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Electric Vehicles and the Smart Grid, two of the biggest pieces of the next generation of environmental technology. We're ridiculously excited about both of them, and what they could mean for our future. But the interaction between the smart grid and electric vehicles could also be a really big deal. Which is why we're excited that Ford is already taking the first steps to make it possible.
Today, Ford announces that they're building technology into their electric vehicles to allow the electrical grid to communicate with the vehicle.
Now, you might think, that's great, but Ford hardly even has a hybrid, let alone an electric vehicle. Well, let me point you to our post of almost a year ago in which we announce Ford's promise to have an electric transit van in 2010, an electric Focus in 2011 and a mass-produced plug-in hybrid in 2012.
The fact of the matter is, vehicles are parked for 95% of their lives. And, with plug-in vehicles, that time will be spent plugged into a wall. In more progressive parts of the country, electricity rates are already metered to go up during times of peak demand. The last thing you want to do is charge your car when electricity is four times more expensive than it is at night.
So Ford's new technology will communicate with the electric company via advanced electric meters while the vehicle is charging. The electric company will tell your car to stop charging if demand is too high, or to charge quickly if the price is low. It's even possible that, during times of peak demand, you'll be able to sell the electric company's power back to it at a hugely inflated price.
Supply and demand! The technology would also allow you, the user, to program how the car charges itself and when. So if you need the car to be charged by a certain time, the batteries would fill depsite the power company's desires.
Full press release below.
DEARBORN, Mich., Aug. 18, 2009 – Ford Motor Company announced today that it has developed an intelligent vehicle-to-grid communications and control system for its plug-in hybrid electric vehicles that “talks” directly with the nation’s electric grid.
This new technology – which builds on Ford’s advancements such as SYNC®, SmartGauge™ with EcoGuide and Ford Work Solutions™ – allows the vehicle operator to program when to recharge the vehicle, for how long and at what utility rate.
“Electric vehicles are an important element of our strategy for improving fuel economy and reducing CO2 emissions,” said Bill Ford, Ford’s executive chairman. “This vehicle-to-grid communication technology is an important step in the journey toward the widespread commercialization of electric vehicles.”
All 21 of Ford’s fleet of plug-in hybrid Escapes eventually will be equipped with the vehicle-
to-grid communications technology. The first of the specially equipped plug-in hybrids has
been delivered to American Electric Power of Columbus, Ohio. Ford’s other utility partners’ vehicles will also be equipped with the communications technology.
When plugged in, the battery systems of these specially equipped plug-in hybrids can communicate directly with the electrical grid via smart meters provided by utility companies through wireless networking. The owner uses the vehicle’s touch screen navigation interface
and Ford Work Solutions in-dash computer to choose when the vehicle should recharge, for
how long and at what utility rate.
For example, a vehicle owner could choose to accept a charge only during off-peak hours between midnight and 6 a.m. when electricity rates are cheaper, or when the grid is using only renewable energy such as wind or solar power.
“We are designing what plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles will be capable of in the future,” said Greg Frenette, manager of Ford’s Battery Electric Vehicle Applications. “Direct communication between vehicles and the grid can only be accomplished through collaboration between automakers and utility companies, which Ford and its partners are demonstrating with this technology.”
Over the past two years, Ford and its energy industry partners have logged more than 75,000
miles on the plug-in hybrid test fleet. The plug-in hybrid research focuses on four primary areas: battery technology, vehicle systems, customer usage and grid infrastructure.
“Broad commercialization of electric transportation is not something a car company can achieve on its own,” said Nancy Gioia, Ford director, Sustainable Mobility Technologies. “Developing and producing the vehicles is just one part of the electric transportation equation. We are well on our way to delivering the vehicles, but for widespread adoption the infrastructure to support the technology needs to be in place and we need to ensure that the national electric grid can support increased electric demand.”
Real-world usage and laboratory research is helping to accelerate the advancement of electrified vehicles. Ford and its research partners are now focusing on ways to make the recharging process easy and efficient for consumers. In addition to low-cost recharging at home through the use of a smart meter, Ford researchers say recharging away from home – whether at work, in a shopping mall parking lot or at a curbside station – needs to be as simple as plugging in and swiping a credit card.
