience themselves over a longer period the viability of our battery-electric vehicles in everyday use. I never cease to be amazed by their completely silent electric cruising ability and yet at the same time by the impressively sporty nature of the electric drive system, which immediately places its full torque at disposal [at] any engine speed.”

Image courtesy of Daimler

Daimler tells managers to drive EVs, invests 30 million euros in charging infrastructure

Aston Martin partners with Chinese tech company to bring electric RapidE to market in 2018

THE VEHICLES

Working across the supply chain

NREL report: Battery-electric buses are four times more fuelefficient than CNG The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has published a new report that found that Proterra’s battery-electric buses are nearly four times more fuel-efficient than comparable compressed natural gas (CNG) buses.

The study focuses on a pilot project for California’s Foothill Transit, in which 12 Proterra e-buses logged nearly 400,000 miles of on-road testing. The NREL team found that the battery-electric buses (or BEBs, in bureaucrat-speak) demonstrated average efficiency of 2.15 kWh per mile, which translates to about 17.48 miles per diesel gallon equivalent (DGE). The NABI CNG buses used for comparison had an average fuel economy of just 4.51 DGE.

to accelerate the commercialization

of wide bandgap power electronics.

Image by NREL

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28

The Proterra e-buses were also more reliable than their CNG ancestors, logging 133,000 miles between road calls (yes, MBRC), while the baseline CNG buses had an MBRC of about 45,000, which NREL said is “expected” for a new CNG vehicle.

The BEBs were on the road an average of 13.2 hours per day, receiving a 20 kWh recharge about 13 times a day.

While the BEBs trounced the CNGs in both DGE and MBRC, they also have a substantially higher up-front cost (UFC?): $904,000 apiece, compared with $575,000 for the CNG buses.

m

m

380 mm

Advanced Technologies; Fast Charger, 10x smaller than state of the art

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THE VEHICLES

Image courtesy of Hyundai

Hyundai Ioniq - in hybrid, PHEV and EV versions debuts in Geneva The Hyundai Ioniq, which made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show, is a historic vehicle - the first from a major automaker to be offered in three versions, all of them electrified: the Ioniq Hybrid, Ioniq Plug-In and Ioniq Electric.

The first to hit showrooms will be the Ioniq Hybrid, featuring a 1.6-liter gas engine and a 32 kW electric motor. Hyundai hopes for an EPA rating of 50 mpg, good enough to challenge a certain Japanese hybrid. Indeed, the Koreans do seem to be taking aim at Prince Prius, saying that the Ioniq’s driving experience will be “more dynamic” than other hybrids.

The Ioniq Electric will have an 88 kW (120 hp) electric motor, a 28 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, and a range that Green Car Reports estimates at between 110 and 140 miles on the US test cycle.

Last to arrive in North America will be the Ioniq Plug-

In, with an 8.9 kWh battery and an electric range of 22 to 26 miles.

The first Ioniqs are expected to arrive in the US in early 2017. Hyundai has set an ambitious global sales goal of 77,000 Ioniq Hybrids in the first year.

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Five months after Volkswagen’s emissions cheating scandal came to light, the German carmaker is still in talks with the EPA about finding a technical fix for almost 600,000 affected diesel cars that were sold in the US. The German newspaper Welt am Sonntag (via Reuters) reports that the EPA has asked Volkswagen to provide a measure of atonement for its evil deeds by producing EVs at its plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and by helping to build a US network of public charging stations (a group of business and environmental leaders, including Elon Musk, proposed something along these lines in December).

The EPA and VW both declined to comment on the report, and no details of the proposal are available.

Meanwhile, weekly tabloid Bild am Sonntag said Hans Dieter Poetsch, Chairman of Volkswagen’s Supervisory Board, was summoned by Germany’s Transport Minister to give an update on the carmaker’s progress in dealing with the debacle. VW is scheduled to present its final report on the crisis in April.

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Image courtesy of Volkswagen

EPA asks VW to atone for its misdeeds by producing EVs in Tennessee

The Antelope Valley Transit Authority (AVTA), which serves some 450,000 residents in the northern Los Angeles metro region, says it has taken a step toward becoming the first 100% electric public transit fleet in the country, ordering up to 85 BYD electric buses over a five-year period.

BYD will deliver a variety of e-bus models, including a 40-foot low-floor transit bus, a 60-foot low-floor articulated bus and a 45-foot commuter coach, each with a range of more than 160 miles. BYD will build the e-buses at its facility in Lancaster, California.

AVTA is also installing a wireless charging system from Utah-based WAVE, which will extend the fleet’s range to be able to serve the agency’s longest rural routes.

AVTA expects to save more than $46 million over the life of the buses compared to legacy diesel vehicles - approximately $46,000 per bus per year.

“I’m pleased to chair a transit agency as forward-thinking as AVTA that has the political will to do something no other transit agency in the country has done yet - go all-electric,” said Marvin Christ, Chairman of the AVTA Board of Directors. “There are multiple benefits to electrifying our bus fleet, from creating jobs and eliminating harmful air pollutants, to reducing dependence on foreign oil.”

Image courtesy of Antelope Valley Transit Authority

California transit authority goes 100% electric with order for 85 BYD electric buses

THE VEHICLES

For reasons best known to themselves, automakers routinely sell the same or similar cars under different names (badges) in different markets. This was the case with the first-generation Chevrolet Volt - a cosmetically different version was sold in Continental Europe as the Opel Ampera, in the UK as the Vauxhall Ampera, and as the Holden Volt in Australia (confusingly, the Chevy Volt was sold in some of these markets as well).

Now GM has announced that it will follow the same strategy with the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV. Speaking at the CAR Symposium in Bochum, Germany, GM CEO Mary Barra said that the Bolt will be offered in Europe as the Opel Ampera-E. As told by Green Car Reports, she presented a few pictures, but no details about differences between the two badges.

There was also no word on whether and when a righthand-drive Bolt will be offered for the UK and other lefty markets (British EV fans got their knickers in a twist last September when anonymous sources said that there would be no right-hand drive version).

The Bolt EV is to begin production later this year at GM’s Orion Assembly plant in Michigan.

Meanwhile, Australian auto mag CarAdvice reported that a partially-camouflaged second-gen Volt has been spotted being tested in Europe, and speculated that this may be the next Opel/Vauxhall/Holden version of GM’s EREV.

Image courtesy of GM

Chevrolet Bolt EV to be sold in Europe as Opel Ampera-E

Saab AB, the Swedish aerospace company that owns the Saab brand, won’t allow its name or logo to be used on cars produced by National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS), the Chinese-backed firm that bought the assets of bankrupt Saab Automobile in 2012.

“We have revoked their right to use the brand name,” and the matter is closed, Saab AB spokesman Sebastian Carlsson told Automotive News Europe. NEVS now plans to sell electric 9-3s under a new brand name appropriate for the Chinese market.

The company doesn’t seem to be “sobbing” about the loss of its Swedish mojo: it recently announced two big deals to supply electric sedans to Chinese companies, as well as plans to build a new factory and hire hundreds of new staff.

In December, NEVS announced a strategic collaboration with the Chinese company Panda New Energy, under which it will provide Panda with 150,000 9-3 electric sedans through the end of 2020. The total value of the agreement is about $12 billion.

NEVS will also deliver 20,000 9-3s to China Volant Industry (Volinco) between 2017 and 2020 in a deal worth about $996 million.

But wait, there’s more! NEVS will acquire a 50% stake in Chinese vehicle manufacture New Long Ma (NLM), which produces an electric commercial van that has sold more than 12,000 units.

