DOE Planning Grant for Electric Vehicles Awarded to UHMC and DBEDT
The Department of Energy has awarded nearly $300,000 to University of Hawaiʻi Maui College—in partnership with the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT)—to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in Hawaiʻi. UHMC was the only college or university that received a community planning grant in this initiative. “Our strategy,” says Susan Wyche, UHMC Special Projects Coordinator, “is to capitalize on Maui’s unique features that will support the mass adoption of electric vehicles, such as our short driving distances, high cost of gasoline, and the large number of rental vehicles that make up our vehicle population. Our goal is to have the highest EV ownership per capita in the world, and to combine that with the greatest percentage of fossil free sources to charge those EVs. Maui will serve as a case study for other islands in Hawaii, and the world.”
The strategy required extensive recruiting of partners willing to dedicate personnel time to the planning process. Over 30 partners will participate, including car rental companies and car dealers, resort hotels, utility companies, local and state environmental agencies, organizations with large vehicle fleets, and renewable energy producers. In addition, UHMC will be consulting with the University of California San Diego and San Diego Regional Clean Fuels Coalition, which have been national leaders in developing renewable energy resources, innovative policies, and studies on consumer use of electric vehicles.
“We worked with UH Maui College to get this grant because Maui is an ideal location for EV adoption. Maui attracts some two million visitors per year, and 85 percent of these use rental cars. Visitors and local people can test drive the cars; this will help them decide whether they would like to become EV owners. Many Maui resorts are putting in charging stations, so the infrastructure will be available. And EVs can be plugged in at night to use Maui-generated wind energy, which is usually most available in the evenings,” said Estrella Seese, acting administrator of DBEDT’s Energy Office.
The connection to renewable energy is key for the project, because the goal is not just to encourage drivers to switch to electric vehicles—which would only mean exchanging where the fuel is burned from the combustible engine to the central energy plant—but to power the vehicles through renewable energy. “This grant fits with the College’s goals of providing leadership in sustainable solutions for island-based economies,” says Chancellor Clyde Sakamoto, “We look forward to cooperatively spearheading this effort which will contribute to our independence from imported fuels.”
UH-Maui College Wins DOE Grant for Renewable Energy Charging of Rental Electric Vehicles
1. TOP
10
REASONS
WHY
MAUI
IS
THE
PERFECT
SITE
FOR
ELECTRIC
VEHICLES
2. EVs
pose
mul=ple
challenges
to
mass
adop=on
• They
are
expensive
• They
require
new
infrastructure
• They
provoke
“range
anxiety”
• They
require
consumers
to
change
their
fueling
behavior
3. Challenges
for
EVs
(cont.)
• Poten=al
owners
are
concerned
that
current
technology
will
become
obsolete
quickly
• Most
are
sold
in
advance,
so
limited
opportuni=es
for
test
driving
exist
• They
create
an
unknown
impact
on
old
u=lity
grids
4. But
Maui
could
create
a
new
paradigm
for
drivers:
Here
are
10
reasons
why
.
.
.
6. #9
Maui
is
geographically
small
(which
helps
with
“range
anxiety”)
26
Miles
across
48
miles
wide
7. #8
Maui
hosts
nearly
2
million
visitors
per
year,
(or,
on
average,
over
half
of
the
people
here
are
visitors)
and
.
.
.
8. 85%
of
them
choose
rental
cars
for
transporta=on.
9. That’s
important
in
this
plan,
because
EVs
make
sense
for
rental
car
companies:
10. • Rental
car
companies
can
purchase
in
large
quan==es
• Fleets
change
over
quickly
(they
don’t
have
to
worry
about
geang
stuck
with
obsolete
technology)
11. • Rental
car
companies
can
capture
value
when
they
resell
the
cars
• Having
EVs
makes
them
more
compe==ve
in
the
rental
market
12. EVs
will
also
appeal
to
rental
car
customers
because
.
.
.
• They
can
try
the
cars
without
commiang
to
a
major
purchase
• The
infrastructure
is
taken
care
of
at
their
des=na=on
13. • They
can
get
an
extended
“test
drive”
experience
• The
car
becomes
part
of
the
vaca=on
adventure
And
• In
some
cases,
refueling
is
covered
by
their
hotels
(Which
leads
us
to
our
next
set
of
reasons
.
.
.
)
14. #7
A
majority
of
visitors
stay
at
hotels
or
condos
clustered
along
the
south
and
west
coasts
of
the
island
(where
they
can
recharge
their
EV
cars
overnight)
15. #6
Parking
facili=es
that
are
available
for
use
by
the
general
public
and
have
at
least
100
spaces
are
required
to
install
an
EV
charger
for
every
100
spaces
16. #5
Golf
courses,
restaurants,
and
major
tourist
des=na=ons
are
installing
charging
sta=ons
17. #4
Rental
cars
will
encourage
local
adop=on
• EVs
will
become
familiar
(as
hybrids
did)
• Infrastructure
for
visitor
des=na=ons
can
also
serve
local
drivers
(malls,
restaurants,
etc.)
• Seeing
EVs
on
the
road
will
increase
buyer
interest
• Local
drivers
can
rent
EVs
on
a
trial
basis
• Maintenance
service
will
be
available
18. #3
EVs
will
assist
Maui’s
isolated
grid
to
integrate
renewable
energy:
• Wind
and
solar
energy
are
readily
available
on
Maui,
but
.
.
.
• The
local
power
company
limits
variable
energy
sources
to
15%
because
of
its
impact
to
an
old
grid
19. • Most
EVs
will
charge
at
night,
when
loads
on
the
u=lity
are
low
• EVs
will
help
the
local
u=lity
company
use
energy
from
wind
farms
(which
is
frequently
highest
at
night)
20. • During
the
day=me,
EVs
can
draw
on
solar
energy
(and
the
technology
is
available)
21. • And
EVs
also
become
a
poten=al
source
of
storage
-‐
a
cri=cal
component
for
an
isolated
grid
22. #2
Because
of
having
an
isolated
grid,
Maui
has
been
selected
as
a
test
site
for
“Smart
Grid”
systems
by
several
major
companies,
including
MECO,
GE,
and
Hitachi
23.
And
the
#1
Reason
EVs
make
sense
for
Maui?
24. Gas
Prices
are
the
highest
in
the
na=on!
Price
shown
from
May
2011
25. Why
are
EVs
important
for
Hawaiʻi?
• Hawaiʻi
is
the
na=on’s
most
dependent
state
on
foreign
oil
• Hawaiʻi
spent
$7
billion
impor=ng
oil
–money
lost
to
reinves=ng
in
the
local
economy
• 60%
of
that
is
spent
for
transporta=on
• Hawaiʻi
has
set
a
goal
of
genera=ng
40%
of
its
energy
locally
by
2030
26. DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS,
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ND
TOURISM
University
of
Hawaii
Maui
College,
in
partnership
with
the
State
of
Hawaii’s
Department
of
Business,
Economic
Development,
has
a
plan
for
helping
Maui
become
a
na=onal
leader
in
the
mass
adop=on
of
electric
vehicles
(EVs):
27. Maui
Electric
Vehicle
Alliance
(EVA)
Maui
EVA
will
bring
together
interested
par=es
to
develop
a
collabora=ve
strategy
for
promo=ng
EVs
and
encouraging
infrastructure
development.
The
group
consists
of
government,
business,
academic,
and
non-‐
profit
organiza=ons.
28. Project
Partners
• Honolulu
Clean
Ci+es
• Hawaii
Electric
Vehicle
Network
• University
of
California
–
San
Diego
Corpora+on
• San
Diego
Regional
Clean
Fuels
Coali+on
• Hawaii
Electricians
Training
Fund
• AeroVironment
• Hawaii
Renewable
Energy
Development
• Be=er
Place
Venture
• Castle
and
Cooke
• Hawaii
Energy
and
Technology
• CATRALA
(Car
&
Truck
Rental
• Hawaii
Natural
Energy
Ins+tute
Associa+on)
• The
Hertz
Corpora+on
• Chevron
Energy
Solu+ons
• Honua
Kai
Hotel
• County
of
Maui
• HNU
Energy
• Des+na+on
Resorts
Hawaii,
Inc.
• HTDC
-‐
MEP
• EAN
Holdings
(Enterprise)
• Jim
Falk
Automo+ve
Group
• GreenCar
Hawaii
• Maui
Economic
Development
Board
• Grand
Wailea
Resort
Hotel
&
Spa
• Maui
Electric
Company
• Hawaii
Automobile
Dealers
Associa+on
• Maui
Hotel
and
Lodging
Associa+on
• Hawaii
Electric
Company
• Rising
Sun
Solar
29. Planning
will
begin
in
Fall
2011
For
further
informa=on,
contact
Susan
Wyche,
Special
Projects
Coordinator
University
of
Hawaii
Maui
College
Tel.
808-‐984-‐3670
swyche@hawaii.edu
30. Slide
Credits
• Slide
1,
photograph
by
Hiren
• Slide
4,
image
from
hop://green.autoblog.com
• Slide
6,
map
by
Google
Maps
• Slide
7,
image
of
Maui
Airport
(OGG)
• Slide
9,
images
of
Enterprise
and
Hertz
EV
rental
car
adver=sements
• Slide
14,
Photograph
by
Randall
Michelson
• Slide
15,
Photograph
of
Beoer
Place
charging
sta=on,
image
from
hop://caradvice.com.au
• Slide
16,
image
of
Kahili
Golf
Course,
Maui,
image
from
hop://www.hgcsa.org
• Slide
18,
image
of
Maui
Electric
Company
Power
Plant,
from
hop://www.hawaiiforvisitors.com
• Slide
19,
image
of
Kaheawa
Wind
Farm
from
hop://www.beoerplace.com
• Slide
20,
image
of
GE
Solar-‐powered
Carport
• Slide
21,
image
of
Chargepoint
charging
sta=on
• Slide
24,
photograph
by
Susan
Wyche