The plug-in hybrid advantage
Plug-in hybrid vehicles offer several benefits, including:
· Reduced dependency on petroleum and increased energy independence
· Reduced environmental impact through reductions in greenhouse
gas emissions
· Increased use of electricity from renewable energy sources (e.g. wind and solar)
for vehicle recharging
· Potential consumer cost savings on energy/fuel costs
Powerful partnerships
In 2007, Ford announced a partnership with Southern California Edison, the electric utility with the nation’s largest and most advanced electric vehicle fleet. The partnership is designed to explore ways to make plug-in hybrids more accessible to consumers, reduce petroleum-related emissions and understand issues related to connectivity between vehicles and the electric grid.
Since then, Ford and Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), an independent nonprofit organization, have expanded the partnership, with a three-year plan to develop and evaluate technical approaches for integrating PHEVs into the nation’s electric grid system, a key requirement to facilitate widespread adoption of the vehicles.
Ford’s key partners include:
· Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
· U.S. Department of Energy
· Southern California Edison
· New York Power Authority
· Consolidated Edison of New York
· American Electric Power of Columbus, Ohio
· Alabama Power of Birmingham, Ala.; and its parent, Atlanta-based Southern Company
· Progress Energy of Raleigh, N.C.
· DTE Energy of Detroit
· National Grid of Waltham, Mass.
· Pepco Holdings
· New York State Energy and Research Development Authority, a state agency
· Hydro-Québec, the largest electricity generator in Canada
“Ford’s involvement in the collaboration with EPRI and some of the nation’s leading utilities
will help accelerate the pace leading to the commercialization of PHEVs,” said Arshad Mansoor,
vice president of EPRI’s Power Delivery and Utilization Sector. “This type of joint effort between an auto manufacturer and utilities will permit a more seamless integration of electric-drive vehicles into the power grid and the transportation sector.”
Ford also has announced key collaborations with:
· Smith Electric Vehicles, Europe’s leading battery electric commercial vehicle upfitter engaged by Ford to help bring the Transit Connect battery electric vehicle, a small commercial van, to market in 2010
· Magna International, the supplier jointly developing the Ford Focus battery electric vehicle passenger car for 2011
· Johnson Controls-Saft, the battery supplier for Ford’s first production plug-in hybrid vehicle coming to market in 2012
Getting charged up
Ford recently was selected for two grants from the Department of Energy under its fleet electrification program. The program is designed to accelerate viable commercial volumes
of electrified vehicles and vehicle-to-grid infrastructure development.
One grant, for $30 million, will help fund Ford’s collaboration with utility partners across
the nation with an expansion of a vehicle demonstration and grid integration program.
Ford also will receive a $62.7 million DOE grant for production of an electric-drive transaxle that could be used for hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles at Ford’s Van Dyke transmission manufacturing facility in Sterling Heights, Mich. This grant will be matched by Ford.
DOE grant funds also will support production of electric-drive system components at Ford supplier Magna, for the Ford Focus battery electric vehicle, as well as Johnson Controls-Saft, which will supply high-voltage batteries for Ford’s plug-in hybrid vehicle in 2012.
Ford plans to invest nearly $14 billion in advanced technology vehicles in the next seven
years, retooling its U.S. plants more quickly to produce fuel-efficient vehicles and help meet
the new, rigorous fuel economy requirements.
# # #
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 205,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.
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written by Bob Wallace, August 18, 2009
It's happening Carl.
http://www.nist.gov/smartgrid/
This page last updated 8/13/09.
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written by Doc Rings, August 19, 2009
The one good thing the government could do is require a consortium to develop a standardized "smart plug" to handle various voltages (110/220)(50hz/60hz), and be able to communicate on the standard smart grid protocols.
Bottom line, it has to be fool-proof enough for my grandma to use, and standardized so it doesn't kill the PHEV before it breathes its first breath. One thing consumers won't stand for is expensive retrofits to their home for an already expensive car.
Cheers,
Doc
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written by Doc Rings, August 19, 2009
Thanks!
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written by supra shoes, August 19, 2009
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written by MD, August 19, 2009
What's wrong with 61850 or DNP3 for metering? There are protocols already available and widely recognized & implemented by the utilities that will work just fine...
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written by two cents per mile, August 20, 2009
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written by Nick, August 29, 2009
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written by Doc Rings, September 01, 2009
This is a demonstration of available technology to charge cars using resonant technology. Watch the video, and see if you think it can be applied to charging electric vehicles pulled into the garage. Even the lecturer mentioned it as a possibility.
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written by angelia110, September 29, 2009
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The problem isn't adding "Smart Grid" to a car or plug-- it's standardizing the communication protocol and physical method. We need to add a standard to the nation/world-- that's the problem to be solved, and I've heard almost no mention of it, and no announcement of any proposed standard. All I hear about are proprietary solutions, which is the opposite of what is required.