“This deal broadens our product portfolio with an additional vehicle type which contributes to our vision of sustainable transport solutions,” said Chairman Kai Johan Jiang. “The deal is of significant strategic importance to implement our business plan and this will speed up our time to market.”

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Image courtesy of Elizabeth McClay (CC BY 2.0)

NEVS loses rights to build EVs with Saab brand name, continues with big growth plans

Electrifying the auto dealers

Sales of EVs and PHEVs are growing at what seems like an impressive pace, but are still tiny in relation to the larger auto market. Total new vehicle sales reached an all-time high of over 17 million in 2015, but plug-in sales just cracked the one-percent mark in Europe, and are still well under one percent in the US. Theories abound as to the reasons for the tepid growth rate, but it’s increasingly obvious that independent dealers are one major bottleneck. Several EV media outlets have sent “secret shoppers” to auto dealerships, and they have found that most dealers are shockingly ignorant about how EVs work, and that some actively discourage customers from buying them. A 2014 study by the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California, Davis reached the same conclusion. Charged devoted an article to the dealership dilemma in our June/July 2014 issue.

The topic crossed over to the mainstream media in December 2015, when a feature article in the New York Times reported that dealers “are showing little enthusiasm for putting consumers into electric cars,” and cited several examples of would-be EV buyers being steered to legacy gas vehicles.

However, not all auto dealers are stuck in the 20th century.

Heath Carney, Electric Vehicle/Sustainability Manager, and John Sullivan, Dealer Principal at the Sullivan Chevrolet/ Auto Group in Roseville, California, contributed the following article to Charged.

Photo by Charged EVs

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THE VEHICLES

HOW WE CAN SELL MILLIONS OF EVS

A DEALERSHIP PERSPECTIVE A

By Heath J. Carney

&

John L. Sullivan

ll of us who support EVs, including OEMs, government entities, utilities, EVSE businesses and journalists, need to target and overcome the key obstacles to greater adoption by mainstream auto buyers.

The emphasis on technological problems by the media has been holding back some consumers. However, the technology that meets the needs of most commuters arrived with the introduction of the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan LEAF. The Tesla Model S then provided even more electric range for longer trips. The Model S and Volt have received the highest ratings from Consumer Reports and many other sources.

The key obstacles to greater adoption are social rather than technological, specifically in the distribution, marketing, and sales of EVs. In this article, we focus on the location where the mainstream consumer makes the decision to buy an EV or a conventional vehicle: the dealership. We propose several key changes that could take us from thousands of EV sales to millions. Our recommendations are based on both personal interactions with thousands of customers and quantitative information for the key market of northern California and the US as a whole.

The conventional wisdom is that the dealership is the weak link, due to poor attitude and training of salespeople. However, the best dealerships can make EV sales easy and convenient for even the most challenging customers. Dealerships can be transformed from weak links to vital regional resources for clean and reli-

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Solar canopy and charging stations featuring plug-in models for sale at Sullivan Chevrolet.

Roseville, California

Image by Charged EVs

At our dealerships, we have found that we need at least 10 Volts for sufficient selection, and we should have at least 20-30 during periods of peak demand. able transportation. They can become more respected members of their communities by linking EVs to local renewable energy sources and charging infrastructure.

The keys to this include better understanding of EV technologies (especially the differences among BEVs, PHEVs and conventional hybrids), better EV availability and selection, and more streamlined sales processes and incentives.

Many consumers are put off by articles in the media that have poor or outdated information about EV technologies. Even some of the more positive press often gives the impression that improvements in EVs (especially battery technology) are still needed. Worse, several recent articles in reputable magazines include misinformation, and give a very negative impression of EVs other than the Tesla Model S. While EV drivers quickly realize how inaccurate they are, most mainstream consumers will assume this information is correct. When they come into the dealership, they have

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so many questions and concerns that they are not ready to buy.

Dealers and other stakeholders need to facilitate rather than complicate the following key elements:

Sufficient and sustained inventory and selection While this seems like an obvious point, this condition has rarely been met since EVs began to appear in late 2010. Many dealerships received only one or a few vehicles. Sales remained modest because there was not enough selection (customers want a choice of colors and options such as cloth and leather seats). At our dealerships, we have found that we need at least 10

THE VEHICLES

We have found that having EVs displayed under a solar canopy with charging stations greatly increases customer interest.

Volts for sufficient selection, and we should have at least 20-30 during periods of peak demand.

Another need is to have sustained supply that keeps pace with demand and sales. At our dealerships and others, many EV models have been sold out for months at a time, which can mean sales lost to gas vehicles. It can take weeks or months to regain sales momentum when more new EVs finally arrive.

Image courtesy of Heath J. Carney - Sullivan Chevrolet

Sullivan Chevrolet's web site links to regional PEV information incentives, charging and utility programs

EV-friendly displays and supporting facilities We have found that having EVs displayed under a solar canopy with charging stations greatly increases customer interest. The solar canopy generates discussions about customers’ solar systems at home and/or work. We have several major brands of chargers (ClipperCreek, Bosch and ChargePoint) so customers can decide which they prefer. Finally, we have brochures about regional utility and charging information on the showroom floor. All of this demonstrates that we have the resources and interest to serve EV customers.

This also applies to a dealership’s web site. We have developed a web page that includes inventory, model information, and links to information about incentives, utilities, charging and mobile apps. The goal for any dealership should be to include the most relevant information for customers in their market region. This web page is used daily at our dealership, but we have not seen anything like this at other locations.

Trained and motivated staff The main concern reported by EV customers is that salespeople do not understand or want to sell EV models. Manufacturers have training launches and materials that focus on specific models, but more is needed.

We have started a sales and service training program at our dealerships that has improved understanding and motivation, and this has contributed to more sales and

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To maintain training and motivation, there needs to be sufficient inventory and sales activity. better service. This can be accomplished with just a few hours of training in the areas of EV technologies (types of BEVs and PHEVs), charging (levels and locations), and incentives (federal, state and other). We have combined OEM training materials with relevant information for our marketing region, with the support of the California Employment Training Panel.

To maintain training and motivation, there needs to be sufficient inventory and sales activity. A salesperson selling just one EV or less per month may not keep updated on features and incentives, so there should always be at least one EV specialist per dealership.

Finally, an EV sale can take longer, because of the need to explain new technology features and incentives, and salespeople should receive adequate pay for this. Dealerships should consider offering additional compensation for EV salespeople. Many EV sales need additional hours of education, demonstration and follow-up, so more pay per sale will greatly improve motivation.

Incentives that are easy and immediate While incentives can clearly help, they can also slow the process and sometimes even stop the sale. One recent example was an offer of a very limited number of free AeroVironment chargers for new BEV customers which were available just at the beginning of each month.

Customers (and dealerships) had to wait until the right time period, and then Image by Charged EVs

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THE VEHICLES they lost interest when the limited supplies ran out.

Incentives can also lower customer satisfaction when there are long delays in getting them. Examples of this are the California state rebates and green HOV stickers. When supplies ran out, new EV owners were put on waiting lists. Dealerships can’t do anything about these situations, but questions and complaints are still directed to dealership personnel.

