Essent accelerates widescale use of electric cars
Intelligent network delivers breakthrough
Arnhem, 17 June 2008 - Driving a car powered by electricity shifts up a gear with Essent's Project ZER-X. Essent has developed an intelligent network, the Mobile Smart Grid, which makes widescale driving on electric power a reality. In the short term Essent will make use of several hundreds of electric company and passenger cars. The company has recently worked very hard in collaboration with Electric Cars Europe (and their partners InnoSys Engineering and United Momentum Group) to make all the necessary preparations for a large-scale test period during which the electric cars will use the Mobile Smart Grid.
High oil prices and environmental issues demand a drastically different approach to transport in the Netherlands. In the Netherlands 20% of all energy is currently used for private and business transport .This transport produces CO2 emissions and fine dust, causes noise pollution and other health risks. Driving on electricity may drastically reduce or even completely eliminate these disadvantages: driving on electricity beats driving on any other fuel in every aspect. CO2 and fine dust levels are dramatically reduced, it is much cheaper and it is easy to recharge ('refuel') in any plug socket.
Mobile Smart Grid (MSG)
Essent has developed a unique distribution concept - the Mobile Smart Grid - which means that a rapid introduction of large-scale driving on electricity will be feasible. The Mobile Smart Grid offers:
- Intelligent car/battery charging with Green Energy: this entails that the (car) owner provides the details of how much energy he needs, when he needs it, and at which rate. The Mobile Smart Grid recalls these details and ensures that these demands are met.
- Maximum usage of wind and sun energy due to the increased storage capacity of the batteries (once the amount of electric cars starts to increase).
- A much better use of the network; during large parts of the day the network is currently used very little.
- The bill is drawn up intelligently; the car (owner) receives the bill regardless of where the car is charged.
Advantages of driving on electricity
The advantages of driving on electricity have proven to be extraordinarily (sometimes even to the extreme) huge for the climate, as well as for the driver and the social environment:
1. The cars do not produce CO2 and fine dust emissions, make virtually no noise, and as there are no exhaust fumes they do not produce a bad stench. By using sustainably produced energy (wind and sun) driving is completely emission-free.
2. Driving on electricity makes it possible for wind and sun energy to be stored in the batteries of these cars. In the past there was no storage capacity for this sustainable energy, so it would have to be used up immediately. The latest battery types however have a huge storage capacity potential for this sustainable energy.
3. The costs of driving on electricity are considerably lower than driving on petrol, diesel or hybrid fuel. The new electric cars will be positioned in the attractive small-medium class price category. No BPM (Dutch tax on cars and motorcycles) or road tax is payable. One kilowatt-hour costs 20 Euro cents, which can keep an electric car on the road for 8 km. Diesel costs 1 Euro 40 and even if economical cars drive 14 kilometres on it, there is a considerable price difference; driving on electricity is 3.5 times cheaper.
4. Battery technology development is at a stage in which the range and charging speed have been considerably improved. A 300 km range is already feasible, but in the near future 500 km will be feasible.
5.Charging is done simply by means of putting a plug into a socket. The difference will be that charging will not occur when the batteries are almost flat, as is the case with combustion engines - when the tank is almost empty - but when the car is standing still. So whether one is at home or at work, sleeping or working, the car charges itself up for the next journey. A more high powered charging station is only necessary if one needs to charge within a short time frame (within 10 minutes). They will be put on strategic places, such as along motorways. This technique is already available.
6. The performances of electric cars are better (faster, more powerful).
7. The models which are soon to appear on the market have an attractive design, but it is also possible to convert existing car models.
About Essent
With an annual turnover of 7.4 billion euros in 2007, Essent is the largest energy company in The Netherlands. Essent supplies electricity, gas and heating to domestic and business customers. Essent is active throughout the entire energy chain: from the production of energy up to and including supply to end users. The corporation views the Netherlands as its home market, but has now also built up a considerable market position in Germany and is doing so increasingly in Belgium. The corporation's environmental branch processes waste into energy and residual currents. Essent employs around 11,000 people. More information about Essent can be found at www.essent.nl and www.essent.eu.
Essent Network is a business unit of Essent N.V. and the independent grid administrator in the provinces of Groningen, Friesland, Drenthe, Flevoland (North East Polder), Overijssel, North Brabant and Limburg where it takes care of the installation, maintenance and management of the transport and distribution lines for gas and electricity. With more than 3,500 employees, the company represents safety, quality of delivery (reliability, fast - rectification of faults) and targeted service. For more information, please visit www.essentnetwerk.nl.