Current
Hybrid Vehicles
Expand SCE Fleet
Moving forward in its efforts to evaluate a wide array of electro-drive technologies, Southern California Edison (SCE) is laying the groundwork to begin testing an advanced, heavy-duty pre-production hybrid utility work truck, as well as a medium-duty plug-in hybrid (PHEV) utility “troubleman” truck.
SCE already has begun evaluation of the nation’s first light-duty PHEV Sprinter Vanfrom DaimlerChrysler.
Ed Kjaer, SCE director of electric transporta-tion, said these projects and SCE’s nationally renowned electric vehicle (EV) fleet “highlight SCE’s goals of maximizing petroleum reduction, saving on fuel costs and lowering both smog-forming and greenhouse gas emissions from our vehicle fleet.”
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Since the late 1980s, SCE’s fleet of battery EVs has traveled more than 12 million zero-tailpipe-emission miles, in the process saving over 616,000 gallons of gasoline and nearly $1.3 million in fuel (the difference between electricity costs and equivalent gasoline costs). The EV fleet also has eliminated more than 1,400 tons of smog-forming pollutants and more than 6,500 tons of tailpipe carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas).
Kjaer added SCE anticipates that hybrid and plug-in hybrid technologies can play an important role in future compliance with alternative-fuel vehicle fleet regulations under the federal Energy Policy Act (EPAct). The U.S. Department of Energy currently is examining a rulemaking to expand EPAct compliance options through various petroleum reduction initiatives.
Heavy-Duty Hybrid Utility Truck
SCE, along with just over a dozen other fleet operators participating in WestStart’s Hybrid Truck Users Forum (HTUF), expects to receive its heavy-duty hybrid utility truck this year. The supplier team of Eaton Corporation and International Truck and Engine Corporation is building the prototypes. According to WestStart (an advanced transporta-tion technology organizatransporta-tion), if the pilot testing program proves successful, it will lead to production commitments and expanded purchases of this type of vehicle.
Based on initial testing of the trucks at an independent facility, these vehicles are projected to cut air emissions by up to 50 percent, and use 40-60 percent less fuel, compared to similar diesel-powered trucks. Darcy Skaggs, SCE Electric Vehicle Technical Center manager, said that factoring in typical driving patterns in SCE’s fleet,
Highlights:
SCE Enhances Charger Savings Port Works to Lower Emissions Airports Add Electric GSE Winter2006
Electric Transportation News
From Southern California Edison
Electro-Drive: 20 Years Of Milestones at SCE
Since the 19th century, when Thomas Alva Edison not only invented the lightbulb but also contributed greatly to improvements in battery technology, the name Edison has been synonymous with progress and innovation when it comes to electricity.
As the 21st century unfolds, Southern California Edison (SCE) carries on the legacy of such pioneering visionaries, taking a leadership role to ensure the safe, reliable, efficient use of electro-drive technologies.
So take a look at where the electro-drive technology industry has been during the last two decades – and where it’s going, as SCE supports a sustainable transportation future.
As part of its evaluation of electro-drive technologies, SCE plans to test an advanced heavy-duty hybrid prototype utility truck in its fleet beginning this year. Initial analyses indicate these vehicles can dramat-ically reduce petroleum use and air emissions.
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the HTUF vehicle could save up to $9,000 annually in fuel costs.Skaggs added that once the EV Technical Center conducts its own performance evaluation and reliability testing on the truck, it will work with SCE’s Transportation Services Department to place the vehicle into actual field operations.
PHEV Troubleman Truck
Through another collaborative program – this one involving the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, and supplier and technical advisor Eaton Corporation – SCE plans to receive a PHEV troubleman truck prototype based on the Ford F-550 platform. The vehicle should arrive in early 2007.
The F-550 platform vehicle will weigh between 17,500 pounds and 19,000 pounds gross vehicle weight, compared to the HTUF gross vehicle weight of 26,000 pounds. EV Technical Center Lead Engineer Jordan Smith noted that smaller vehicle platforms have become increasingly popular with utilities, as larger trucks have a more difficult time navigating small access roads and alleys to get to work locations.
Besides its size advantage, Smith said, the PHEV troubleman truck will offer other benefits, including the ability to drive in a zero-emission all-electric mode, and to operate silently in a stationary mode for a much longer time than a non-plug-in hybrid truck.