The most effective incentives are those that are applied the date of the sale to reduce the price. Most manufacturer incentives are structured this way, but federal, state and regional incentives are generally less immediate. Unfortunately, the $7,500 federal tax credit can be subject to a long delay, and many consumers do not qualify at all, as they do not have this tax liability at the end of the year. This is especially relevant for most mainstream buyers, who pay taxes with every paycheck. The federal incentive would be significantly more effective if it were available at the time of purchase, regardless of income or tax liability. We have been able to incorporate the federal incentive at the point of sale in certain leases (as part of the Capitalized Cost Reduction, when allowed by the financing bank) to retail customers, and some purchases by public fleets. This clearly helped all these EV sales.

In September 2015, Connecticut provided a positive example, announcing a new incentive program called CHEAPR, which offers consumers $750 to $3,000 in “cash on the hood” instead of a tax rebate. Better yet, car dealers get to keep $150 to $300 of each rebate, in order to motivate salespeople to promote plug-ins.

Coordinated support for new EV owners New EV owners face a learning curve of up to one month after the initial purchase, which includes getting adjusted to home charging. So it is critical for dealerships and other parties, including utilities, to coordinate their efforts. Customer satisfaction surveys sent just one to two weeks after the sale may arrive during this period of adjustment, and before incentives are completed. While there can be questions and concerns during this period, we have found that, if these are addressed, EV buyers can be the happiest of owners.

Stronger connections among community stakeholders Major economic stakeholders include OEMs, dealers,

The impact of infrastructure on EV sales is enormous, and it’s important to highlight that fact whenever possible. utilities, charging network operators, EVSE manufacturers, electricians, and clean energy providers (solar and wind). Community stakeholders include cities, counties, air and environmental quality districts and public health groups. The dealership can be the key location that coordinates opportunities and partnerships for all of these stakeholders at the local and regional levels. For example, we have developed strong business relationships at our dealerships with charging companies (Clipper Creek, Bosch, ChargePoint, Plugless and others), electrical installers (Phil Haupt Electric), and utilities (SMUD, Roseville Electric, and PG&E).

Convenient charging infrastructure For the most part, charging infrastructure is outside of the purview of dealerships. However, the impact of infrastructure on EV sales is enormous, and it’s important to highlight that fact whenever possible. Some studies have indicated (and we can confirm) that those with access to workplace charging are many times more likely to buy plug-in vehicles. Many customers cite convenient charging as a key reason for purchasing an EV. At the same time, unreliable public charging is a major concern for potential customers, and a real-world problem for some EV drivers. We’ve fielded our share of calls from customers having trouble with public charging stations.

EV sales are still being held back by poor public perception and a lack of adjustment to the special opportunities and needs of EV sales. We will overcome these obstacles if we can work together to provide the necessary resources, and streamline the sales and ownership experiences. If we can make the dealership a place where the consumer can directly compare and experience the benefits of EV technologies, then we can finally jump from thousands to millions of EVs on the road.

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BMW X5 xDrive40e

BY CHARLES MORRIS

Redefining premium: The X5 PHEV spearheads BMW’s plan to offer electrified versions of popular models in every market segment.

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THE VEHICLES

Image courtesy of BMW North America

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BMW i3

B

MW has taken a bold approach to electrification. It began test-marketing EVs in 2012 with the Active E and Mini E, and escalated to full-scale production in 2013 with the i3 EV and i8 plug-in super-sports car, which together passed the milestone of 50,000 worldwide sales in January.

BMW deserves a lot of credit for producing the i3 and i8 - it took a big risk on the technology when it committed to designing new platforms for the i subbrand. While it wasn’t the first major automaker to invest billions of dollars in an electric future, it was among the earliest of adopters. Years later, we continue to see other car companies fall into line as they announce dedicated plug-in vehicle platforms.

Beyond electrification, the i3 and i8 look and feel like cars from the future - inside and out. Jose Guerrero, Product Manager for BMW North America, recently told Charged that it wasn’t always clear how they would be received.

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BMW i8

It’s definitely a moon shot for us to introduce the first mass-produced carbon-fiber reinforced plastic vehicle Guerrero: Sometimes we [thought], are we too far ahead of our time? Are people going to appreciate us? It’s definitely a moon shot for us to introduce the first mass-produced carbon-fiber reinforced plastic vehicle, and such a transformational car in the industry. Now, I see one driving by, and I get the biggest smile on my face. I have a unique feeling when I see another i3 or i8 on the road, because I know it’s not the traditional big horsepower, hot color, big wheel - it’s just not that old economy way of thinking.

THE VEHICLES

In addition to the officially announced vehicles, various company executives have indicated that BMW has plans for plenty more plug-ins.

BMW 330e PHEV

BMW 225xe PHEV Images courtesy of BMW North America

Plugging in across the board While BMW’s PHEV plans may not get as much media attention as its next-generation carbon-fiber-wrapped EV models, the company seems equally committed to investing in advanced hybrids.

To date, BMW has revealed a handful of new PHEVs, including the X5 xDrive40e, now available throughout the US; the 330e, coming to the US this spring; the 225xe, to be offered in Europe; and the 740e, which will be the first to hold the new iPerformance model designation. In a February press release, BMW revealed its plans for iPerformance, “which will be given to all BMW plug-in hybrid vehicles from July 2016, providing a visible indicator of the transfer of technology from BMW i to the BMW core brand.”

In addition to the officially announced vehicles, various company executives have indicated that BMW has plans for plenty more plug-ins, saying that it will eventually offer an electrified model in each of its market segments.

BMW 740e PHEV

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BMW X5 xDrive40e

One of the most important of those segments is of course the SUV, a perennial favorite of US auto buyers.

So, the new X5 xDrive40e - which launched in the fall at all of BMW’s 336 US dealerships - was a good PHEV to start with. Other automakers, including Audi, Porsche, Mercedes and Mitsubishi, are also producing and/or planning plug-in SUVs (PSUVs) for the US.

Redefining premium Adding a plug-in option to its high-volume vehicle models makes perfect sense for a luxury brand such as BMW. The company now has the chance to redefine plug-in capability as the latest and greatest premium option. Everyone knows that adding motors and advanced battery packs means increasing efficiency, but it seems that few have realized it also means incredible versatility. Plugging in offers an array of new driving modes and performance upgrades like more torque, superior acceleration and smooth and totally silent driving modes.

Guerrero explained how BMW plans to capitalize on the possibilities of PHEVs.

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Guerrero: Other auto manufacturers are dancing around the topic of PHEVs, putting them in niche or super-niche segments, and you really question whether they want this to succeed. At BMW, we’re taking not only the step to put it in our most popular models, the 3 series and X5, but we’re really pushing it to the mainstream. It’s not a half-step, where you get the least amount of horsepower - this is really a value proposition. Our intentions are to electrify where it makes sense. We’re really giving it our best to ensure the success of our eDrive models.

Dealers themselves, when they get behind the product, and they get excited about it, they under-

THE VEHICLES

Eye on China John Voelcker of Green Car Reports recently published an article keenly surmising that the coming avalanche of PHEVs from the German luxury brands - BMW, Audi and Mercedes - is a result of their focus on China, the world’s largest auto market.

While a few of the many new plug-in models scheduled for release will land in the US and Europe, the automakers seem to be betting that the Chinese luxury market will have the largest appetite for PHEVs. This may be mostly driven by the fact that PHEVs qualify for otherwise hard-to-get vehicle registrations, as well as many other government giveaways.

And unlike pure EVs, which also qualify for incentives, Chinese consumers can own a PHEV without having to worry about access to charging stations. In China’s crowded cities, many affluent car buyers live in high-rise buildings, with no convenient access to charging infrastructure. Voelcker and others have speculated that China’s incentive structure may have the perverse effect of encouraging consumers to buy plug-in vehicles that they never plan to plug in.

