Replacing one million gasoline-powered vehicles in Québec (25% of the current fleet) with electric vehicles would reduce GHG emissions by 3.4 Mt annually.29 This electric fleet would only consume
around 3 TWh per year, which corresponds to the annual output of a hydroelectric generating sta- tion like Eastmain-1, or less than 2% of the company’s electricity sales in Québec in 2008.
In May 2009, the U.S. government adopted a plan to reduce reliance on oil and reduce GHG emissions by 900 Mt. Under this plan, a first in the United States, the average fuel consumption for the new vehicle fleet will be limited to 6.63 L/100 km in 2016. The major automakers are currently rethinking their vehicle lines based on environmental concerns and have announced the mar- ket rollout of all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles over the coming years. Such vehicles will plug in directly to the power grid using standard home outlets and public charge spots.
Automakers are initially targeting markets with attractive fiscal and regulatory incentives. As a case in point, the measures adopted by Norway explain why certain auto- makers have made it a priority in their marketing strategy for electric vehicles.
29. Assuming that the average plug-in vehicle would consume 2,900 kWh and avoid emissions of 3.4 t of CO2 per year, or the emissions from a gasoline-fueled compact.
TM4’s latest-generation electric motor
Development and marketing of advanced technologies
Hydro-Québec is also contributing to the development of plug-in vehicles through its technological expertise, with a focus on motors and battery materials.
Its subsidiary TM4 was established in 1998 with a mission to develop and market electric motors based on technologies developed or perfected by Hydro-Québec’s research institute, IREQ.
In January 2009, TM4 announced that it was joining forces with Tata Motors (a subsidiary of India’s largest automaker, the Tata Group) and the Norwegian company Miljø Grenland/Innovasjon (a subsidiary of Tata Motors) in a demonstration program for all-electric vehicles in Norway. TM4 is providing the electric motors (its latest-generation automobile motor, the TM4 MФTIVE™ series) as well as power electronics and vehicle controllers. Resulting from a decade of research and development and incorporating several technologies patented by TM4, the motor has the best power-to-weight ratio in its class and industry-leading efficiency. Tata Motors is providing Miljø with the parts for the Indica Vista EV, a practical four-passenger car with a reasonable cargo area. It has an expected range of 200 km and acceleration of 0 to 60 km/h in less than 10 seconds.
Hydro-Québec intends to facilitate the mass production and marketing of TM4 electric motors by creating a joint venture with a world-scale auto parts manufacturer, while continuing to develop new products.
Batteries are still the determining factor in the future success of plug-in vehicles.
Batteries consist of an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte. Lithium-iron-phosphate cathodes have shown a great deal of promise for increasing the stability and safety of lithium-ion batteries and reducing their cost. Hydro-Québec holds the North American and European patents for this tech- nology. Molten salts also show great potential as an electrolyte, which conducts the lithium ions between the anode and the cathode; Hydro-Québec considers that it owns most of the world intel- lectual property for this technology. For the anode, IREQ is working on nanotitanates to increase battery life and performance. Hydro-Québec plans to grant licences to several partners to encour- age high-quality and large-scale production, by major battery manufacturers, of the advanced materials it has developed.
In November 2008, IREQ signed two major agreements involving batteries. The first was with the Korean battery manufacturer VK EIG, to perfect materials that will increase the voltage of a lithium- ion battery to be used by a major international automaker to 5 V. Under the second agreement, IREQ will collaborate with the Japanese firm Showa Denko Group, a world leader in the manufacture of carbon fibres, to create carbon nanotubes, which will improve the contact between iron phosphate particles, thus increasing battery capacity.
Through its work on advanced materials, IREQ will continue to participate in efforts to improve the performance and reduce the cost of lithium-ion batteries.
Work at IREQ on molten salts for lithium-ion batteries
Test-driving of plug-in vehicles and experimenting with their integration into the power grid
Hydro-Québec wants to remain at the forefront of companies working on the addition of electric vehicles to power distribution grids.
The company will conduct projects to demonstrate the reliability and advantages of plug-in vehicles. It has signed a three-year agreement with the Ford Motor Company, under which Ford pro- vided it with a prototype Ford Escape Plug-In Hybrid in June 2009. The only electric utility in Canada to sign such an agreement, Hydro-Québec will field-test this vehicle in order to analyze different charging modes and their impact on the grid.
In addition, the company has stepped up discussions with other potential partners. Among the means considered for attracting partners, it is looking at the feasibility of adding more plug-in vehicles to its fleet.
Planning of support infrastructure for vehicle charging (home and public charge spots)
Hydro-Québec also plans to carry out projects to test the implementation and use of charging infra- structure.
In July 2008, the company joined some 30 other electric utilities in a cooperation agreement with General Motors and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). In this way, Hydro-Québec is helping to develop the technical parameters required to implement a North American vehicle charging infra- structure. This involves ensuring the development of vehicle charge spots that are safe, adapted to grid capacity and compatible continent-wide. In addition, Hydro-Québec has begun talks with other potential partners active in vehicle charging. In all these initiatives, the company’s main concern is to encourage the adoption of simple, easy-to-use and cost-effective technological solutions.