PROPOSAL:

Execute Contract with ARB to Develop and Demonstrate
Automatic Charging System for Electric Vehicles.

SYNOPSIS:

Vehicle manufacturers are introducing battery-powered EVs in response to ARB regulations and other agreements. When manually connecting electrical charging cords to EVs, some consumers are concerned about possible electrical shock. This activity is also inconvenient and may unnecessarily expose consumers to electromagnetic fields. The ARB, in cooperation with the AQMD, has proposed to develop an automated, hands-off charging system that improves overall consumer-friendliness of battery-powered EVs. AQMD funding for this $483,650 project will be $150,000.

COMMITTEE:

Technology, March 28, 1997, Recommended for Approval.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Authorize the Chairman to execute a contract with the ARB for an amount not to exceed $150,000 to develop and demonstrate an automatic charging system for electric vehicles.

James M. Lents, Ph.D.
Executive Officer

Background

The AQMP calls for the accelerated introduction of EVs as an air-quality attainment strategy. In support of this, ARB regulations governing new-vehicle manufacturers require the production and sale of ZEVs in California. These regulations and other ARB-manufacturer agreements resulted in the recent introduction of the General Motor’s EV1. Honda, Toyota and Ford are also planning to introduce EV models later this year. For the near term, these EVs will be powered by rechargeable battery packs. Currently, this requires owners to manually connect a heavy-duty electrical cord to the EV.

The ARB and AQMD have been cooperating with the EV Infrastructure Working Council (IWC) to develop standards for elements of the EV infrastructure. The IWC has identified several consumer perceptions regarding EV charging systems that could create barriers to public acceptance of EVs. One perception concerns the safety of the consumer while connecting and operating manual charging systems, from the perspective of both electrical shock and potential exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF). Another perception is that manual systems are inconvenient as they require the driver to remember to connect a charging cord, handle bulky and possibly soiled components, and switch-on charging, all potentially in inclement weather.

At present, there are no commercially available automatic EV charging systems. However, there are certain types of industrial equipment and many consumer products that use magnetically or inductively coupled systems for battery charging (no metal-to-metal contact). Other innovators have proposed mounting such systems in the roadway, while others have proposed using mechanical arms to automatically plug into a parked EV to charge the batteries. Automatic charging systems appear feasible and would improve the consumer-friendliness of. EVs.

In September 1996 working closely with the AQMD, the ARB issued an RFP entitled, "Automatic Charging Systems for Electric Vehicles: Demonstration Project." This RFP attracted two competitive proposals from Acurex Environmental Corporation and Bevilacqua-Knight, Incorporated (BKI). A panel of ARB and AQMD staff selected BKI as the winning proposal.

Proposal

The objective of this project is to develop and demonstrate an automatic EV charging system using inductively coupled technology. The basic technology proposed has been developed by Inductran Corporation and is currently being used in industrial equipment.

In Task 1, various inductive-couple concepts will be investigated including floor-mounted (horizontal), stand-mounted (vertical), and articulated (moving plate) configurations. Various electrical charging schemes and algorithms will also be investigated. Following configuration selection, a detailed design will be developed in Task 2. The final design must then be approved by a technical advisory committee composed of ARB and AQMD staff.

In Tasks 3 and 4, a prototype system will be fabricated and installed in a test cell at the Clean Air Vehicle Technology Center (CAVTC) in Hayward, California. The prototype system will be evaluated for its charging characteristics and efficiency, impact on the electrical grid, EMF levels, and electrical safety. Task 5 consists of a field demonstration of the technology.

The proposed project is included in the Technology Advancement Plan, approved on October 11, 1996, as project M4-3, "Development of an Automated EV Charging System." The primary benefit of this project is developing EV charging technology that is convenient and acceptable to consumers and ultimately promotes the commercial viability of zero-emission EVs.

Sole Source Justification

Section II, Step 3(C) of the Consultant Selection Policy and Procedure, identifies four provisions under which the Executive Officer may award a sole-source contract: (1) cost to prepare documents exceeds cost for consultant; (2) delay would result in the endangerment of public health; (3) services are only available from sole-source; and (4) other circumstances exist identifying sole-source as in the best interest of the AQMD. This request for sole-source award is made under provision (4).

The proposed project is unique in its development and demonstration of an automatic EV charging system. The ARB and AQMD staffs are not aware of any equipment or vehicle manufacturers who are planning to develop such a system. The ARB is providing nearly 70% of the funding for this project along with administrative and technical oversight.

The ARB’s technical contractor for this project, Bevilacqua-Knight, Incorporated, was selected through a competitive bid process in which AQMD staff were directly involved. The BKI proposal was fully compliant with the ARB’s subcontracting requirement for minority-owned businesses (15%), women-owned businesses (5%), and California disabled-veteran-owned businesses (3%).

Resource Impacts

The total cost of this 21-month project will be $483,650. The total amount of AQMD funding for this project will not exceed $150,000. The remainder of the funding or $333,650 will be provided by the ARB. Sufficient funds are available in the FY 1996-97 budget.

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