Images courtesy of BMW North America

Well-educated dealers can win over customers by explaining EV benefits such as the ability to pre-condition the passenger cabin.

stand it and it’s an easy sell for them. Well-educated dealers can win over customers by explaining EV benefits such as the ability to pre-condition the passenger cabin. If dealerships didn’t have charging stations in front of their dealership, if they didn’t understand the value of having this remote start feature, they couldn’t sell this to the customer. But now, they can say, look - there’s no other BMW with a remote start feature today. And it’s even better than remote start, because you’re not turning on the gasoline engine; it’s just running through the electric power. People can get behind explaining that technology, and selling it to customers.

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From a monthly payment standpoint, a plugin is now within shooting distance of the typical non-plug-in hybrids by other car makers. That’s now reinvigorating the dealerships to go hard on bringing new people into the brand. I’ll give you an example: selling an X5 xDrive40e, or selling a 340e, or a 740e to a current BMW owner, from a previous generation, is not that hard, because they’re already open to the brand, they’re open to the innovation, and they get a good selection of different models to choose from. It’s not the old way of thinking: “Oh, let me get the V8, because I’m a luxury buyer.” It’s no longer that type of customer. A lot of people, especially in the 7 series, for instance, they’re not just picking a V8 because of luxury - we hear from customers that love the silent drive the eDrive gives them, and they’re happy that they can spec out a 740e just as they would a 750.

For a few dollars more BMW’s pricing strategy is to price the xDrive40e within striking distance of the legacy X5. MSRP, including destination and handling fees, is $63,095. The PSUV qualifies for around $4,000 of federal tax credit, bringing the net price pretty close to the $54,700 MSRP of the plain old plugless X5.

Guerrero explained several reasons why the X5 is the logical first vehicle to electrify in the US.

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It’s not the old way of thinking: ‘Oh, let me get the V8, because I’m a luxury buyer.’ It’s no longer that type of customer.

Guerrero: The first thing, of course, it’s a volumerunner for us. But, there are a lot of people that would say, “Why would you electrify a bigger-footprint SUV?” Well, we actually looked at the driving behaviors of our customers, and whether it’s a 3 Series or an X5, it doesn’t differ - it’s pretty much the same average commute of around 30 miles a day. The most efficient cars would be less impacted by electrification, so it made sense for us to electrify the X5, because it’s one of the more inefficient models in our line-up. [We want] to show people that you can get 56 miles per gallon equivalent if you plug this in every day. It’s not just about the 14 miles of pure electric range, it’s also about the

THE VEHICLES

The specs

Images courtesy of BMW North America

Even in an environment where gas prices are as low as they are today, it still pays off. overall miles per gallon that you can get, and all the other benefits of electrification, of course.

It’s just a little bit more expensive, so the question is, how does it pay off to the customer, and when does it pay off? That’s why conversations about what type of driving behavior a customer does are so important. Even in an environment where gas prices are as low as they are today, it still pays off, because you’re getting these incredibly high miles per gallon. One of my colleagues, his commute is only about 13 miles a day. So, he’s been one month now without filling up his car, because he’s able to charge at home, and his full commute is covered with electric range. And, at that point, his miles per gallon are in the 60s. He just uses the gas engine going uphill.

The most important thing is selling the car to the right person, who has the right behavior. It’s not

Gas engine:

Turbo 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder; 240 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque Electric motor: 111 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque Combined power: 308 hp Combined torque: 302 lb-ft Drivetrain: All-wheel drive (always operative) Transmission: 8-Speed Automatic Battery pack: 9.2 kWh Li-ion Electric range: 14 miles Charging time: About 7 hours at 110 V 0-60 time: 6.5 seconds Top speed: 130 mph Fuel efficiency: 24 mpg combined; 56 miles mpg equivalent Curb weight: 5,220 lbs (430 lbs heavier than the gas-powered xDrive35i) Cargo space: 72.5 cubic ft Base price: $62,100, plus $995 destination & handling fee Hybrid modes: Auto eDrive (maximum efficiency); Max eDrive (electric only, 75 mph max speed); Save Battery (maintains battery charge) Chassis settings: Comfort; Sport; and Eco Pro

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just “I want the sexy red X5 in the parking lot” - it’s more “what type of driving do you do?” Our eDrive models don’t work for everyone, but they work for a lot of people. Especially when people’s commutes are over, say, 60-70 miles per day, it pays off in a quicker timeframe.

Dealer’s choice Another extremely important part of the electric equation is dealer training and dealer acceptance. BMW has learned quite a lot about selling plug-ins over the past few years, and Guerrero said he’s proud of the way BMW’s independent dealers have gotten on board with its electrified models.

Guerrero: When we launched this, we had - out of 334 dealers - [around] 280 raising their hands and saying “I want to be an i-certified dealership.”

What was nice to see also was that all of them said they would service the car. To see the dealerships get behind the product, to have the kind of business foresight to accept the change that’s happening in the automotive industry, and try to get ahead of it, that was extremely valuable for us as an organization. Other car manufacturers don’t have dealerships behind them. To have the support there was extremely important, in order to keep customer satisfaction at a high note, and to keep our partners profitable.

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Images courtesy of BMW North America

Purchasing reasons for BMW owners are fun to drive and innovation, which we have in the X5 xDrive40e.

Winning converts Guerrero told us that BMW’s sales strategy depends on whether a prospective buyer is an existing BMW customer, or a potential “conquest” from a competing brand such as Lexus (which offers a range of hybrid models).

Guerrero: Purchasing reasons for BMW owners are fun to drive and innovation, which we have in the X5 xDrive40e. When BMW customers come in, the sales advisors know to go heavy on how this car makes their life easier, based on the innovation and the type of driving. And the fun aspect of the car, like e-Boost, that’s available in eDrive. This instant torque from a standstill, and also, when you ham-

THE VEHICLES

mer it on the highway, you get this e-Boost signal in the instrument cluster, and you feel this kind of pull, like how it is from the i8.

But if you’re looking at conquesting from, say, a Lexus or a Toyota customer, then the discussion changes to, “Did you know that on the xDrive40e you can get an average of $4,000 in tax incentives?”

Typically, the answer is no. Then you can go the other route of innovation. What can this do that the Lexus can’t do? You talk about the conveniences, like the pre-conditioning, and the ability to plug in at the best parking spots, because typically the charging stations are located in the best parking spots - and a lot of these charging stations actually have free electricity. There’s a lot to talk about with the car.

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People are now aligning their beliefs with their purchasing decisions.

BMW’s current electric flagship, the i3, has become one of the company’s “conquest champions,” winning many new customers from other brands.

Guerrero: We were bringing a lot of new people who didn’t ever look at a BMW, because they saw the cars as the ultimate driving machine. They didn’t see the cars as sustainability, natural resources, and recyclability. Now, they have a product that they can charge using a solar panel, with seats made from recycled water bottles and plastics, that’s built with energy from wind turbines and hydroelectric power. It’s really interesting to see how much people value this part of the story of car ownership. The simplest example: look at the $5 free-trade cup of coffee. People are now aligning their beliefs with their purchasing decisions. And we expect this change to continue. Premium isn’t defined by the luxury leathers. The currency’s going to change to how sustainable a car manufacturer is going to be.

That’s translating to our conquest rates, because these people never looked at BMW, and now they’re picking them up.