“Trucks typically spend a lot of time idling at a work site or running their hydraulics,” Smith said. “This is where you can save a lot of fuel, plus reduce a lot of pollution and noise.”
Bill West, SCE Electric Transportation manager of business planning and compliance, pointed out that a medium-duty PHEV utility truck likely will have a broader market than the larger HTUF
vehicle. West noted that utilities such as SCE typically have a greater number of medium-duty vehicles (compared to heavy-medium-duty ones) in their fleets.
Sprinter Van
SCE already has begun testing its first PHEV Sprinter Van, powered by nickel-metal-hydride batteries, along with a second one with lithium-ion batteries. The vehicles have been converted to PHEVs through a partnership among EPRI, the South Coast Air Quality Management District and DaimlerChrysler to gain additional knowl-edge about the value of PHEVs in real-world applications.
After concluding battery and reliability testing, along with performance characterization, SCE’s EV Technical Center again will work with the Transportation Services Department to place the vans in everyday fleet use and collect data on fuel economy, electric energy use and other operational factors.
“All of this information will benefit SCE’s efforts to further reduce petroleum use and emissions from our own fleet, while thoroughly understanding the performance, reliability, safety, energy efficiency and electric system impacts of electro-drive technologies,” Kjaer, SCE’s director of electric transportation, said. “It also will help us work with our business customers who must adopt clean alternative-fuel technologies now and in the future.”
To learn more about the SCE EV Technical Center’s work with hybrid-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, contact Darcy Skaggs at 909-469-0315 or [email protected]. Information on SCE’s electro-drive fleet activities also is available at www.sce.com/electrodrive.
1987:SCE’s Research and Development Department explores opportunities for fleet use of electric vehicles, and the company leases a British-built electric-powered delivery van called the Griffon.
1988:SCE receives and tests two proof-of-concept electric G-vans, converted General Motors-model passenger vans.
1990:The California Air Resources Board establishes rules, later modified, requiring automakers to begin introducing zero-emission vehicles in California starting in 1998. SCE already has begun testing the nation’s
first plug-in hybrid-electric (PHEV) Sprinter Vanfrom DaimlerChrysler as part of an industry program to enhance knowledge about the value of PHEVs in real-world fleet applications.
Charger Efficiency
Progress Continues
Besides looking at new electro-drive options for its fleet, Southern California Edison (SCE) contin-ues development of load management and energy efficiency programs designed to help manage the electric system impacts and customer costs associ-ated with increasing electro-drive technology use.One key effort involves Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)-sponsored work to develop energy efficiency charger standards (similar to ENERGY STAR®ratings) for non-road vehicles like electric
forklifts.
Earlier this year, SCE released draft proposed procedures for charger energy efficiency standards and rating criteria.
According to SCE Electric Vehicle Technical Center Lead Engineer Jordan Smith, establish-ment of a national standard for efficient non-road electric vehicle battery charger performance could save a significant amount of energy, minimize negative impacts on the electric grid, give manufacturers battery charger performance design parameters and offer consumers confidence in the efficiency of qualifying products.
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SCE is working with the Electric Power Research Institute on development of energy efficiency standards – similar to ENERGY STAR ®ratings – for
non-road electric vehicle chargers. Products that earn the ENERGY STAR designation meet strict energy efficiency guidelines and in the process help lower electricity bills while reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
1991:SCE establishes its Electric Transportation Department.
1992:The Energy Policy Act requires certain state and federal fleets, as well as those of alternative-fuel providers like SCE, to increase purchases of vehicles that operate on non-petroleum fuels. The act also creates tax credits and research and development for a wide range of electric vehicle efforts.
1993: SCE establishes its Electric Vehicle Technical Center (EVTC) in Pomona, Calif., to test and evaluate electro-drive systems, battery types and charging infrastructure. To augment this work, SCE is assisting EPRI
Solutions and Ecos Consulting to develop a draft test procedure for all types of residential and commercial battery systems as part of a program overseen by the California Energy Commission’s Public Interest Energy Research Program. Information on this effort is available at www.efficientproducts.org.
