If we are
to achieve a total independency of fossil fuels before 2050 integration of
battery storage and electric vehicles is one of the most promising solutions for
improving reliability and performance of the future power system.
How does the future look for Electric Vehicles? That was the big question when Esben Larsen, Associate Professor at Center for Electric Power and Energy (CEE), DTU Elektro, moderated a session on Electromobility at the 2017 Transport Summer Summit hosted by DTU Management Engineering on 31 May.
The session had the format of a panel debate consisting of the following participants: Ann Strøby, Nissan; Martin Messer, Danish EV Association & the company nuvve; Lærke Flader, Danish EV Alliance and Chresten Træholt also from Center for Electric Power and Energy.
The main focus for Chresten Træholt was the questions of storage and electric vehicle integration. At the moment CEE is involved in several projects with the purpose of integrating Electric Vehicles, EV, in the power grid. For example, in the EnergyLab Nordhavn project a large grid connected battery has been installed and will be used in conjunction with electric vehicles in the parking house, P-hus Lüders. Another project is the Parker Project which explores grid-balancing services provided by a fleet of electric vehicles to demonstrate their potential for supporting the electricity grid as power resources.
Denmark is lacking behind
There wasn’t much to debate among the panelist who all agreed that transportation in the future will be green. There is however still a long way to go if the transport sector should be independent of fossil fuels by 2050.
For many years Denmark has been a front runner when it comes to developing solutions within sustainable energy. However, when it comes to electric vehicles we are lacking behind. In Europe countries like Norway and Holland are (miles) ahead of Denmark. In Norway three per cent of the car fleet in 2016 was electric corresponding to 100.000 cars. In 2020 they expect that number to quadruple. Compared to Denmark less than one percent of new cars sold in 2016 were electric. When looking to Asia it is countries like China and India that are frontrunners with ambitious targets within fossil free transportation.
In Denmark the regulation has not worked in favor of the Electric Vehicle industry in the past years – but that might be about to change as a freeze on a 20 per cent tax on Electrical Vehicles until 2019 (or until 5000 EVs are sold) is expected to be approved by the Danish Parliament. This is a start but to really make a difference we need a more far-sighted perspective.
Expectations for the future
All panelists were optimistic about the future not least due to the development of new technology, the increased capacity of batteries and the reduction in cost. We are not far from having electric vehicles both priced as a fuel car and with the same travel range on a ‘tank’. And that might be the turning point because when the price is right the consumers will buy in to it.
To see the presentations click here.