From a customer side, now we’re learning how

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to sell electric cars. The people who weren’t early adopters, who haven’t had a plug-in vehicle in the past, we’re learning now how to cater to a customer who is starting to convert from traditional gasoline or diesel to electrification.

Early adopters aside, there’s a lot of lessons learned. For example, the typical questions someone has versus a gasoline car completely changes.

It’s no longer what colors does this come in, what packages do I get, and how much horsepower. It’s how much is the charging station, what are the charging times, tell me about public charging.

It’s a new language that they’re speaking. People are more interested in the sustainability aspect of a vehicle, people are more interested in maximum range and keeping weight down. You’d better be able to tell a customer about where to charge, how to charge, and how to live with an electric vehicle.

THE VEHICLES

Images courtesy of BMW North America

First drives At this point, only a few of the major auto mags have actually driven the new PHEV. Those that have tended to praise its hybrid powertrain, finding the transition between engine and motor to be super-smooth. A couple of writers, perhaps unfairly, compared its performance unfavorably to the zippy little i3, to say nothing of the racy i8.

Autocar praised the 40e’s “noiseless grace and glide,” but felt that “where the i3 and i8 seriously scamper in silent running, the much heavier xDrive40e settles into a more functional progress.” It notes that, as you’d expect, aggressive driving in the all-electric Max eDrive mode will quickly drain the battery. The car is at its best in the default Autov eDrive hybrid mode, in which the gas engine kicks in quickly when you punch the pedal.

InsideEVs thought the car’s feel in pure electric mode was “just OK. It was quick to accelerate in the first second or so, but the weight of the car really made the experience marginal after that.”

Top Gear, a reliable electro-skeptic, couldn’t resist referencing a golf cart (don’t worry, the new X5 compares favorably), but was generally quite positive. “If you’re going to build a hybrid, it’s crucial you nail the calibration between the power sources, and BMW’s is up there with

the best. The 40e glides away from standstill on electric power, and will whoosh along at up to 75 mph in Max eDrive mode. When the petrol engine is required, you’ll only notice it from the rev counter flicking up from zero.

There’s no vibration to speak of, and very little extra noise. A Porsche Cayenne e-hybrid can’t quite pull off the same trick.”

Autoblog also praised the integration of engine and motor: “The two powerplants exist to complement each other. The electric motor’s instant torque gives the X5 immediacy uncommon in big SUVs, and by the time it begins running out of steam, the gas engine is well into the meat of its torque band. The two power sources play so nicely together at freeway speeds and around town that it’s easy to forget you’re driving a plug-in hybrid. There’s no misbehavior when the drivetrain shifts from gas to electric or vice versa - it just feels like a regular X5.”

“Sadly, the same can’t be said of the 40e’s handling.

Even though the adaptive dampers do an admirable job of managing the extra weight, you’re abundantly aware of each pound as you hustle through curves. You can feel it in the steering, the way the car rolls, and the way the chassis talks to the driver.”

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THE INFRASTRUCTURE

Greenlots and Hawaiian Electric demonstrate fast charger with storage and vehicle-grid integration

Fastned adds Tesla adaptors to its 50 fast charging stations in the Netherlands

Image courtesy of Fastned

Dutch charging network operator Fastned has announced that it will add Tesla adaptors at all of its 50 stations in the Netherlands by the end of March.

According to Fastned, there are now almost 5,000 Teslas on Dutch roads, and more being delivered every month. The 50 Fastned locations will surely make a welcome addition to the current 7 Tesla Superchargers in the Netherlands.

“Tesla drivers will have 50 extra fast charging stations in the Netherlands,” said Michiel Langezaal, CEO of Fastned. “They don’t have to make detours to fastcharge, thus saving time and energy.”

Fastned’s stations allow a Model S to add about 250 km of range per hour, but convenience will cost. Superchargers are free for Tesla owners, but Fastned charges 0.35 euros per kWh.

Greenlots and Hawaiian Electric Company have collaborated to demonstrate a fast charger that incorporates Greenlots’ SKY vehicle-grid integration (VGI) platform, as well as stationary storage.

The Greenlots SKY Smart Charging platform, which uses OpenADR and the Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP), can respond to demand response load modification requests and allow Hawaiian Electric to remotely control grid loads through demand response actions.

The new charging station, located at an Oahu shopping mall, has a battery storage system that stores electricity when generation is abundant, such as at midday when rooftop solar panels are active, then releases it during evening peak use times.

Hawaiian Electric plans to install a similar fast charging system at its Ward Avenue facility next month.

“With our state’s 100-percent renewable portfolio goals, we are working to support the build-out of electric vehicle charging infrastructure to provide EV drivers with range confidence,” said Hawaiian Electric Senior VP Jim Alberts. “In conjunction with VLI-EV Partners, Greenlots helped provide a demand-side management system to meet our evolving power grid needs. An advantage of the Greenlots open standards system is that it can be used with a variety of fast chargers built by different companies.”

“Increasingly, utilities are looking toward open standards-based charging to be utilized in energy management strategies,” said Brett Hauser, CEO of Greenlots.

“This storage-backed fast charge initiative with Hawaiian Electric offers vast opportunities to support EV mobility while managing energy loads more reliably as the industry expands.”

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CURRENTevents

ClipperCreek increases power and cable length Plugless to offer wireless of its LCS-20 charger ClipperCreek has announced charging system for Tesla an upgrade in power and cable length for its popular LCS-20 seModel S ries of EV charging stations. The

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The American-made LCS-20 charges at up to 3.8 kW, and features a fully sealed NEMA 4 enclosure for indoor or outdoor use. The plug-in version is available with four plug options (NEMA L6-30, 14-30, 6-50, or 14-50).

ClipperCreek has also introduced a new accessory, the $19 Cable Cradle. “The Cable Cradle mounts on the wall near the charging station or the connector holster to easily store the cable off the ground and off the wall,” said Barrett. “It works with any charging station.”

Image courtesy of ClipperCreek

Image by Charged EVs

Evatran’s Plugless has been offering a wireless charging system for the Nissan LEAF and the Chevy Volt since 2013. The company is now taking orders for a Model S version, for delivery in April.

At the moment, the system is only compatible with the rear-wheel-drive Model S, but the company says that a solution for the all-wheel-drive Model S should be available later this year.

Plugless’s inductive charging system consists of a ground-mounted charging pad, which requires a dedicated 50-amp circuit, and a vehicle-mounted unit that must be installed by a certified technician. The system charges at 7.2 kW, and the company says it offers the same charging time as a 7.2 kW Level 2 corded charger (about 20 miles of range per hour).

Plugless offers a 3-year warranty on its products, and also promises to cover any costs that may result if installing its system voids the Tesla warranty.

Plugless has not announced a price for its Model S product. Its system for the Nissan LEAF costs $1,540.

LCS-20 now features 16-amp charging and a 25-foot cable for the same prices as before: $379 for the hardwired model and $395 for the plug-in version.

“We are constantly working to improve our products, and with the introduction of our next-generation SAE-J1772 cable and connector assembly we had the opportunity to increase the power of the LCS-20 line to 16 amps and increase the length of the cable to the maximum allowable length of 25 feet,” said Director of Sales Will Barrett.

THE INFRASTRUCTURE

Image courtesy of San Diego Gas & Electric

California PUC approves pilot EV grid integration project with 3,500 charging stations San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has long been a pioneer in researching EV integration with the power grid. Last March it launched a pilot project that explores making fleets of EVs available as a dispatchable distributed energy resource to help stabilize the grid.

