For a period of 2 years, MOVIA, a public transport provider, is testing two electric buses manufactured by BYD. The buses are the same size (12 meters) as traditional diesel powered buses. MOVIA is using the electric buses as a part of the regular transport services in Copenhagen. The project is supported by the Danish Road Authorities with 5 million DKK (0.9 million USD) and co-financed by the City of Copenhagen. Learnings and experiences so far:
• Both driver and passenger evaluate comfort as fine and there has been very positive feedback from customers.
• The EV bus quality was evaluated to be on the same level as the diesel bus quality.
• There have been no issues with the main battery pack and charging has worked perfectly. But the long term reliability of the battery pack still needs to be proven.
• The fuel cost of the electric bus is approximately 60% lower than the fuel cost for a comparable diesel bus. However, the purchase cost is higher and range and passenger capacity are lower.
• There has been some minor start up issues with electronics and the 24V batteries need to be monitored and maintained.
The final evaluation of the electric buses is expected to be ready by May 2016.
21.5
Outlook
The public recharging infrastructure in Denmark is well developed and is still expanding with focus on fast charging at highway rest stops, supermarkets, gasoline stations, and other locations where the EV driver can spend time while the car is charging.
Danish experiences show that EVs, in terms of total cost of ownership (TCO) and functionality, are a real and competitive alternative to internal combustion engine (ICE) cars in company and municipality fleets.
2015 IA-HEV ANNUAL REPORT
There has been a significant penetration of EVs in Danish municipalities. By the end of 2014, 62% of the Danish municipalities had EVs. By the end of 2014, two thirds of the municipalities with EVs had between 1 and 5 EVs in the fleet. Fleet analyses have estimated that more than 50% of the total municipality fleet can be replaced with EVs based on practical criteria. The City of Odense (the third largest city in Denmark) has published an objective to replace its entire 500 unit fleet with EVs. The City of Copenhagen is well under way to achieve its previously
published objective to replace 85% of all passenger cars in the current fleet with EVs and fuel cell vehicles by 2015. It is expected that more municipalities will get EVs and that the EV share of the total municipality fleet will increase. Strategic EV partnerships, supported from public funds and procurement partnerships will support this development.
The uptake of EVs in private company fleets is not as strong as in municipality fleets. Results from demonstrations projects indicate that the companies’ lack of knowledge about EVs needs to be addressed to boost EV penetration.
Opportunities for EVs as e.g. pool cars, service cars, and city delivery cars needs to be conveyed to companies.
As for individuals, EV penetration is primarily driven by favorable leasing offers with public support. EVs are increasingly being considered by individuals as the second car of the household and for commuting purposes. Lack of knowledge and higher TCOs on small EVs are still barriers to be overcome.
The current framework conditions for EVs (exemption from registration tax and annual road tax and electricity tax reimbursement when charging) expire by the end of 2015. At present it is not clear what will happen, but the choice of conditions is likely to have a major impact on the future EV penetration in Denmark.
22
Finland
22.1
Major Developments in 2014
Finland’s government policies are tied to greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets and currently do not favor or subsidize electric vehicles (EVs). Currently, the overall targets for GHG reduction can be met by using biofuels, which are in ready supply from Finland’s vast forests. There were no national hybrid-related or EV- related policy announcements or legislation changes during 2014. Current Finnish fuel taxes are based on energy content, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and the
impact on local air quality.
With regard to road traffic, the accepted target for average CO2 emissions from
new cars sold in 2020 will be 95 g/km. This emission level represents a reduction from the current average level of 144.8 g/km for new cars sold in 2011. This CO2-
based taxation system began in 2011 and remains in effect. The system favors hybrid vehicles and EVs, along with many biofuels. In 2015, the average new-car GHG emission level target will be 130 g/km. Beginning in 2010, the standard 95- octane gasoline has been 95E10 containing 10% ethanol, which has helped to decrease vehicle emissions.
Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation, coordinates the Electric Vehicle Systems (EVE) program. Launched at the end of 2011, EVE is developing testing environments for EVs and has a 100 million EUR (129 million USD) program budget. The EVE program has contributed in creating an
internationally networked community focused on developing new EV-related businesses, with their machinery and systems. There is also support reserved for vehicles and charging points participating in the national EV development program.
Some developments of the year 2014 in Finnish industry: