You slide into the driver’s seat and turn the key.
Silence.
You put it in reverse. More silence.
You shift to drive. Still nothing.
But the acceleration is good, and it drives like a regular car. At the same time, you’re feeling clean and green because you’re producing no emissions.
This is even more gratifying when you consider you’re in the smog capital of the United States: Southern California.
The car is electric, and it probably wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for that smog.
In 1990, the California Air Resources Board, a department of the state’s EPA, adopted a Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) program, mandating the then-seven largest automakers produce ZEVs starting in 1998 with 2 percent of sales and increasing to 10 percent by 2003. (Mazda has since fallen out of the program, which is based on sales.) In ’96, the regulations were modified, eliminating the ’98 to 2002 requirements. Instead, automakers were required to develop an electric-vehicle demonstration program by December 2000.
As part of that demo program, General Motors Corp. introduced its EV1 in ’96, and Honda Motor Co. unveiled its EV PLUS in ’97. They were joined by fleet vehicles: Toyota RAV4-EV, Chevrolet S-10, Nissan Altra EV, Ford Ranger EV and Chrysler EPIC mini-van.
Together, the carmakers produced 1,700 electric vehicles, says Rich Varenchik, Los Angeles-based spokesman for CARB. “They were simply demonstrating to us that they were working on the technology.”
The ZEV requirement “was a huge spur to innovation,” says Bill Van Amburg, vice president of communications and marketing for WestStart-CALSTART, an advanced transportation technology consortium in Pasadena, Calif. “It looked like a tough goal.”
However, CARB reduced the ZEV target in ’98. “Starting in 2003, 10 percent of sales have to be ZEVs with a caveat that 6 percent of it can be met by producing vehicles that are not purely ZEVs,” says Varenchik. “SULEVs, super-ultra-low emission vehicles, qualify. They are extremely clean but still run on a gas engine, so there are some emissions.”
Two 2000 vehicles have been certified as SULEVS: the Honda Accord and Nissan Sentra. Hybrids (gas and electric powered) get partial ZEV credits, too.
CARB held hearings in March and May in Sacramento, when automakers and EV drivers and supporters presented their views, said Rich Varenchik, CARB spokesman. The opinions gathered there will be put into a staff report this summer in preparation for CARB’s September meeting to review the ZEV mandate.
“It’s informational only,” Varenchik said. “The board will hear the staff report. They may come up with some directions for the staff to prepare action items.”
Still, some are leery. “If this mandate gets watered down more, then we lose the whole EV market,” says Greg Hanssen, an EV1 owner and electrical engineer from Irvine, Calif.
He leased an electric because the car is “environmental or technology-based,” he says, adding, “the reason I’m staying is so much beyond that. It’s a real car; it works. I use it.”
Reports have suggested that electric vehicles have failed, but that’s a misperception, says Ed Kjaer, director of electric transportation for Southern California Edison in Rosemead.
“There are 45 car dealerships that have EVs in a state with 5,000 dealerships. Nowhere did it stipulate that the automakers had to do a retail launch.”
As the market stands, retail customers can’t get electric vehicles. “It’s an awkward time,” says Cecile Martin, deputy executive director of the California Electric Transportation Coalition in Sacramento. “I talk to people all day who want them.”
Why can’t consumers get them? Besides limited availability, there’s the recall of the EV1. GM produced 500 Generation I and 500 Generation II EV1s. In early March, GM recalled 450 Generation I EV1s and 450 Chevrolet S-10s because of a charger port defect that could cause a fire. The replacment part for the trucks did not fit in the EV1s.
In March, GM said it had engineered a replacement charge port system for the EV1s but it won’t be available until first quarter 2001. Because of the delay, GM terminated Generation I EV1 leases.
The EV1’s future remains uncertain. “We’re watching the ZEV mandate,” says Jeff Kuhlman, a GM spokesman. “I can’t tell you if we’ll have another batch-build of EV1s.”
The second electric car available to consumers, Honda’s EV PLUS, was discontinued after 320–half retail and half fleet– were leased.
“When we launched the program, we said we’d make 300 of them. We made every one we said we were going to make,” says Honda spokesman Art Garner. “The range is not there to generate sufficient demand. If it can’t go more than 100 miles on a charge, it’s not practical.”
William Korthof, an EV PLUS driver and student in Pomona, Calif., disagrees. “It meets all of my transportation needs. I can go 100 miles. The driving range is sufficient so it can be my primary car. With low operating costs, I have saved a lot of money.” Korthof finds driving “more convenient, easier. There are no stops for gas, no unscheduled maintenance. It’s very reliable.”
Aside from retail, there’s the fleet electric market.
Toyota Motor Corp. unveiled its RAV4-EV in November ’97. By February ’99, Toyota had met its requirement: 322 vehicles leased, says Ming-Jou Chen, Toyota product news administrator.
