Working with government, industry and key cities, the ETI plans to conduct an extensive evaluation of consumer attitudes and behaviors in purchasing and using plug-in vehicles and the supporting infrastructure. The company will conduct UK consumer market research and consult with the users of the Technology Strategy Board’s Ultra Low Carbon Vehicle Demonstrators during 2010.
The project will also develop a technology tool kit for constructing supporting infrastructure across the UK, including the definition of an open standard architecture and the generation of infrastructure planning information.
The ETI Plug-in Vehicle Economics and Infrastructure project will reduce uncertainty by understanding the consumer response to plug-in vehicles and the supporting infrastructure.
The primary objectives are:
To evaluate the potential role and economics of plug-in vehicles in the low carbon transport system: generate a quantified understanding of the market potential, cost models and carbon benefits case under defined scenarios of infrastructure investments, government intervention packages and finance model options across a number of key plug-in vehicle type/size/capability points; and
To develop the technology tool-kit for delivering an intelligent infrastructure: create a verified open interoperability architecture and generate information to aid infrastructure planning (e.g. to indicate how many recharging points are needed and where they should be located, what mix of power levels is required, how the impact of plug-in vehicle recharging on the electricity distribution network should be managed, how the overall system can be simplified for consumers, etc.).
