The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and Ford Motor Company announced a three-year agreement to develop and evaluate technical approaches for integrating plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the nation’s electric grid system.
EPRI will form a collaborative of utilities in the New York-New Jersey area that will test Ford Escape PHEVs. Subsequent trials will be conducted with customers of the participating utilities.
Ford, which is also working with Southern California Edison (SCE), is the first automotive manufacturer to partner with the utility industry to facilitate advancing PHEVs. The new EPRI-Ford program will build on the ongoing Ford-SCE partnership and help determine regional differences in how the operation of PHEVs will impact the electric grid system.
"This partnership represents a concerted effort by the transportation and electric sectors to work together in advancing PHEV technology," said Mark Duvall, EPRI’s program manager for Electric Transportation. "This effort should accelerate the pace of PHEV development while enabling the utility industry to prepare for the introduction of these vehicles."
Nancy Gioia, director of Sustainable Mobility Technologies at Ford. "PHEVs have great promise, but still face significant obstacles to commercialization, including battery costs and charging strategies. Ultimately such vehicles must provide real value to consumers."
PHEVs are part of a family of electric-drive technologies that could play an important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. They could also lower fuel costs and lead to more cost-effective use of the nation’s electricity grid, particularly during off-peak hours.
EPRI, Ford and SCE’s research and analysis on the Ford PHEVs will include data from four primary areas: battery technology, vehicle systems, customer usage, and grid infrastructure. The analysis will also explore possible stationary and secondary usages for advanced batteries.
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