Back in April 2014, SDG&E sought authorization from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to install up to 5,500 public charging stations as part of a vehicle-grid integration (VGI) pilot. However, objections from interested parties including other charging network operators forced SDG&E to scale back the proposal.

Now the CPUC has approved a modified version of the program, enabling the utility to own and install 3,500 charging stations at 350 sites, including businesses and multi-family communities throughout the San Diego region. The 2016 VGI Pilot Program will have a total budget of $45 million.

Half of SDG&E’s customers live in multi-unit dwell-

ings, without easy access to vehicle charging.

The new initiative will address this gap in the market, and will also aim to expand charging access to lower-income customers. At least 10% of the chargers will be installed in disadvantaged communities.

The program features dynamic pricing that creates incentives for charging when renewable energy is most available. Customers will be able to enter preferences for energy prices and quantity into a smartphone app, and SDG&E will provide EV customers with hourly pricing on a day-ahead basis.

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THE INFRASTRUCTURE

The Smart City Challenge is a competition organized by the DOT to encourage cities to develop plans for a 21st-century intelligent transportation system, including such innovations as data-driven management platforms, electric and automated vehicles, and the sharing economy.

Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx has announced that 77 cities have submitted applications for the Smart City Challenge, including medium-size cities from Anchorage to Albuquerque to Reno to Rochester.

The winning city will be awarded up to $40 million to implement the proposed projects. A couple of private firms have gotten in on the action, too: Paul Allen’s Vulcan Inc. has announced that it will award up to $10 million to the challenge winner to support EV deployment and other carbon emission reduction strategies, and Mobileye announced that it would outfit the entire fleet of the winning city’s bus system with its collision avoidance technology.

Five finalists will be announced at SXSW in Austin on March 12, and each will receive $100,000 to hone their proposals for the final selection process, which is scheduled for June 2016.

“Cities understand that in order to plan for tomorrow, they need to embrace technology and innovation.” said Secretary Foxx. “This Challenge is going to do more than just help one city adopt innovative ideas. It will serve as a catalyst for widespread change in communities across America.”

“The extensive interest this Challenge has generated demonstrates the tremendous opportunity to transform our country’s transportation systems,” said Vulcan CEO Barbara Bennett. “Electrification of transportation will play a critical role in reducing greenhouse gases.”

Fortum and Charge Amps partner to offer home and workplace charging in the Nordic market

European charging network operator Fortum Charge & Drive has teamed up with Swedish EVSE manufacturer Charge Amps to launch a home and workplace charging solution called Charge & Drive @home, which is aimed at commercial property owners and homeowners. The new product will be launched in Sweden first, followed by the other Nordic countries.

Charge & Drive @home is designed to allow users to choose the service level they need. Customers can opt for services such as power load balancing and power monitoring, and @home can also take care of maintenance, support and payment solutions.

The system features WiFi connectivity and access to Charge & Drive customer service and 24/7 support.

“Our consumer solutions are present in 27 countries on four continents,” says Charlotte Eisner, CEO of Charge Amps. “When choosing a partner it is important that they have a well-grounded environmental profile and credibility on the market. Fortum Charge & Drive has been proven successful in demanding markets.”

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Image courtesy of Fortum Charge & Drive

Smart City Challenge draws applications from 77 US cities

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THE INFRASTRUCTURE

ChargePoint, a public charging network operator with more than 26,500 charging locations, has won a $4-million contract from the California Energy Commission (CEC) to complete the West Coast Electric Highway, a string of fast charging stations that will stretch from British Columbia to Baja California.

The CEC awarded a total of $8.8 million in grants to complete California’s portion of the Highway.

Each ChargePoint location will include a 50 kW Express DC fast charging station, equipped with both SAE Combo and CHAdeMO connectors, as well as Level 2 charging stations.

The project also includes two showcase sites with scalable intelligent energy storage management systems and a solar generation system that can charge the stationary storage and/or export power to the grid.

“The West Coast Electric Highway is key to expanding access to infrastructure, especially in rural, disadvantaged communities, to drive EV adoption,” said Pasquale Romano, ChargePoint CEO. “This project will support EV drivers in their daily travel and give drivers range confidence for longer distance travel.”

Image courtesy of ChargePoint

ChargePoint wins contract to complete the West Coast Electric Highway

Every week brings another example of how EVs will fit in as an integral part of the distributed, smart energy system of the future. The latest news comes from Renault.

Europe’s leading EV-seller has partnered with energy storage company Connected Energy to develop a modular storage product called E-STOR. E-STOR uses second-life EV batteries to store electricity for a variety of purposes. Applications include: storing energy generated from intermittent renewable resources; charging at off-peak times, enabling users to reduce energy costs; and enabling rapid EV charging without overloading the local electricity supply.

E-STOR will be available in the UK starting in July.

The first E-STOR product is nominally rated at 50 kW/50 kWh, which could typically be used to support one rapid charger, but the system is fully scalable, and higher capacity units are to follow.

“E-STOR will enable the more cost-effective roll-out of electric vehicles in commercial and industrial settings, thus increasing the overall sustainability of this clean form of transport,” said Matthew Lumsden, Managing Director, Connected Energy. “With Renault we have secured the supply of second-life batteries for future E-STOR installations.”

“Through E-STOR, EV owners can charge their car at reduced costs with electricity that is less carbon-dependent,” said Eric Feunteun, Electric Vehicle Program Director, Renault. “With this energy management technology, EVs and their batteries become an asset for the grid rather than creating overload.”

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Image courtesy of Renault

Renault and Connected Energy collaborate on E-STOR energy storage product

THE MATURING EVSE INDUSTRY NEEDS

BETTER TEST EQUIPMENT The Seaward Group says its new handheld charge point tester will help bring quality control to a new level

By Michael Kent Photo courtesy of Seaward Group

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THE INFRASTRUCTURE

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Photo courtesy of Seaward Group

T

here is no doubt that the early days of charging infrastructure rollout had some bumps in the road. Plug-in vehicles interact with the outside world in a much more complicated way than legacy gas-guzzlers do, which led to early interoperability issues. The automakers needed to quickly learn how to work with many infrastructure and hardware providers to be certain that newly launched vehicles worked flawlessly in many different environments. Thankfully, the major car companies and testing organizations continue to make significant strides towards eradicating interoperability issues.

Another lingering problem experienced by EV drivers is equipment outages - pulling up to a charging station only to find that it’s out of order. Or in some cases, the station appears to be operational but does not deliver any energy.

As the market for EVs continues to grow, it is critically important for the industry - and individual brands - that public charging stations have as little

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downtime as possible. Impressions of poor quality can be very damaging and last for years after any real issue has been fixed.

The UK-based Seaward Group recently launched a new handheld charge point tester. The company says that its EV110 EVSE test and diagnostic tool for AC charging fills a major gap in the industry’s ability to raise the quality control of charging stations installations to higher levels.

Charged recently chatted with Jim Wallace, Seaward’s Technical Standards and Applications Specialist, to learn more about the new charging station testing tool.

Q Charged: This is Seaward’s first testing product

for the plug-in vehicle industry. Why did you decide to enter the EV market?

A Jim Wallace: The availability of good testing tools

tends to dictate the level of testing people will do in a

THE INFRASTRUCTURE

The availability of good testing tools tends to dictate the level of testing people will do in a given industry.

Photo courtesy of Seaward Group

given industry. If you ask any electrical equipment installer they will say, “Yes, of course, we test to make sure installations are safe, installed properly, etc.” But, in reality, when the diagnostic tools are expensive or less accessible, it tends to happen less and less. And when highly capable off-the-shelf tools are available and affordable, it tends to happen more and more.