A total of “684 RAV 4-EVs have been ordered nationwide.” Future plans? “We don’t reveal future product information,” Chen says.
DaimlerChrysler AG introduced its Electric Powered Interurban Commuter (EPIC) mini-van in ’97, and 176 have been built, says DaimlerChrysler spokesman Max Gates.
“We’re not making any more of this version of the EPIC. We will have a third-generation EV in fall 2002.”
EPICs are being used as shuttle vehicles between Los Angeles International Airport and downtown L.A. “With fast charge,” an expedited charge feature, “we can turn them around in 20 minutes to a half hour,” Gates says.
Nissan North America started leasing its Altra EV in ’98.
“We’re working with the requirements from the state of California–125 EVs by December 2000,” says Daniel Passe of Nissan. “So far, in the country, we have 45 Altra EVs. We’re going to have another 15 this year. We’ll get 30 Hyperminis–full electric (commuter) vehicles, plus 35 more of some sort of vehicle.” None will be available to the public, he adds.
Since ’98, when Ford Motor Co.’s Ranger EV hit the market, 881 have been delivered and another 453 have been ordered, says Glenn Ray of Ford. “Primarily, it’s a fleet utility vehicle. A lot of utility companies lease it because they need the bed.”
In December ’99, Ford received an order from the U.S. Postal Service for 500 electric mail delivery vehicles based on the Ranger. Most will be used in California, and if all goes well, 5,500 more will be ordered.
“Ford is the only one trying to actively build and lease Ford Rangers,” says Jim Francfort, technical program manager of the Department of Energy’s Field Operations Program, run from the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory in Idaho Falls. “The manufacturers have met their (initial) goals. GM won’t build any more. The limiting factor is battery technology.”
“Cost is a problem,” says David Cole, director of the Office for the Study of Automotive Transportation at the University of Michigan. “Batteries are expensive and heavy. They can’t store enough energy. It’s the Achilles’ heel of the industry. The second problem is the electric drive train–it’s still a little expensive.”
Despite some limitations, there are programs boosting electric vehicles, including one for federal fleets.
“An executive order from President Clinton directs the (Department of Energy) to pay up to $10,000 per vehicle or half the incremental cost,” says Francfort. The DOE has provided $800,000 in incremental funding to 25 federal fleets for 175 light-duty electric vehicles: 80 EPICs and 95 Ranger EVs.
Utilities are another big user and promoter of electric vehicles. Southern California Edison has the largest fleet of EVs in this U.S., says Kjaer. “We have a fleet of 320 electric vehicles. We’ve driven 3 million EV miles.”
Atlanta-based Southern Co., the parent company of Georgia Power, has a subsidized employee lease program offering a Ford Ranger EV for $150 per month or GM’s EV1 for $200 per month.
“The program has been very successful,’ says James Peters, Southern Co. spokesman. “Last year was the first year. We had 100 slots, and we had four times that many people sign up.”
Municipal EV use is a good fit too. Newport Beach, Calif., for example, started leasing EVs in ’98 and now has 20: eight Toyota RAV4s and 12 Honda EV PLUSes. They’re used by administrative services, the building department, fire and marine, general services, public works, police and planning.
“They’re very, very functional,” says David Niederhaus, general services director for Newport Beach. “Maintenance, parts and roadside assistance are built in.”
Niederhaus accessed a $400,000 fund–five years worth of the city’s portion of Department of Motor Vehicles registration fees. “The money did two things,” he says. “One, lease the vehicles for a three-year basis. The remainder, we used to buy dedicated chargers with computerized memory.”
Also, “we got 25 percent back in matching dollars from the Air Quality Management District.”
Anaheim began an electric vehicle program for commuters in May. Registered commuters who pay a monthly fee of $40 will be able to use one of eight Toyota RAV4-EVs, to get from Metrolink rail stations to their workplaces.
“We got three grants for the program,” says Diana Kotler, transportation programs planner for Anaheim. “$50,000 from the city, $25,000 for marketing from the U.S. EPA and $25,000 from the U.S. Department of Energy to prepare a case study. Nationwide, they’ll use it as a tool kit.”
As part of the program, Anaheim will get 10 new EV chargers. To cover this, the city got a grant from the Air Quality Management District for $147,000, Kotler says, and “the city contributes $47,000.”
Statewide, there are at least 500 public chargers, says Mike Wirsch, manager of the electric transportation department at the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), which oversees charger installation. “The typical (installation) cost is $3,000 to $5,000 per parking space.” Recharging at public sites is free.
SMUD also oversees home charger installation, for which the customer pays about $500. “The rest is covered by GM and the California Energy Commission,” Wirsch says.
