Plug-In Cars Powering America Toward a Cleaner Future

Plug-In CarsPowering America Toward a Cleaner

Future

Environment Texas Research and Policy Center

McCall JohnsonPlug-In CarsNov. 4, 2009

McCall JohnsonPlug-In TexasNov. 12, 2009

Why Plug-ins?

• Electric cars are more efficient

• Converted conventional hybrids have shown results


Advantages of Plug-Ins

• Electric cars that can go over 200 miles on one charge are being sold in the US today

• Most plug-in cars can charge in a normal wall outlet

• Rapid chargers have been developed that can fill a 100-mile battery in under 30 minutes

• Electric cars are much simpler to maintain

than conventional cars McCall Johnson

Plug-In TexasNov. 12, 2009

Plug-Ins and the Environment

• We can have clean running cars by using cleaner energy

• Plug-ins are one of the few technologies capable of producing dramatic reductions in pollution from automobiles over the long termMcCall Johnson


• Plug-in cars emit less global warming pollution than cars powered by gasoline

Reduction of Global Warming Pollution


• A study by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory found that an electric car fueled by unused capacity in the current electric system would emit 27% less global warming pollution than a car fueled by gasoline

Plug-Ins and the Environment

• To take full advantage of the potential we must move toward a cleaner electric grid

– A Study done by UC Berkeley showed that if half of the light vehicles in the US were electric vehicles powered by completely clean electricity in 2030, that total fleet emissions would decrease by 62 percentMcCall Johnson


Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology, UC Berkeley McCall JohnsonPlug-In TexasNov. 12, 2009

Air Quality and Plug-Ins• Switching to plug-ins

would improve air quality for most people – EPRI and NRDC found that if

40% of vehicles on the road were plug-in hybrids in 2030

• Smog levels would decrease for 61 % of the population

• Soot would decrease for 82% of the population


Reduce Oil Consumption

• Texas could spend $3.2 trillion on oil in next 20 years

• We could cut Oil use by 1/3 if three-quarters of the cars, pick up trucks, SUVs, and vans were EVs


Fuel Savings


• EVs Operate on an equivalent of $0.75 to $1.25 per gallon

• Average electric car driver can save $600 - $960 a year

The Electric Grid

• Little strain on transmission system

• Upgrades to the current distribution system may be necessary

• REPs are already developing services for plug-ins


The Electric Grid

• Plug-ins can be an asset to the grid using vehicle to grid technology (V2G)

– Providing small amounts of power or storage capacity

– Providing backup power

– Serve peak demandMcCall JohnsonPlug-In TexasNov. 12, 2009

Moving Towards a Plug-In Future

• Currently there is a federal tax credit available for plug-in vehicles ranging from $2,500 - $7,500 depending on the distance a car can be driven on electric powerMcCall Johnson



• Encouraging Research and Development

– Stimulus Funds

• Providing Incentives for the Purchase of Plug-In Cars

– Building on the federal tax credit will be imperative to encouraging early adopters

– Even more important than the size of the incentive is the duration



• Enact a low carbon fuel standard

– LCFSs assess lifecycle emissions

– Fuel providers can reduce emissions or purchase credits from cleaner fuel providers such as utilities

– California has a requirement that transportation fuels be 10 percent less carbon-intensive by 2020



• Using plug-in vehicles in fleets

– Texas Clean Fleet Program

– The city of Seattle has already converted a dozen Priuses to

plug-in hybrids McCall JohnsonPlug-In TexasNov. 12, 2009


• Develop the use of Clean, Renewable Electricity

– Wind power is a perfect fit for charging vehicles at night

– Solar power is can ensure that charging stations are widely available



• Develop infrastructure

– Smart grid

– Public charging stations

– Fast charging stations or battery swaps for longer range trips

– Distribution upgrades



• Cap Carbon Emissions– Due to the lower emissions produced from

plug-in cars, a cap on carbon would encourage their adoption

• V2G Policies – The state of Delaware has a net-metering

policy already in place for feeding electricity back into the grid from vehicles


Thank You

McCall Johnson

Environment Texas

512 236 0723

[email protected]


mailto:[email protected]

Plug-In Cars Powering America Toward a Cleaner Future

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