When we started looking at the charging station industry about six years ago, we were a little surprised at the very limited amount of testing that actually goes on. From the point of view of safety, but also from the point of view of insuring that these things are operational on an ongoing basis. The future of EVs is, in part, dependent on the infrastructure. The public will only buy into this when they’re satisfied that the vehicles will have a range that’s adequate for their needs, but also when there’s a healthy infrastructure in their area that’s consistently operational.

We had some discussions with different groups in the EV industry, and they all had a similar story about the lack of dedicated test and diagnostic equipment available. They were all struggling at the time to verify that new charging stations were properly installed, fully operational and safe. Some installers would take an EV with them and plug it in to see if it starts charging, which is not a very comprehensive test. And in cases where installers didn’t have a plug-in vehicle, they just assumed the charger was wired correctly and hoped everything was safe and fully operational.

We found that various EVSE manufacturers had access to some test equipment, usually some kind of dedicated solution that they put together with their expertise in how an EVSE should operate. Outside of that there was pretty much nothing available besides some very simple devices.

The problem is that in many cases it’s not the EVSE manufacturers who are installing the chargers, it’s subcontractors or customers. How can you ensure the quality of work carried out on your behalf by a third

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party? If a customer ferent states to make sure comes up to a charging it’s within tolerances, and We also built an app that station that doesn’t work, it will also measure the it’s your name that’s PWM signal between the comes with the tester to written on the front of vehicle and charging post. it. It’s your equipment It measures the PWM capture all of the PWM they’re going to blame frequency and duty cycle data, duty cycle, response and be unhappy with. and compares that with So, we set out to make the requirements of the time, etc. and create a a safety-testing tool standard. It captures all full diagnostic report on but also a quality conof that diagnostic info trol tool. We thought, and stores it in the tester. your cell phone capable of wouldn’t it be great if Then it will request a generating certificates. third parties working on charge and energize the your behalf could supply EVSE to measure things you with a report based like its ability to supply on collected data? Then you could confirm that every the correct line voltage. Equally important is that we installation followed your instructions. So, we also make sure that when the vehicle is finished charging, built an app that comes with the tester to capture all of the voltage disappears and the contactor is operating the pulse-width modulation (PWM) data, duty cycle, correctly. It will also do a test called the ground loop response time, etc. and create a full diagnostic report impedance test. We’ll measure the resistance of the on your cell phone capable of generating certificates. ground connection to the charging station to take sure When we were looking into the market, we also it’s safe. We also have a test to measure the tripping found all of the various industry reports saying that current of the ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI), EVs were emerging quickly with high growth rates to make sure it operates correctly. around the world, so it also ticked all the boxes from Q Charged: It will test the charger’s cable too, is that a commercial point of view. We decided to work with a lot of people in the industry, who gave us guidance correct? on exactly how the equipment is supposed to operate, A Wallace: Yes, we measure the insulation resistance what their needs were in terms of test requirements, diagnostics, etc. We also have a long track record with between all of the live conductors in the cable and the electrical test equipment in terms of international stanground wire. It is a stand-alone test operated by a dards bodies, national standards and legislation. specific test key rather than part of the auto test sequence. This gives the operator the opportunity to Q Charged: Can you give us an idea of how it works? decide if the insulation test is appropriate for the EVSE. A Wallace: The handheld unit comes with a cable There are challenges with the tethered cables found harness that plugs into a port on the instrument. Then, on the chargers in the US, because we can’t separate you plug the charging station into the port on the other the cable from the charging station to test the cable end of the harness. Because of the physical size of the alone. Some charging stations actually have either connectors involved, there isn’t a big enough piece of real monitoring circuitry on the line conductors or some estate on the tool to fit a connector. Also, we launched the other low-resistance path, so if we try to do an insulatesting tool at the end of 2015 in the US and European tion test at the vehicle end, it will give you an apparent markets simultaneously, so using a cable harness assemfailure that is not due to an insulation fault, it’s due to bly allowed us to make a single product for all the monitoring circuitry that’s in the charging station. markets, and supply connectors as appropriate.

That is the reality of testing an electrical system or Basically, you plug it in and through a few simple key an electrical appliance that has components between presses it simulates the presence of an EV to energize live conductors and ground. An insulation tester can the charging post. It will step it through all of the difonly indicate what it sees, and a test instrument cannot

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THE INFRASTRUCTURE

Photo courtesy of Seaward Group

You plug it in and through a few simple key presses it simulates the presence of an EV to energize the charging post.

distinguish between an intentional path between live conductors and ground and an insulation fault.

This illustrates why electrical safety tests must be performed by a competent person who can determine which tests are appropriate for a given situation, and determine the cause of a low insulation resistance reading.

Q Charged: What are the most common faults or

problems with charging stations found in the field?

A Wallace: One of the most common problems I’ve

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Photo courtesy of Seaward Group

I used chargers in our local area a lot, and I was really surprised at the number that were not operational, and the fact that they remained non-operational for a long period.

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come across, personally, is the lack of a pilot signal coming out of the charging station. When that happens, it will not recognize the presence of the vehicle. That caused us a lot of headaches while developing this tool because we assumed there must be a problem with our tester - that we weren’t simulating the vehicle correctly.

So we took some other diagnostic kits out with us and found out that, while the posts were lit up and ready for use, they never responded to a request for charge because they had problems with a pilot signal.

The second most common thing I’ve seen is tripped

THE INFRASTRUCTURE

The customer doesn’t care whose fault it is, they just want it to work so they can get on with their business.

Q Charged: Things have changed a lot in the EV

industry in the past few years. Have you found that the charging station outage situation has improved since you first started looking at the market?

A Wallace: Yes, definitely. In our area, specifically, the

GFCIs - where someone plugged in a vehicle with a fault on it tripping the circuit, and then no one ever came out to reset it. In this case the charger will go through the motions but never deliver any power.

I’ve also seen a lot of mechanical faults where something is physically broken.

While developing the product over the course of a few years, I used chargers in our local area a lot, and I was really surprised at the number that were not operational, and the fact that they remained non-operational for long periods.

uptake of EVs in general has helped. If no one ever uses the charging point, it will never be reported as faulty.

We still see media reports here in the UK about a large number of charge points that aren’t operational, but those tend to come from sources that are anti-EV for whatever reason. And if you look closely at their numbers, you’ll see data that is a bit tainted or misleading. I saw one that said 50% of chargers are not operational - but that included cases when there was a gas-powered vehicle blocking access. It didn’t mean all the charging points were faulty.

Also, a lot of the early first-generation hardware is now being replaced with charging stations that are designed much better. The manufacturers have learned a lot about designing the products, and the newer ones are more mechanically robust and smarter. If they do develop faults, for example, generally the modern systems will self-recover - a GFCI that will self-reset once the fault clears, for example.

We really believe that the EV110 EVSE test and diagnostic tool will go a long way towards making the quality of the EV experience even better. One recent example is a company that bought a fleet of EVs simply because they’re far more cost-effective than traditional fuel. They were having issues with charging, and all of a sudden they were involved in a dispute between the EVSE and vehicle manufacturers - each blaming the other for the fault. It’s possible that they’re both right that the cars and charging stations are functioning as designed, and the quality of the installation is causing problems. In cases like this, having test equipment is invaluable. The customer doesn’t care whose fault it is, they just want it to work so they can get on with their business.

