New business models for electric cars—A holistic approach Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI, Breslauer Strasse 48, 76139 Karlsruhe, Germany Received 9 July 2010, Accepted 15 March 2011, Available online 7 April 2011 Choose an option to locate/access this article: Check if you have access through your login credentials or your institution Check access doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2011.03.036 Get rights and content Abstract Climate change and global resource shortages have led to rethinking traditional individual mobility services based on combustion engines. Highlights ► We present a systemic instrument to analyze business models for electric vehicles. ► Provide decision support for an enterprises dealing with electric vehicle innovations. ► Combine business aspects of the triad between vehicles concepts, infrastructure as well as system integration. ► In the market, activities in all domains have been initiated, but often with undefined or unclear structures. Keywords Business models; Electric vehicles; Morphological box
Gaining attitudes towards electric vehicles Chris Walsh from Cenex finds out what fleet operators really think about electric vehicles after taking part in the Smart Move trial Cenex – the UK’s first Centre of Excellence for low carbon vehicle technologies – has recently completed a six month study that looked at the feasibility of integrating electric vehicles into fleets, and surveyed the perceptions of fleet drivers and managers towards electric vehicles. The Smart Move Trial took place in the North East of England and was designed to test the hypothesis that organisations that operate vehicle pools and fleets are ideal candidates as early adopters of electric vehicles. The more predictable and planned travel requirements of fleets lend themselves to electric vehicles being more easily and economically restricted to certain applications. Fleets also operate a return-to-base operation where only a limited amount of recharging infrastructure needs to be installed.
Choosing appropriate research methodologies Choosing qualitative or quantitative research methodologies Your research will dictate the kinds of research methodologies you use to underpin your work and methods you use in order to collect data. If you wish to collect quantitative data you are probably measuring variables and verifying existing theories or hypotheses or questioning them. Data is often used to generate new hypotheses based on the results of data collected about different variables. One’s colleagues are often much happier about the ability to verify quantitative data as many people feel safe only with numbers and statistics. However, often collections of statistics and number crunching are not the answer to understanding meanings, beliefs and experience, which are better understood through qualitative data. Qualitative research This is carried out when we wish to understand meanings, look at, describe and understand experience, ideas, beliefs and values, intangibles such as these. Research methods in brief Interviews
Charged EVs | Germany to offer free EV parking, bus lane access The German cabinet is backing a bill to let municipalities offer drivers of plug-in vehicles incentives such as free parking and the right to use bus lanes. Germany’s goal is to have a million electric vehicles auf der strasse by 2020 (as of the beginning of 2014, there were about 21,000). “Electric cars will get their own labels so they’re recognizable to everyone,” said Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt. “Sales will rise amid an increasing selection of electric models and a growing number of e-cars on the roads.” SEE ALSO: California enacts a new round of pro-plug-in measures Matthias Wissmann, President of the VDA auto industry group, said that the measures could boost electric mobility, but the rules need to take effect quickly and apply nationwide. German automakers may have come a bit late to the electric party, but they are catching up quickly. 1,163 plug-in vehicles were sold in the country in August. Source: Automotive NewsImage: Car leasing made simple/Flickr
Elektromobilität - Fraunhofer IML - Fraunhofer IML Durch die zunehmend beschränkten Zufahrtsmöglichkeiten in Innenstädten ergeben sich für Wirtschaftsverkehre neue Herausforderungen. Die schrittweise Verschärfung der Einfahrtsbeschränkungen, u. a. durch Umweltzonen, schließt teilweise bereits Dieselfahrzeuge von der Einfahrt in Innenstadtbereiche aus. Die Elektromobilität bietet eine gute Möglichkeit, angepasste Fahrzeuge für urbane Lieferverkehre zur Verfügung zu stellen. Durch die Art der Verkehre sind keine großen Reichweiten der Fahrzeuge nötig. Die momentane Technologie ist daher bereits für urbane Lieferverkehre nutzbar. Innenstadtverkehre haben diverse und vielfältige Anforderungen an ihre Fahrzeuge und Touren. Für Sie bedeutet dies konkret, dass ein Verfahren zur Entscheidungsunterstützung bei der Fuhrparkgestaltung und der Fahrzeugwahl vorliegt, um die Zustellung auf der letzten Meile bzw. im städtischen Bereich mit den am Markt vorhandenen neuartigen Fahrzeugen durchführen zu können.
