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4<br />
Science<br />
INTELLIGENCE BRIEF<br />
INTRODUCING A VALUABLE<br />
NEW RESOURCE TOOL<br />
FOR URBAN SCIENTISTS<br />
The Science Matters <strong>Intelligence</strong> Brief represents an important<br />
step for all of us at Urban Science. It is a step intended to<br />
provide our Business Scientists with a succinct overview of<br />
industry information impacting our clients and their missioncritical<br />
challenges.<br />
Within every Science Matters <strong>Intelligence</strong> Brief you will find<br />
valuable, contextual information on industry topics, trends and<br />
disrupting technologies organized in three distinct sections:<br />
• Hindsight: key background information on the topic<br />
• Insight: critical observations on the current state<br />
• Foresight: hypotheses we are investigating going forward<br />
NOTE: Science Matters <strong>Intelligence</strong> Briefs are strictly internal communications, intended to inform and educate our Business<br />
Scientists through a combination of industry research, articles, publications and proprietary Urban Science Analysis based on<br />
our unique data. The information provided is meant to help you with client conversations and industry discussions. It is not to<br />
be shared with anyone outside the company.
4<br />
Science<br />
INTELLIGENCE BRIEF<br />
ELECTRIC VEHICLES
THE ELECTRIC<br />
VEHICLE CHALLENGE<br />
Our inaugural Science Matters <strong>Intelligence</strong> Brief delves into a topic<br />
that virtually every OEM — along with a number of new players in the<br />
industry — are focusing on: the Electric Vehicle Challenge. Electric<br />
Vehicle technology is an enabler to change that promises to solve various<br />
transportation challenges, including emissions. This brief also looks at the<br />
ancillary services and infrastructure implications associated with:<br />
• Service, and the infrastructure needed to accommodate electric vehicles,<br />
both at dealerships and on roads and highways<br />
• Alternative retail formats, beyond traditional brick and mortar dealerships,<br />
such as pop-up stores, etc.<br />
• Face of the dealer (dealer operations)<br />
• And what the dealership of the future holds for both owners and customers<br />
URBAN SCIENCE: HINDSIGHT<br />
Just a few short years ago, the vision of emissions-free motorized transport<br />
was considered wishful “green” thinking. Today, it’s a technology OEMs are<br />
heavily investing in with the promise of EVs becoming a medium-term reality.<br />
The term “Electric Vehicles” encompasses a range of technologies, including<br />
hybrids, some of which are expected to be interim and may not survive in the<br />
long term. For the purposes of analysis, hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) are<br />
often grouped with traditional gas-powered vehicles as they heavily rely on the<br />
traditional internal combustion engine (ICE).<br />
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TYPES OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES<br />
Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV)<br />
HEVs have been available over the past few years and have been modestly<br />
successful overall, and highly successful in some markets. In 2016, HEVs made<br />
up approximately 2% of U.S. vehicle sales (340,153 of <strong>17</strong>.5 million). 1<br />
Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV)<br />
Power Type<br />
Battery Charging Source<br />
Fuel Economy<br />
Vehicle Example<br />
Combination of a traditional internal<br />
combustion engine propulsion system with<br />
an electric powertrain<br />
Self-charging<br />
Better than conventional ICE<br />
Toyota Prius<br />
2016 Sales Share 1 2% (340,153)<br />
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV)<br />
PHEVs share the characteristics of a conventional hybrid electric vehicle and<br />
an all-electric vehicle. An example of a popular PHEV is the Chevrolet Volt. In<br />
2016, 0.4% (76,948 of <strong>17</strong>.5 million) U.S. vehicle sales were PHEV. 1<br />
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV)<br />
Power Type<br />
Battery Charging Source<br />
Fuel Economy<br />
Vehicle Example<br />
Shares characteristics of a conventional<br />
hybrid electric vehicle (having both an<br />
electric motor and an internal combustion<br />
engine) and an all-electric vehicle having<br />
the ability to connect to the electrical grid<br />
Rechargeable batteries that can be<br />
recharged by plugging the vehicle into<br />
an external source of electric power<br />
Better than conventional ICE<br />
Chevrolet Volt<br />
2016 Sales Share 1 0.4% (76,948)<br />
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Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV)<br />
BEVs are completely electric vehicles with no traditional ICE components. As<br />
drive-range and charging opportunities are increased through the building of highspeed<br />
charging networks, BEV sales may cause PHEV sales to decline or even<br />
phase out. An example of a popular BEV is the Nissan Leaf. In 2016, 35,015 of the<br />
<strong>17</strong>.5 million vehicle sales, or about 0.2%, were BEV. 1<br />
Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV)<br />
Power Type<br />
Completely electric with no traditional<br />
ICE components<br />
Battery Charging Source<br />
Fuel Economy<br />
Vehicle Example<br />
Recharged by plugging the vehicle into an<br />
external source of electric power<br />
Better than conventional ICE (but<br />
drive-range and charging opportunities<br />
are challenges)<br />
Nissan Leaf<br />
2016 Sales Share 0.2% (35,015)<br />
U.S. 2016 Electric Vehicle Sales<br />
In the U.S., Hybrid<br />
Electric Vehicles<br />
account for about<br />
75% of all EV sales.<br />
Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs)<br />
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs)<br />
Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs)<br />
Figure 1<br />
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Plug-in Electric Vehicle (PEV)<br />
In Europe, the European Alternative Fuel Observatory (EAFO) is a European<br />
Commission that defines a plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) as any motor vehicle<br />
that can be recharged from an external source of electricity, such as wall sockets,<br />
and the electricity stored in the rechargeable battery packs drives or contributes<br />
to drive the wheels. The PEVs are then divided into battery electric vehicle (BEV)<br />
and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), explained in more detail above.<br />
In Europe, 209,515 of new-car sales were BEVs and PHEVs (1.3% of the total) in<br />
2016. The growth of BEV and PHEV sales can be seen in Figure 2.<br />
In Europe, Plug-in<br />
Electric Vehicles<br />
(PEVs) are divided into<br />
BEVs and PHEVs.<br />
Figure 2<br />
Information in Figure 3 shows the historical relationship between EV sales and<br />
the gas price level — as gas price increased, EV sales increased; as gas price<br />
decreased, so did sales of EVs.<br />
Figure 3<br />
Source: Urban Science Shared Sales (includes Auto News estimate for Tesla data); U.S. Energy Information Administration.<br />
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URBAN SCIENCE: INSIGHTS<br />
The EV Environment<br />
For automakers to succeed in the mobility business environment of the<br />
future, they are adopting new strategies, including collaborating with diverse<br />
players; from established utility companies, providing a charging infrastructure<br />
backbone, to emerging e-mobility service providers catering to the growing<br />
on-demand service market. Currently, EVs are still weighted toward generally<br />
stereotypical early adopters and people passionate about addressing global<br />
warming, air pollution, and oil dependency. 2 More frugal consumers who,<br />
traditionally, would be drawn to the energy efficiency of EVs and/or the fuel<br />
efficiency of hybrids, may find the premium cost of entry many OEMs add to<br />
the price of an EV as prohibitive.<br />
There are still significant hurdles to overcome before an emissions-free<br />
motoring environment reaches its “tipping point” (from a luxury to a need) and<br />
moves from niche to mainstream, but the passing of each month sees major<br />
new developments in all the following areas.<br />
Product Development<br />
Most, if not all OEMs, have existing e-vehicle models within their portfolio,<br />
and an e-vehicle development strategy with both short- and long-term<br />
implications. Indeed, many OEMs have already begun to fundamentally realign<br />
their design, engineering, sales and marketing departments to be ready for<br />
the coming of the e-vehicle age. Figure 4 shows the escalating number of U.S.<br />
electric vehicle models on the market from 2005-2016. This graphic shows<br />
how the industry has shifted from hybrid-only models (HEVs) to a mix of<br />
HEVs, plug-in electric hybrids (PHEVs) and battery electric hybrids (BEVs).<br />
Tables 1 and 2 show the top 10 PHEV and BEV models in Europe by sales<br />
volume. As mainstream vehicles become more BEV/PHEV, (i.e., Toyota RAV4),<br />
these models’ numbers will increase. PHEV continues to thrive because it<br />
offers optional drivetrains (plug-in or ICE).<br />
Today, U.S.<br />
consumers have<br />
a choice of 70<br />
different electric<br />
vehicle models.<br />
Figure 4<br />
Count of electric vehicle models on the U.S. market.<br />
Source: Urban Science Shared Sales (includes Auto News estimate for Tesla data). Year based on first year with 10+ sales made within that calendar year.<br />
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TOP 10 BEV EUROPEAN MODELS BY 2011–2016 SALES<br />
Make<br />
Model<br />
2011<br />
Total<br />
2012<br />
Total<br />
2013<br />
Total<br />
2014<br />
Total<br />
2015<br />
Total<br />
2016<br />
Total<br />
Renault ZOE 0 68 8,833 11,029 <strong>18</strong>,566 21,338<br />
Nissan Leaf 1,740 5,383 10,849 14,681 15,345 <strong>18</strong>,614<br />
Tesla Model S 0 0 3,975 9,550 16,643 12,358<br />
BMW i3 0 0 998 5,458 6,216 9,739<br />
VW e-Golf 0 48 0 2,931 11,<strong>17</strong>0 6,678<br />
Kia Soul EV 0 0 0 598 5,812 4,440<br />
Tesla Model X 0 0 0 0 0 3,708<br />
VW e-Up! 0 0 940 5,838 2,976 2,576<br />
Peugeot iOn 1,849 3,125 695 577 1,477 1,893<br />
Hyundai Ioniq Electric 0 0 0 0 0 1,113<br />
Others Others 6,751 9,138 6,392 6,577 9,504 8,952<br />
Table 1<br />
TOP PHEV EUROPEAN MODELS BY 2011–2016 SALES<br />
Make<br />
Model<br />
2011<br />
Total<br />
2012<br />
Total<br />
2013<br />
Total<br />
2014<br />
Total<br />
2015<br />
Total<br />
2016<br />
Total<br />
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV 0 0 8,193 20,035 31,275 21,333<br />
VW Passat GTE 0 0 0 0 4,819 13,250<br />
VW Golf GTE 0 0 0 768 <strong>17</strong>,258 11,350<br />
Mercedes C350e 0 0 0 0 5,858 10,231<br />
Volvo XC90 PHEV 0 0 0 0 2,859 9,589<br />
BMW 330e 0 0 0 0 89 8,702<br />
BMW 225xe Active Tourer 0 0 0 0 266 5,940<br />
BMW X5 40e 0 0 0 0 1,539 5,394<br />
BMW i3 Rex 0 0 537 3,651 5,613 5,351<br />
Mercedes GLC350e 0 0 8,193 20,035 31,275 1,829<br />
Others Others 367 9,758 <strong>17</strong>,715 11,510 30,999 25,137<br />
Table 2<br />
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VW plans to build<br />
its own battery<br />
production facility<br />
and make battery<br />
technology a core<br />
competence.<br />
Battery Technology<br />
The most significant challenge facing automakers is not the vehicles’ electric<br />
drivetrains but the battery technology. Drive-range and recharging times are<br />
things consumers expect to be on par with current, ICE technology convenience.<br />
While lithium-ion (LiON) technology has propelled the industry far, its density is<br />
only expected to increase at a low rate of 7% annually for the next few years and<br />
is potentially nearing its limits. Currently, only one commercial battery contains<br />
silicon, a material known to help prevent battery capacity loss. Silicon, however,<br />
comes with implementation and packaging challenges, an example being the<br />
Panasonic cylindrical cells used in Tesla vehicles.<br />
As part of its recently announced strategic realignment, Volkswagen has declared<br />
that battery technology will become a core competence, with plans to build its<br />
own battery production facility.<br />
Total Cost of Ownership<br />
With few exceptions, the e-vehicle product is more expensive in terms of<br />
upfront purchase price than traditional ICE vehicles, although cost reductions<br />
are expected once OEMs gear up for mass production of batteries and recognize<br />
scale economies. OEM vehicle-selling strategies include differences in both recharging<br />
costs versus fuel costs and servicing traditional ICE engines with many<br />
moving parts versus servicing lower-maintenance electric engines. In addition,<br />
OEMs will target e-vehicle sales at higher income segments and consumers<br />
willing to pay a premium for mobility needs to address their environmentally<br />
friendly disposition.<br />
Recycling and residual value of EV batteries must also be considered in the total<br />
cost of ownership. A recent report by the Mineta National Transit Research<br />
Consortium 3 estimates that by 2035 there will be somewhere between 1.3 million<br />
and 6.7 million worn-out EV hybrid and plug-in vehicle batteries in the U.S. That’s<br />
sufficient volume to justify commercial recycling and reuse programs. It cautions,<br />
however, that recycling, driven by environmental and sustainability principles,<br />
is not profitable in isolation, and that other variables, such as the cost per kWh,<br />
must be factored into the equation.<br />
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Charging Infrastructure<br />
