PROPOSAL:

Execute Contract to Cost-Share Demonstration and Evaluation of Fast-Charging, State-of-the-Art Advanced Lead-Acid Batteries

SYNOPSIS:

Southern California Edison, jointly with ARB and the Advanced Lead Acid Battery Consortium (ALABC), has proposed to demonstrate and evaluate the performance and durability of advanced lead acid batteries under fast-charging conditions. Edison, through ALABC, will purchase advanced batteries from different lead-acid manufacturers, and use 100 kW fast-chargers to extensively test these battery packs at Edison's EV Tech Center in Pomona, California. The most promising batteries will then be installed on several EVs, fast-charged and further tested at ARB, El Monte, California. The total cost of this 24-month project is $655,000 which will be cost-shared by Edison ($220,800), ALABC ($226,800), and ARB ($105,400). The proposed AQMD cost-share is $102,000.

COMMITTEE:

Technology, November 7, 1997, Recommended for Approval

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Authorize the Chairman to execute a contract with Southern California Edison in an amount not to exceed $102,000 to cosponsor the demonstration and evaluation of fast-charging advanced lead-acid batteries.

Barry Wallerstein, D. Env.
Acting Executive Officer

Background

The AQMP relies on the significant penetration of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) in the Basin to attain federal and state clean air standards by 2010. The AQMP projects that about 20% of the passenger cars and light-duty trucks in the Basin will be ZEVs by 2010.

In 1990, the ARB adopted a regulation requiring the seven largest vehicle manufacturers to offer a specified percentage of light-duty passenger cars and trucks as ZEVs beginning in 1998. In March 1996, the ARB modified this ZEV regulation to allow additional time for development of longer-range advanced batteries and EV infrastructure. From 1996 to 2000, these manufacturers will put into service between 1,250 and 3,750 EVs with advanced batteries. In 2003, all large- and intermediate-volume manufacturers need to offer 10% of their light-duty fleets as ZEVs, or about 100,000 EVs per year.

In the long-term, non lead-acid advanced batteries (including, but not limited to, nickel metal hydride and lithium-ion batteries) are expected to gain significant EV market share. These batteries would increase the range and energy storage of EVs. The U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC), jointly with major U.S. manufacturers, is funding the development of these batteries for EV applications. Currently, at low volume production levels, a nickel metal hydride battery pack for a light-duty vehicle costs about $30,000. The target price range, at high production levels, is $15,000 to $20,000.

In the immediate future, however, advanced lead-acid batteries are expected to play an important role in EV applications. Conventional lead-acid battery packs, for a light-duty vehicle, are available in the price range of $3,500 to $4,000. The Advanced Lead-Acid Battery Consortium (ALABC), jointly with the major lead-acid battery manufacturers, is developing improved batteries to overcome the two basic problems faced by lead-acid batteries, namely limited battery storage capability and limited battery life. Prototype packs of these advanced batteries are available at $15,000.

Along with the advances within the battery itself, fast-charging is being currently developed, both as a means for convenient recharging of EV batteries and as an important technique to improve battery storage and battery life. The proposed project addresses the latter issue.

Proposal

Edison, in conjunction with ARB and ALABC, has proposed to demonstrate and evaluate the impact of fast-charging on advanced lead-acid batteries. The objective is to evaluate the impact on energy storage and battery life using fast chargers.

The tasks in the proposed project would include the following: Edison will purchase, through ALABC, at least 12 battery-packs of various advanced batteries from the leading lead-acid battery manufacturers; lease rapid fast-chargers; extensively test battery storage and battery life under a host of fast-charging algorithms; select the most promising batteries, and install them on different EVs; conduct field and laboratory tests of the EVs with these battery packs on normal and fast charging; be a central facility to monitor and analyze weekly data; and identify for the program participants, the most optimum fast-charging algorithms that provide the best performance results.

The proposed project is included in the September 1997 update of the Technology Advancement Plan within the proposed program, 97M2-6, "Advanced Electric Vehicle Battery Testing and Demonstration." There are several expected benefits of the proposed project. Upon completion of the project, optimum fast-charging algorithms will be identified to improve the energy storage and life of EV lead-acid batteries. This, in turn, will improve customer acceptability of EVs and accelerate EV penetration in the South Coast Air Basin, leading to substantial reduction of criteria and toxic air pollutants including, but not limited to, VOCs, NOx, CO, PM10, benzene, poly-aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), etc. Such reductions would assist the Basin in meeting federal and state air quality standards by year 2010.

Sole Source Justification

Section II, Step 3 (C) of the Consultant Selection Policy and Procedure identifies four provisions under which a sole-source award may be justified: (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 interests of the AQMD. This request for sole-source award is made under provision (4). The proposed project includes several elements that make it unique. The proposal includes several key participants in the EV technology field: Edison, ARB and ALABC.

Edison has extensive knowledge, experience and resources in testing EVs and EV batteries at its EV Tech Center (EVTC) in Pomona, CA, a nationally renowned EV Testing facility. Edison is a member of both USABC and ALABC, and has access to the state-of-art information on the technologies being developed by these consortiums. Edison was selected by the USABC to test and evaluate a USABC-owned nickel metal-hydride battery pack supplied by Ovonics, a leading advanced battery manufacturer. Edison, with 73 EVs in its fleet, plans to purchase an additional 390 vehicles over the next 3 years. Thus, Edison operates and maintains one of the largest electric vehicle fleets in the nation.

ARB is the state air pollution regulatory agency that regulates emissions from motor vehicles in California. In its El Monte, CA, facilities ARB has an advanced vehicle testing laboratory where it conducts extensive testing of a variety of vehicles under a range of simulated real-life driving conditions.

ALABC is a consortium consisting of the leading lead-acid battery manufacturers in the country. While USABC sponsors development of advanced batteries other than lead-acid batteries, ALABC sponsors development and improvement of lead-acid batteries for a range of applications including EVs. ALABC's $20 million, 4 year sponsorship has led to significant improvements in the energy-storage and battery life of lead-acid batteries. In this project, it is providing state-of-the art chargers, and is arranging the purchase of advanced prototype batteries from its members. Its participation is key in that it would facilitate communication regarding batteries, fast-chargers, charging algorithms and data analysis among Edison, ARB and ALABC members.

Resource Impacts

The total cost of this proposed project is estimated to be $655,000. The breakdown of the cosponsors and estimated support is as follows:

Sufficient funds are available in the Fiscal Year 1997-1998 Budget.

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