The Stumbling Block Is Range Anxiety
When it comes to the subject of electric mobility, the availability of charging stations is a real game changer. The sensitive point in the sustainable transportation model is the time period between one charge and the next. In fact, if there is still one stumbling block for electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing today, then it is so-called “range anxiety”. In the US, running out of power between charging stops is a very legitimate worry, despite continual upgrades to battery technology and constant increases in storage capacity and performance.
Electrify America Program to Boost e-Mobility in the US
Navigant Research – a platform that analyzes the global market for clean technologies – estimates there will be 8.5 million EVs in the US by 2020. This number could rise even further with the implementation of the Electrify America project focusing on 17 metropolitan areas, including Boston, Houston, Miami and New York, plus incentive programs to encourage the installation of charging infrastructure in key locations such as schools, parking lots, corporate campuses and residential developments.
Learning From Enel X
Many of these US programs are still in the development phase, but much can be learned about the strategy behind them from Enel X, which has already installed at least 5,000 charging stations in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Greece, Italy, Romania and Spain, according to GreenBiz, a digital network that focuses on the intersection between business, technology and sustainability in the Green Economy.
Enel X in California
In an article on how utilities and companies are teaming up to power EVs, GreenBiz describes Enel X’s e-Mobility programs and its acquisition of Californian startup eMotorWerks, produces JuiceBox, an innovative tool that schedules charging sessions at times when there is a higher proportion of renewables in the energy mix.
Greenbiz called this a “substantial bet” on EV charging networks in California, where San Diego Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric manage 12,000 EV charging stations. GreenBiz also describes Enel X’s sustainable mobility business in Italy, where the company is investing in the construction of a wide-ranging network of recharging infrastructure.
Easy Charging Means More EV Uptake
How to boost interest in a culture of electric mobility? One way is to make it easy for people to charge their EVs. In an interview with GreenBiz, Alberto Piglia – Head of e-Mobility for Enel X – points to the company’s partnership with Italian supermarket giant, Conad. The agreement will see 300 charging stations installed in the parking lots of the supermarket with the famous daisy logo by the end of 2018.
The deeper significance of electric cars is that they are not only a tangible demonstration of environmental responsibility and energy efficiency, but also a gateway to a new world of services and revenues. In the not too distant future, EVs may well become not only the best choice but also the easiest.
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