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WAVE THE

OF THE

FUTURE Wireless charging helps transit agencies save money by going electric

By Charles Morris

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W

ireless charging technology is almost ready for the big stage. Qualcomm has demonstrated its Halo system in various vehicles, including the Drayson B12/69 electric race car. Evatran’s Plugless aftermarket system is now commercially available for the Volt and the LEAF, and a Model S-compatible version is coming soon. Several major automakers have indicated that they’re working on offering wireless charging for future EVs. For the home charging market, the main benefit of wireless charging is convenience - but that doesn’t mean it won’t be a popular option. “Never underes-

THE INFRASTRUCTURE

Photo courtesy of WAVE

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timate the laziness of the American consumer,” one equipment vendor told us. In public or workplace charging applications, wireless offers the additional benefits of reducing the clutter of cables, as well as wear and tear and vandalism risks.

The killer app for wireless charging, however, is likely to be the fast-growing field of electrified public transit. Here the benefits of wireless are so great, and so easy to quantify, that some industry players see it as almost a practical necessity.

Battery-electric buses offer a cleaner and quieter ride, and can save transit authorities huge sums of money over their lifetimes. However, they suffer from the same drawbacks as all EVs: limited range and high up-front cost. Incorporating en route charging into an electrified bus route can address both of these challenges.

Being able to partially charge at a short stop along the route increases the effective range of a bus, and/ or allows the battery pack to be smaller, saving on the purchase price of each vehicle. While wireless is not the only way to perform en route charging, it’s arguably the best for several reasons.

When the market for electric transit buses really starts to roll, a Utah company called WAVE (Wireless Advanced Vehicle Electrification) is poised for massive growth. WAVE was spun out from Utah State University in 2011, and grew into the commercial phase a couple of years ago.

Utah State’s Energy Dynamics Laboratory has been studying wireless charging for some time. In 2013 it demonstrated the Aggie Bus, a 20-passenger bus powered with a 20-25 kW stationary wireless charger, with efficiency greater than 90%. Since then, WAVE has doubled the power of its system to 50 kW, while maintaining a similar efficiency level (for comparison, a typical wired connection might achieve efficiency of 92-95%).

The WAVE system uses a charging pad that lies flush with the pavement and is sturdy enough to be run over all day without damage. Another pad is mounted on the vehicle’s undercarriage 7 to 8 inches above.

WAVE CEO Michael Masquelier explained to Charged why he believes his company’s system is the best option for en route charging. Some existing e-buses use an overhead catenary for charging, but Masquelier considers wireless far superior for several reasons.

The WAVE system is designed to be unobtrusive - at the en route charging site, the only visible component

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Wireless charging pad mounted on the vehicle's undercarriage

Photos courtesy of WAVE

WE’RE IN A POSITION NOW WHERE WE CAN PRODUCE THE SYSTEMS VERY QUICKLY. is a small interface box that houses circuitry between the pad and the grid connection. With the next-generation system, this box will be placed underground, for a completely invisible infrastructure.

An overhead catenary, on the other hand, can’t be hidden. “You’re always going to have some sort of mechanical movement over the bus, which tends to be not only an eyesore, but could be a safety hazard, or could get in the way of fire equipment,” Masquelier points out. In fact, in some municipalities, fire marshals have specifically said they would not allow overhead chargers, because of the fire and safety risks.

As for conductive chargers, Masquelier doesn’t consider them to be feasible at all in an en route transit application. “Drivers are not trained or in some cases

THE INFRASTRUCTURE

allowed by a union to plug in to chargers, and cables that would be on the ground or even on a hook pose a tripping or high-voltage hazard.” It’s also plain that a cable that might need to be plugged in and unplugged dozens of times per day would require a fair amount of ongoing maintenance, to say nothing of the depredations of vandals and copper thieves.

WAVE currently has systems in operation in several cities, and Masquelier told Charged that he expects to have at least 20 systems up and running later this year.

“We’re in a position now where we can produce the systems very quickly.”

The company has demonstrated “multiple OEM integration and interoperability.” Its system is currently in operation with several vehicle types, from a 30-foot trolley to 40-foot buses, with different battery pack voltages, from different OEMs. It now has systems

running with buses made

by BYD and Gillig, as well as Complete Coach Works (profiled in our last issue), which sells remanufactured buses with electric powertrains. Masquelier says WAVE has “a good working relationship” with Proterra, and sees a strong possibility of working with it in the future.

The WAVE system is easily adapted to buses from different manufacturers. The onboard components take up little space, and can be used in different vehicles with only minor modifications. The same in-ground charging pad is used for all vehicles, so it would be no problem for a transit company to operate different types of buses on the same route.

WAVE is a fully automated system that requires minimal or zero driver intervention. It can automatically detect pad alignment and initiate charging.

There’s also a safety procedure that’s implemented in

DRIVERS ARE NOT TRAINED OR IN SOME CASES ALLOWED BY A UNION TO PLUG IN TO CHARGERS.

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THE INFRASTRUCTURE Photos courtesy of WAVE

both software and hardware. “If for some reason the driver were to pull away, or the bus were to roll back, the system would automatically and safely shut down,” says Masquelier.

WAVE offers an option to incorporate stationary storage into the charging station, although it has yet to deploy this commercially. Storage is not necessary for operation of the system, which can pull 480-volt, 3-phase power directly from the grid. However, in places where there are utility demand charges, the company is seeing increasing interest in stationary storage, which would allow power to be drawn from a battery during the day.

So far, WAVE has sold its system only for transit vehicles, but is “vigorously exploring opportunities in other markets.” The system is designed to be scalable and adaptable to many different vehicle types. Masquelier sees opportunities in off-road and industrial markets, port vehicles, forklifts and urban delivery vans.

So far, WAVE seems to have little competition in the wireless transit charging market. Masquelier told us that nobody else has a commercial system deployed in the US. Competitors in Europe include Bombardier and the German firm IPT Technology, whose IPT Charge system is operating in a fleet of 23 electric buses in Turin, Italy. Both of these firms’ systems use bus-mounted pads that have to lower toward the street with mechanical actuation. To the best of Masquelier’s knowledge, none of the OEMs in the transit sector are working on their own wireless systems.

At least one transit agency has said that the WAVE system is what sealed the deal to go electric. En route charging roughly doubles the range of a bus - or on the other hand, it can allow an operator to serve the same route with a smaller battery pack, saving big on both cost and weight. “That’s been our business model all along,” says Masquelier. “Without us, the clients

THE COST OF OUR SYSTEM IS MUCH LESS THAN THE ADDITIONAL COST OF BATTERIES TO EXTEND RANGE. NOT TO MENTION THE ADDITIONAL WEIGHT ADDED TO THE VEHICLE. wouldn’t be able to have those buses operate on an entire daily route - they would have had to buy an additional bus, or buy a bus with a larger battery pack.”

Masquelier wouldn’t tell us exactly what a WAVE system costs, but he says that it easily pays for itself even at this early stage of commercialization. “The cost of our system is much less than the additional cost of batteries to extend range. Not to mention the additional weight added to the vehicle.”

WAVE is also researching dynamic wireless charging (charging vehicles while in motion), but Masquelier thinks a commercial deployment would be several years in the future. “It comes down to the market.

I think the cost of the infrastructure is going to be significantly higher for a dynamic system, and the real market has yet to be defined that can deal with that cost structure. I think first we’ll see some pre-commercial deployments to prove the concept, and once people become more aware of it, they’ll figure out if there’s a place it makes sense cost-wise.”

MAR/APR 2016

83

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