Introduction

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) have gained interest over the past decade due to their high fuel economy, convenient low-cost recharging capabilities, reduced use of petroleum, and contribution to President Bush’s energy security goal of “Twenty in Ten." Furthermore, PHEVs have been suggested as a technology to improve the reliability and power quality of the electric grid and to ameliorate utility emissions. Despite these potential benefits, the comparatively high initial cost of PHEVs (due to expensive batteries) presents a major market barrier to their widespread commercialization and adoption by consumers.

SENTECH, Inc., Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), General Electric (GE), Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), and the Center for Automotive Research at Ohio State University are conducting a study of the benefits, barriers, opportunities, and challenges of grid-connected PHEVs in order to establish potential value propositions that will lead to commercially viable PHEVs. During the course of this study, business scenarios will be developed based on economic advantages that either increase the consumer value of PHEVs or reduce the consumer cost of PHEVs. The technical and market barriers for these scenarios will be identified along with the infrastructure and technologies needed to support value proposition. Risks associated with the scenarios will also be examined.

A Guidance & Evaluation Committee composed of representatives from various stakeholder organizations will contribute expertise throughout the study. In addition, participation by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and Argonne National Laboratories is anticipated.

Phase 1 of the study is slated to extend from September 2007 through July 2008.

PHEV VPS Documents

• Phase 1, Task 3: Technical Requirements and Procedure Evaluation of One Scenario -
  June 2008
• Phase 1, Task 2 Report: Select Value Propositions/Business Model for Further Study -
  May 2008
• Summary Report for Dec 07 Workshop - January 2008
• Workshop Documents & Presentations - December 2007
• White Paper - November 2007
• Project Summary - October 2007
• Project Plan - September 2007

Funding provided by the U.S. Department of Energy, Vehicles Technologies Program &
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Electricity Delivery & Energy Reliability

2007 Ford Escape PHEV demonstration vehicle pictured in banner above

Last modified on July 29, 2008 2:01 PM