California visitors can rent an electric vehicle, thanks to a joint venture between EV Rental Cars and Budget Rent a Car. “The idea is getting cars out on the road and giving people firsthand experience with them,” says Terry O’Day, director of planning and operations for EV Rental Cars in Los Angeles.
EV Rental Cars, with 60 electric, natural-gas and hybrid vehicles, operates through Budget locations in LAX, Sacramento International Airport and Beverly Hills. Expansion plans are in the works. In April of last year, the firm received $400,000 in cash and in-kind donations from the South Coast Air Quality Management District and the CARB to expand.
“We hope to get 40 to 50 hybrids by the end of the year. We’ll have 100 natural-gas cars by the end of the year.” They’re trying to get more electrics, but “they’re not available,” O’Day says.
Electric cars may be difficult to get, but electric bikes and NEVs (Neighborhood Electric Vehicles), similar to golf carts, are accessible. “This market is expanding,” says Van Amburg.
Kjaer adds: “You’re going to start to see a whole new class of cars–the urban (electric) car. Ford, Honda, Toyota and Nissan are all actively working in this area. They’re designed to replace short trips, which produce the most pollution.”
Whether the future vehicle is electric, hybrid or fuel cell with hydrogen generating electric power, the common denominator is the electric drive train.
“The whole range of new vehicles starting to move into the market is going to change transportation,” Van Amburg says.
NO GAS REQUIRED
Though range and recharging have been issues for electric cars, they have some advantages: no trips to the gas station, for example. Here are the specs on electric cars available in the U.S. The number of vehicles sold/leased is through Dec. 31, 1999.
Chrysler EPIC mini-van
Model year: 1999
Where available: California
Battery type: NiMH (nickel-metal hydride)
Horsepower: 100
Speed: 80 m.p.h.
Acceleration: Zero to 60 m.p.h., 17 seconds
Driving range: NiMH: 80-90 miles
Price: Lease option only
Monthly lease: $450, three-year lease
Customers: Private and public fleets
Vehicles sold/leased: 146
Ford Ranger EV
Model year: 1999
Where available: 24 states
Battery type: Lead-acid/NiMH
Horsepower: 90
Speed: 75 m.p.h.
Acceleration: 0 to 50 m.p.h., 12.5 seconds
Driving range: Lead Acid: 50 miles/NiMH: 65-80 miles
Price: Lead Acid: $34,990/NiMH: $48,995
Monthly lease: Lead Acid: $349/NiMH: $614
Customers: Retail, private and public fleets
Vehicles sold/leased: 920
GM EV1
Where available: Arizona, California
Model year: 1997*/1999 (Gen II)
Battery type: Lead acid/NiMH
Horsepower: 137
Speed: 80 m.p.h.
Acceleration: 0 to 60 m.p.h., 9 seconds
Driving range: Lead acid: 65-95 miles/NiMH: 75-140 miles
Price: Lease option only
Monthly lease: Lead acid: $424/NiMH: $499
Customers: Retail
Vehicles sold/leased: 727
* Generation I ’97 EV1s were recalled in March 2000 because of a charger port defect.
GM S-10 electric pickup
Where available: Arizona, California
Model year: 1998*
Battery type: Lead acid/NiMH
Horsepower: 114
Speed: 70 m.p.h.
Acceleration: 0 to 50 m.p.h., 10 seconds
Driving range: Lead acid: 40-55 miles/NiMH: 65-80 miles
Price: $32,995
Monthly lease: Option available
Customers: Private and public fleets
Vehicles sold/leased: 490
* 1997-98 S-10 Electric trucks were recalled in March 2000 because of a charger port defect.
Honda EV PLUS*
Model year: 1997-1999
Where available: California, Massachusetts, New York
Battery type: NiMH
Horsepower: 66
Speed: 80+ m.p.h.
Acceleration: 0 to 60 m.p.h., 17.7 seconds
Driving range: 125 miles/105 miles (city/highway)
Price: Lease option only
Monthly lease: $455
Customers: Retail, private and public fleets
Vehicles sold/leased: 300
* Honda has stopped producing the EV PLUS.
Nissan Altra EV
Where available: California
Model year: 1999
Battery type: Lithium-Ion
Horsepower: 83
Speed: 75 m.p.h.
Acceleration: 0 to 50 m.p.h., 12 seconds
Driving range: 80-100 miles
Price: Lease option only
Monthly lease: $599
Customers: Electric utility fleets
Vehicles sold/leased: 37
Toyota RAV4-EV
Where available: Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, New York, Maryland, New York, Washington, D.C.
Model year: 1999
Battery type: NiMH
Horsepower: 67
Speed: 78 m.p.h.
Acceleration: 0 to 50, 12.8 seconds
Driving range: 125 miles
Price: $42,000
Monthly lease: $457 with incentives; $599 without incentives
Customers: Public and private fleets
Vehicles sold/leased: 683
Source: Electric Vehicle Association of the Americas.