Off-Peak Charging
On an ongoing basis, SCE works closely with its customers who operate non-road electric vehicles (primarily forklifts and golf carts) to help them shift vehicle charging from on-peak times (daytime higher-cost hours) to off-peak periods, particularly during the summer months. Such load shifting can help businesses save money while supporting efforts to ensure reliable, adequate electrical supplies.
For details on SCE’s charger load management and energy efficiency work, contact SCE’s Richard Cromie at 626-302-1616 or [email protected].
SCE Strategy Lowers
Forklift Charge Costs
Southern California Edison’s (SCE) Electric Vehicle (EV) Technical Center recently developed a technology transfer strategy that could help operators of electric non-road technologies reduce the amount of energy used to charge batteries by 10-12 percent.The EV Technical Center designed and tested a device that communicates with the charger and battery to apply a more efficient charging strategy. When used with electric forklifts, the E2S, or Energy-Saving Strategy, achieved the following results in lab tests compared to con-ventional charging strategies, which normally involve significantly overcharging flooded lead-acid batteries:
• Required 12 percent less energy to charge batteries.
• Reduced 32 percent of battery charging time. • Decreased 50 percent of the battery
watering requirement.
Field tests validated the lab results, showing a 12 percent energy use reduction with no forklift performance degradation. This result translates into savings of $300 to $400 in electricity costs per forklift for a typical SCE commercial customer operating three shifts a day on a Time-of-Use rate.
Project Lead Engineer Loïc Gaillac said no current device can implement the developed strategy to accomplish what SCE’s device does.
“The device directs the charger to operate in an efficient manner, which controls the over-charging, avoids inefficient standby load, and allows the savings,” he said. “It also shortens the charge period, so conceivably batteries could be available more quickly than with ‘unintelligent’ charging.”
As a next step, Gaillac added, SCE will work with customers to implement energy-saving strategies and will host a technology forum for customers and manufacturers.
For more information on the E2S strategy or technology forum, contact SCE EV Technical Center Manager Darcy Skaggs at 909-469-0315 or [email protected].
1996:SCE introduces its first electric vehicle Time-of-Use rate to encourage charging during nighttime (off-peak) hours, when electricity demand and costs are lowest.
1996:SCE’s Electric Vehicle Technical Center is selected as one of two U.S. Department of Energy test sites in the nation for evaluation of electric vehicle baseline performance, reliability and fleet operation.
1994:SCE and the Los Angeles Depart-ment of Water and Power team up with General Motors to launch the PrEView Drive Program, the first consumer field test of the Impact(later EV1) electric vehicle.
Port Emissions Reductions
The basic emissions reduction strategies in the ARB plan include regulatory actions, incentive programs, lease agreements, careful land use decisions and voluntary action. While the state moves forward with its multi-faceted approach, local organizations already are doing their part to contribute to the solution in the Southern California region.
For example, the Port of Long Beach – the second-busiest port in the nation – has taken several steps to demonstrate its commitment to lower emissions, even before the introduction of the San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan. Under its Green Port Policy adopted in January 2005, it has established a framework for environ-mentally friendly operations.
In May of this year, the port and SSA Terminals reached a tentative agreement on a landmark lease that will allow the phase in of cold ironing and other clean technologies to reduce emissions from ships at berth and cargo handling equipment at the terminal. (With cold ironing, dockside electric infrastructure, instead of ships’ engines, provides electricity needed on board ships while they’re in port.) The port previously agreed to collaborate with BP West Coast Products LLC to allow cold ironing when its tankers offload oil at Berth T121.
“This is a great example of our Green Port Policy in action,” said Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners President Doris Topsy-Elvord of the accord with SSA Terminals. “I think our customers will see that we will meet their business needs, but at the same time they need to help us minimize our environmental impact. Environmentally friendly lease agreements such as this one represent the future of the Port of Long Beach.”
State agencies and local organizations are taking steps to reduce goods movement emissions, such as those related to port operations, while still accommodating trade growth.
Goods Movement
Impacts Addressed
While the movement of goods is vital to California’s economy, it’s also the primary contributor to transportation-related air emissions in the state. To address this, in April 2006 the state Air Resources Board (ARB) approved the “Emission Reduction Plan for Ports and Goods Movement in California,” which recommends a variety of strategies – including use of cleaner fuels like electricity – to reduce emissions while accom-modating trade growth.
