Statewide Rapid Charging Infrastructure Used in Support of Fleet Operations of Battery-Powered Electric Sport Utility Vehicles

摘要

Lack of charging infrastructure is a critical impediment to the accepted use of EVs, and rapid charging stations are necessary to make EVs as practical as ICE vehicles. Under agreements with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the State of Hawaii procured AeroVironment PosiCharge rapid charging stations for installation around the island of Oahu, with the goal of making the State of Hawaii "EV Ready" through the installation of rapid charging infrastructure. However, to be successful, this initiative requires the commitment of auto and battery manufacturers to produce EVs capable of level 3, high power, high rate charging. The State of Hawaii then executed an agreement with Hyundai Motor Company (HMC), wherein HMC selected Hawaii as their introductory site in the U.S. for their first battery powered EVs. HMC provided 15 Hyundai Santa Fe electric sport utility vehicles with the hardware and software required to use the rapid charging infrastructure being installed throughout the State. The Santa Fe EVs utilize a Panthera 60kW drive system and are powered by NiMH batteries. The vehicles were assigned to four fleet operators to evaluate a variety of operational profiles. This paper will address the status of the statewide rapid charging infrastructure project to include: the site selections for the charging stations and installation challenges; the specifications and performance of the HMC Santa Fe EVs; the evaluation phase involving four fleet operators; and the challenges associated with rapid charging of the NiMH batteries in this environment.