One of the main inhibitors to e-vehicles is drive-range anxiety among consumers.<br />
To overcome this:<br />
• Some OEMs are offering home-charging solutions with customer electric<br />
vehicle purchases<br />
• Charging stations are appearing at car parks, airports, shopping centers and<br />
private residences<br />
• Pioneers such as Tesla provide their own charging network, with Supercharger<br />
stations that charge more rapidly than the competition<br />
– Tesla will double the number of Supercharger stations in 20<strong>17</strong> and by the end<br />
of the year, have 10,000 installed 4<br />
– The number of Supercharger stations in North America will increase 150%,<br />
with Tesla adding 1,000 chargers in California 4<br />
• Recently Volkswagen Group, BMW, Daimler and Ford announced a joint venture<br />
with the intention to build a high-speed charging network, initially including 400<br />
locations, alongside major highways in Europe 5<br />
• In the U.S., BMW and Nissan have partnered with EVgo (Public Charge<br />
Network) to build fast-charging stations in 50+ metro areas across the country 6<br />
• Consumers are also starting to crowdsource solutions to this problem through<br />
companies like PlugShare, where drivers can find places to charge their vehicles<br />
along their travel route 7<br />
Figure 5<br />
Source: U.S. Department of Energy.<br />
U.S. CHARGING STATIONS<br />
2016 COUNT: 14,363<br />
PUBLIC<br />
PRIVATE<br />
Although ExxonMobil is largely dismissive of electric cars, believing they will only<br />
account for 10% of the market by 2040, other major oil producers and refineries<br />
are hedging their bets. French oil company Total is considering installing electric<br />
car charging stations at some of its fuel stations in France, while Royal Dutch Shell<br />
has already committed to adding charging stations at certain locations in the U.K.<br />
and the Netherlands. 8<br />
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One main inhibitor<br />
to e-vehicle<br />
ownership is<br />
drive-range anxiety<br />
among consumers.<br />
The U.S. Department of Energy is also invested in change. The department is<br />
maintaining an open source database of public and private charging stations<br />
across the U.S. and allows users to locate charging stations on its website via<br />
postal code. 9<br />
There is still a long way to go to address drive-range anxiety but technology is<br />
improving, attitudes are changing, and the charge network is only just beginning.<br />
Currently, charging stations present a number of obstacles, including long lines,<br />
difficulty in finding charging stations and the overall impact on the power grid.<br />
Emissions Regulations<br />
Stringent greenhouse gas (GHG) and carbon emissions regulations are affecting<br />
many markets across the world at both city and national level.<br />
• In Europe, the regulation framework is established by the EU directive 2014/94.<br />
From there, states’ members implement their own initiatives<br />
• In response to concerns over pollution and smog, the cities of Athens, Madrid,<br />
Mexico City and Paris have all recently announced their intention to enforce a<br />
ban on all diesel-powered vehicles by 2025, with many other cities considering<br />
similar legislation<br />
• London has announced the intention to charge a £10 “T-Charge” tax to ICE<br />
vehicles each time they enter the city 10<br />
As pressure for cleaner air increases across the globe, this will only speed up the<br />
adoption of e-vehicles.<br />
Incentives<br />
Due to previously mentioned emissions regulations, masses of money are<br />
invested in subsidies and incentives by governments and private entities around<br />
the world to encourage sales of electric vehicles.<br />
• The German federal government recently announced a premium incentive for all<br />
purchasers of e-vehicles of up to €1000 per car<br />
• In the U.S., the federal government currently offers a $7,500 tax credit to those<br />
purchasing EVs<br />
• Many state governments in the U.S. and private companies, such as utilities, also<br />
offer incentives and rebates to lower the upfront purchase price for customers<br />
• Electric companies across the U.S. also offer off-peak electric rates, incentivizing<br />
drivers to recharge their vehicles when electricity is in low demand<br />
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URBAN SCIENCE: FORESIGHT<br />
Currently, less than 1% of global new car sales are electric vehicles (EV) and<br />
forecasts by Bloomberg (Figure 6) show that by 2040, 35% of global new car<br />
sales will be electric. 11 It is worth noting that while EV sales are projected to grow<br />