As a follow up, in June 2006 the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach introduced the San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan, a first-ever joint blueprint by the nation’s largest ports to aggressively reduce emissions from port operations within the next five years. The plan was created with the support and input of the ARB, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The AQMD will seek its board’s approval of the plan in late November.
These two plans are part of the broader Goods Movement Action Plan being jointly carried out by the California Environmental Protection Agency and the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency under Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s direction.
In early November, Californians weighed in on this issue, approving $3.2 billion in bonds to relieve traffic congestion along major trade corridors, improve freight rail facilities and enhance the movement of goods from ports to the marketplace. Of this, $1 billion is included to reduce emissions from activities related to the movement of freight along the state’s trade corridors, commencing at the state’s seaports, airports and land ports of entry.
1998:SCE’s electric vehicle fleet passes the million-mile mark. By mid-2006, the fleet had logged more than 12 million miles, reducing air pollutant and tailpipe greenhouse gas emissions by thousands of tons.
2001:SCE’s Electric Vehicle Technical Center receives a certificate of registration from the Quality Management Institute by fulfilling requirements for the ISO 9001:1994 standard of quality. The center later becomes ISO 9001:2000 registered.
2002: An SCE Toyota RAV-4 EVreaches 100,000 miles driven on its original battery pack – the farthest any EV has traveled in real-world driving applications. SCE continues to operate the nation’s largest fleet of RAV-4 EVs.
GSE Electrification
Expands at Airports
Partnerships among airports, airlines and leading utilities like Southern California Edison (SCE) are increasing the use of electric ground support equipment (GSE) and preconditioned air units, leading to emissions reductions at airports in Southern California and beyond.SCE began working with local airports on electrification projects about a decade ago. Since then SCE has been a leader in collaborating with airports and carriers in its service territory to demonstrate emerging technologies that improve the operational efficiencies and costs associated with gate electrification.
Today SCE continues to build on its associ-ation with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) – a nonprofit scientific research organization that focuses on electric power industry issues – and its local airport and airline partnerships to enhance its airport electrification support work. Projects focus both on infrastructure for GSE (such as baggage tugs, belt loaders and pushback tractors) and for preconditioned units attached to gateways to provide aircraft heating and cooling.
“Utility and customer side infrastructure must be addressed for successful electric GSE deployment,” said SCE Project Manager Coleen Tessema. “As a member of ERPI’s Airport Advisory Council, SCE can leverage the talents of all utilities that have demonstrated new and emerging airport electrification technologies.”
One key trend in airport electrification, Tessema noted, involves a switch from conven-tional charging of GSE, with one charge port for one piece of equipment, to fast charging, with multiple ports on each charging unit. This allows more GSE equipment to quickly and efficiently
Electrification Standards
For its part, Southern California Edison (SCE) remains committed to continuing the tradition of providing safe, efficient and reliable power to accommodate the proposed loads that will result from the surge in goods movement.
In the area of cold ironing, SCE’s Electric Trans-portation Department is working with the Electric Power Research Institute’s (EPRI) Infrastructure Working Council (IWC) to determine the areas that can be standardized (i.e. connector, distribution voltage, ship load profiles, etc.) to meet shipboard electrical requirements. These infrastructure standards would enhance interoperability among international users to match the shipboard distribution systems.
Because of the similarity of grid connection issues for port and truck stop electrification, the challenge of port infrastructure standardization was presented to the EPRI Truck Stop Electrification Committee, chaired by SCE Electric Transportation Technical Specialist Brian Sisco.
In addition, key stakeholders attended the recent IWC meeting, held in October, to discuss what is needed from electric utilities to help move cold ironing forward.
“We’re working to ensure the utility system is not adversely impacted by port or truck stop electrification programs,” Sisco said.
To read the ARB’s goods movement emission reduction plan, log onto www.arb.ca.gov/gmp/ gmp.htm. For details on the San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan, visit www.polb.com (which also includes information on the Port of Long Beach’s environmental initiatives) or www.portofla.org. For information on the EPRI IWC work, contact Brian Sisco at 626-302-8917 or [email protected]. Details on SCE’s electro-drive programs are available at www.sce.com/electrodrive.
