Adaptive Chargers for Delivery Customers Demonstrating California Advances in Charging

Onboard smart charger and bi-directional charger solutions will be demonstrated on a fleet of electric delivery trucks to advance vehicle grid integration.

Motiv Power Systems, Inc.

Recipient

Foster City, CA

Recipient Location

13th

Senate District

21st

Assembly District

closed

Completed

Project Status

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Project Result

This project was terminated. Internal business conditions prevented Motiv Power Systems, Inc. from fulfilling obligations under the agreement.

The Issue

For electric vehicles, controlled charging and grid integration have the potential to increase stability of the grid and reduce charging costs for fleets. However, the technologies needed for integration are expensive off-board solutions that do not make sense for most fleets, and the technologies have not been scaled for medium- and heavy-duty applications. This challenge has not been adequately addressed, because development of this technology is limited by costs and risks in market penetration. Additionally, regulated utilities are operating on time frames that make them unable to develop and rapidly move solutions to market.

Project Innovation

Motiv Power Systems was to develop both a smart charger solution and a bi-directional charger solution to enable vehicle-grid integration (VGI) with electric fleet vehicles. This technology wss to be demonstrated with AmeriPride Services delivery trucks in Fresno, Bakersfield, Merced, and Stockton. Motiv was to develop both a software-only smart charger solution as well as a bi-directional on-board charger solution for vehicles that can be easily purchased as an option for installation on existing vehicles. This solution was to fit within a scalable and modular powertrain already used in a variety of vehicle applications, thus allowing VGI solutions to fit within a variety of emerging markets and be supplied to vehicle builders from a variety of delivery trucks, work trucks, shuttle buses, and school buses. This was to allow VGI to fit both within goods movement and freight plans as well as clean transit and zero-emission bus plans.

Project Benefits

A future-focused approach that enables zero emission vehicles (ZEV) to be more cost competitive than diesel by enabling VGI through an on-board charger technology has the potential to reach a higher percentage of the California vehicle market. Compared with a more costly VGI approach that puts the power processing on the charge station, this approach has a greater chance of capturing the future heavy-duty ZEV market that is being supported through policy mandates such as the ZEV action plan, Sustainable Freight Plan, AB32 and SB32 emission reduction goals, and SB 350.

Affordability

By allowing for demand response, fleets can reduce their peak usage and associated demand charges. This both reduces fleet costs and also allows the utilities to provide the same service without spending money on system upgrades.