at a rapid rate, sales of traditional ICE vehicles will also grow, but projections<br />
show that they will grow at a slower rate. Electric vehicles are defined here as<br />
battery electric vehicles and plug-in electric vehicles.<br />
35%<br />
Figure 6<br />
Source: Bloomberg New Energy Finance<br />
By 2040,<br />
35% of global<br />
new car sales<br />
will be electric.<br />
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URBAN SCIENCE HYPOTHESES<br />
AND CONTINUED ANALYSES<br />
While articles within the industry and basic metrics give us an idea of<br />
what the electric vehicle impact could be, as Urban Scientists we must<br />
better understand the science before offering a guiding opinion.<br />
The following three topics are ones which we believe we can utilize the<br />
Power of 4 to bring valuable, science-driven outlooks to our clients.<br />
1<br />
Legislation and Incentives Help Drive the Adoption of Electric Vehicles<br />
Where governments choose to invest their money, innovation and adoption<br />
follow. From the research so far, we can hypothesize that legislation is driving the<br />
adoption of electric vehicles. The U.S. government has made data infrastructure<br />
investments to track charging station networks and both state and federal<br />
legislation related to alternative fuels. We plan to perform additional analysis<br />
using the data points — such as specific EV legislation, EV charging station<br />
locations and charging capacity per location — to better understand the impact<br />
of legislation on electric vehicle adoption.<br />
2<br />
3<br />
The Increase in EV Adoption May Affect Aftersales Networks<br />
All factors being equal, as the percentage of EV units in operation increases,<br />
our research will explore the frequency of visits (and potentially the service<br />
spend) for EVs compared to their ICE counterparts. Long-term maintenance<br />
costs of EVs are yet to be known. The same can be said for the impact of<br />
dealerships, although we expect there will be the need for specialized staff, new<br />
and improved software, and a shift in the type of technician needed for servicing<br />
and troubleshooting EVs. Many dealerships make their largest profits in their<br />
aftersales business; in our continued research, we plan to put the data we have to<br />
use to see what the potential impact could be to the service side of dealerships.<br />
Utilizing Urban Science Network Methodology May Offer<br />
Valuable Insights in Creating a Charging Station Network<br />
Charging stations for electric vehicles are a critical component in electric vehicle<br />
adoption. We believe that convenience will play a large role in the utilization of<br />
these networks. Moving forward, we look to apply our dealer network analysis<br />
process to provide valuable guidance regarding the creation and maintenance of<br />
both local and national charging station networks. This will allow us to use our<br />
wealth of network analysis knowledge to help our clients prepare for their EV<br />
futures and achieve their goals with electric vehicles.<br />
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CITATIONS<br />
1 Urban Science Shared Sales using Auto News estimate for Tesla and Auto News total<br />
U.S. vehicle sales<br />
2 https://cleantechnica.com/2016/02/02/electric-cars-what-early-adopters-firstfollowers-want/<br />
3 transweb.sjsu.edu/PDFs/research/1137-post-vehicle-Li-Ion-recycling.pdf<br />
4 www.cnbc.com/20<strong>17</strong>/04/24/tesla-will-double-number-of-supercharger-stationsin-20<strong>17</strong>.html<br />
5 techcrunch.com/2016/11/29/bmw-daimler-ford-and-vw-to-build-high-powereuropean-ev-charging-network/<br />
6 carscoops.com/20<strong>17</strong>/01/bmw-and-nissan-partner-to-expand-us.html<br />
7 popsci.com/electric-vehicle-range-anxiety<br />
8 plugincars.com/exxonmobil-plug-electric-cars-will-be-10-percentmarket-2040-126698.html<br />
9 afdc.energy.gov/fuels/electricity_locations.html<br />
10 http://www.carscoops.com/20<strong>17</strong>/02/heavily-polluting-vehicles-to-be-hit.html<br />
11 https://about.bnef.com/blog/electric-vehicles-to-be-35-of-global-new-car-salesby-2040/<br />
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THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING<br />
We will continue to provide new information on this ever-evolving and<br />
exciting technology as it becomes available. For additional industry<br />
articles, insights and more information on this topic, visit<br />
the Science Matters resource center on Focal Point.<br />
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