City of Los Angeles, EnvironmentLA Alternative Fuel & Related Links-click here At the end of 2013, the City of Los Angeles vehicle fleet was surveyed by the bureau of Sanitation / Los Angeles Clean Cities Coalition. The City owns and maintains 5,025 alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs). This total includes vehicles that use compressed (CNG) and/or liquefied natural gas (LNG), liquefied petroleum gas, or electricity, as one or more of the fuels. As part of the Los Angeles Clean Cities Program, the City is committed to increase its fleet of AFVs by an average of 15% each year. As part of this commitment, in 2000, the City adopted the Clean Fuel Policy, providing more support to our operational departments in successfully obtaining approvals for such purchases. At the end of 2013, the City's light-duty AFVs were comprised of compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) vehicles, electric vehicles and neighborhood electric vehicles or NEVs, motorcycles and forklifts). Alternative Fuel Infrastructure
Electricity Electricity can be used to power all-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. These vehicles can draw electricity directly from the grid and other off-board electrical power sources and store it in batteries. Hybrid electric vehicles use electricity to boost fuel efficiency. Using electricity to power vehicles can have significant energy security and emissions benefits. Basics Find information about using electricity as a vehicle fuel, production and distribution, research and development, and related links. Benefits and Considerations Explore the benefits and considerations of using electricity as a vehicle fuel. Stations Locate electric charging stations in your area, and learn about charging infrastructure for plug-in electric vehicles. Vehicles Learn about hybrid and plug-in electric vehicles, and find information about vehicle availability, conversions, emissions, batteries, deployment, maintenance, and safety. Laws and Incentives
Motoring the Future: VW and Toyota Vying for Pole Position - Engelbert Wimmer All About Electric Vehicles You've probably noticed that electric cars, or "EVs" are everywhere these days. Thanks to technological advances, electric engines aren't just for golf carts anymore. There are almost 20 partially or fully electric options on the market right now, and while we're not quite ready to recommend that all of you run out and buy one, we're betting EVs will be a good choice for at least a few of you. Find out how EVs work, what's on the market, and whether one is a good option for you, right here. Yours in fully charged batteries, CarTalk Community EV Discussions See all articles Electric Vehicles Images used to convey topics in the article are used under the Creative Commons License. You've probably noticed that electric cars, or "EVs" are everywhere these days. There are almost 20 partially or fully electric options on the market right now, and while we're not quite ready to recommend that all of you run out and buy one, we're betting EVs will be a good choice for at least a few of you.
Adding an Electric Car Cut the Payback Point of Our Solar Panel Investment in Half When we discussed our home solar panel project in mid-2011 with friends, one of the first questions everyone asked was, “What’s the payback period before you break even?” The second question, unsurprisingly, was, “How much is it costing you?” but the focus always ended up on the payback. I shared details on both the solar panel project and the car before, but let me step back and recap a bit. At the time, we were quoted a price of $5.50 per watt for the project. A year after the solar panels were installed—they generated 13.8 MWh in the first 12 months and you can see the real-time stats here—we opted to add an electric car to our garage. Since the Acura was our primary vehicle, we racked up miles quickly. With the Volt—you can see driving stats for that, too—we’ve already turned 7,228 miles in the six months of ownership. So what does this do to our solar panel payback? Three-quarters of our driving is powered by electricity. Also from GigaOM: Bitcoin Buzz Stays High—Even After Bubble
Methodology Vehicle Technology A conventional gas vehicle is powered by a traditional internal combustion engine using gasoline. A conventional hybrid vehicle combines an internal combustion engine propulsion system with an electric propulsion system. A battery electric vehicle runs on a battery recharged solely by electricity. A plug-in hybrid is a hybrid vehicle which utilizes rechargeable batteries, or another energy storage device, that can be restored to full charge by connecting a plug to an external electric power source (usually a normal electric wall socket). Select the car’s primary use By selecting the car’s primary use, you provide general information about your driving habits, which the calculator will then use to provide more accurate analysis. Select the state you live in If you specified the state you live in, then the default value for the gas price will be based on average gas prices in your state over a recent time period. Distance driven annually (miles) % of highway miles
Drive Clean View Certified Hybrid Electric Vehicles Available for Sale > Background Hybrid electric vehicles (hybrids) combine an internal combustion engine with a battery and electric motor. This combination offers the range and refueling capabilities of a conventional vehicle, while providing improved fuel economy and often times lower emissions. How It Works Not all hybrids are created equal. Many configurations are possible for hybrids. Availability Manufacturers continue to make more hybrid models each year, and now plug-in hybrids are also available in a variety of makes and models. Cost One question that often comes up when discussing the cost of hybrids is battery replacement. Hybrids often cost more than their gasoline counterparts due to cost of the battery, however this is not always the case. Here is the basic equation for determining a hybrid's breakeven point: 1. Identify the combined city/highway MPG number for a hybrid and that of its closest conventional counterpart. 3. Incentives Fueling