Scott Adams is President of Eaton Corporation's eMobility Division. He gave us an overview of electric vehicles and their future.
What are EV's? In his PowerPoint presentation Scott described the extent to which today's vehicles use electricity--going from a Chevy Camaro using a battery to to a Full Hybrid (like a Ford Fusion) to a Plug-in Hybrid (like a Toyota Prius) to a Battery Electric Vehicle (like a Tesla).
What is the driving force with respect to EV's? According to Scott, "It's all about reducing Carbon Dioxide and improving air quality." Thus, throughout the world there are a variety of mandates imposed by federal, state and local governments compelling the use of alternatives to fossil-based energy sources.
There are advantages to BEV's. Their powertrain takes up far less space than a conventional internal combustion engine. They are also fun to drive, can be charged at home and are low maintenance.
Everyone is forecasting a significant growth in EV's--some predicting that by 2030 15% of all vehicles will be BEV's. Scott does not see EV's taking over 100% of our transporatation needs. But he does see a big role for them in our future, although this will take time. Among other things improvements are needed with repect to the charging infrastructure and driving range. Battery costs also need to decline.