2002:Five Southern California airports agree to a voluntary plan designed to lessen air pollution through the continuing introduction of electric and other alternative-fueled ground support equipment. SCE works closely with local air-ports to help successfully implement airport electrification cost-effectively and safely.
2004:SCE’s Electric Vehicle Technical Center successfully tests a utility work truck it converted to operate as a plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle – the catalyst in the evolution of a 13-utility consortium to build gasoline-hybrid heavy-duty boom trucks.
2002: A program developed and managed by SCE and funded by the California Energy Commission reduces summer on-peak forklift and golf cart battery charging by over 9 megawatts.
charge at once – important given many airports’ “lack of real estate” for extensive infrastructure and many airlines’ increasing need for extended hours of ground service.
Use of existing jet way power sources to charge GSE equipment represents another way to increase operational efficiencies and lower costs by reducing the need for new, separate GSE infrastructure. In many cases, use of electric GSE has moved from single-unit demonstrations to airlines’ entire fleets.
“It’s about becoming smarter and more efficient, but always with the ultimate goal of reducing emissions and improving workplace air quality for employees,” Tessema said.
Economic Sense
Airports and airlines using electric GSE find it also provides maintenance and fuel savings compared to internal combustion-engine equipment.
“It makes economic sense in airports with medium- and light-duty cycle applications,” said Larry Laney, Southwest Airlines’ director of ground support operations. “Our employees also like working in the cleaner and less-noisy work environment.”
Experts expect airport electrification use to increase as both government and industry look for ways to maintain the movement of goods and passengers while mitigating environmental impacts. A 2005 analysis completed by TIAX LLC, a collaborative research and development firm, projects the number of electric GSE units in California to increase approximately tenfold by 2020.
To learn more about airport electrification, visit www.epri.com. For information about GSE infrastructure work, contact Coleen Tessema at 626-302-8715 or [email protected].
2005:SCE takes delivery of its first fuel cell electric vehicle, the hydrogen-powered DaimlerChrysler F-Cell. This allows SCE to continue its leadership work in assessing existing and emerging electro-drive technologies.
2006:SCE begins testing DaimlerChrysler’s Sprinter Van, the first plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle prototype from an original equipment manufacturer, to gain additional knowledge about the value of plug-in hybrid technology in real-world applications.
2006: SCE assists a leading manufacturer with a truck stop electrification project in Ontario, Calif.
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As part of its efforts to improve air quality and create bluer skies, SCE works closely with airports and airlines to address the infrastructure needed for use of electric-powered airport ground support equipment.
Current is a publication produced by the Electric Transportation Department of Southern California Edison. Editor-In-Chief:
Bill West
Contributing Editor: Mindy Berman Please address all inquiries or comments to: Suzan Boyer
Southern California Edison Electric Transportation 2244 Walnut Grove Ave. Rosemead, CA 91770 Phone: 626-302-8752 Fax: 626-302-1328
E-mail: [email protected] For general information con-cerning electric transpor-tation: 800-4EV-INFO or www.sce.com/electrodrive
• The air quality benefits of electro-drive technologies. • Electro-drive technologies’ contributions to greenhouse gas reductions.
• The leadership of the State of California and SCE in focusing on electro-drive solutions.
SCE’s electro-drive website also continues to feature present and past issues of Current, a newsletter hotlink to industry news, technology breakthroughs, and business and consumer trends. To receive e-mail notification for future issues of Current, send a request to [email protected]. To learn more about SCE’s electro-drive programs, visit www.sce.com/electrodrive.
SCE.com Features New
Electro-Drive Pages
Highlighting the ability of electricity to sustain our transportation future, Southern California Edison (SCE) recently launched an updated electro-drive website at www.sce.com/electrodrive.The site features five main sections: • Energy management,
including SCE’s energy efficiency and load management programs to help customers save energy and money by using electricity more efficiently and shifting charging to off-peak (low-energy-use) periods.
• Electro-drive technolo-gies, along with the state-of-the-art work of SCE’s world-renowned Electric Vehicle Technical Center.
2006:To asses the electrical system impact from and performance of fuel cell technologies, SCE completes construction on its Fuel Cell Testing Facility and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Maintenance Bay at the Electric Vehicle Technical Center. Also, in partnership with Chevron and as part of a U.S. Department of Energy program, SCE opens a new hydrogen refueling station at its headquarters.