UH Hilo to Host Talk on Electric Vehicles

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo hosts a free public presentation featuring two members of the Maui EV (Electric Vehicle) Alliance on Tuesday, February 26 at 2 p.m. in UCB 127.

Project Director Dr. Anne Ku and Ethan Elkind, climate policy associate at the UC Berkeley School of Law, will discuss a recent study done to prepare Maui for EV’s. EV’s in Paradise: Planning for Developing Infrastructure in Maui Count, examined barriers, incentives, and other issues that can serve as templates for other isolated grids and island communities with similar challenges.

Ku, who lectures in mathematics and music (piano) at UH Maui College, holds degrees in electrical engineering, operations research/decision sciences, and music. She writes a regular column for Maui Weekly called “EV in Paradise,” and directs the monthly “Maui EVA TV” which airs on cable and YouTube.

Elkind has organized and facilitated high-level stakeholder meetings on various energy-related topics such as energy storage, renewable energy, energy efficiency and electric vehicles. He has also written and published numerous studies on energy-related matters for California policy makers including “Electric Drive by ’25: How California Can Catalyze Mass Adoption of Electric Vehicles by 2025,” published in September 2012.

Maui EV Alliance (Maui EVA) is the name given to UH Maui’s EV readiness project. Maui EVA was the only education institution to receive one of 16 planning grants awarded in October 2011 by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Cities program. It was also named the most innovative electric vehicle readiness project in the country by Green Tech Media in December 2012.

For more information, visit http://www.mauieva.org/.

Lt. Gov. Brian Schatz Announces $2.6 Million to Accelerate Hawaii’s Electric Vehicle Stations

With the price of oil escalating because of unstable conditions in the Middle East, it’s even more important for all of us to find ways to cut our use of imported fuel,” said Estrella Seese, Acting Program Energy Administrator, State Energy Office. “Charging an electric vehicle costs much less than filling a tank with gasoline. Drivers will be saving on fuel costs, less fuel will be used for the same amount of mileage, and in the near future, electric cars will run on electricity produced from renewable resources such as the sun and wind.

State of Hawaii Selects AeroVironment to Deploy up to 320 Public Electric Vehicle Charging Docks in Support of Clean Energy Goal

Media Release:

Lt. Governor Brian Schatz today announced that AeroVironment has been selected to help lead the way to a cleaner transportation future through an $820,000 contract from the Hawaii EV Ready Grants Program. The contract will fund the deployment of up to 320 AeroVironment 240-volt electric vehicle (EV) charging docks throughout the islands. Once deployment is completed, Hawaii will have one of the nation’s first statewide public charging networks supporting electric vehicle drivers.

AeroVironment (AV), the official home charging-dock provider for the Nissan LEAF and co-developer of the first modern-day electric vehicle, the GM Impact, will partner with Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) to design and build public and semi-private charging stations at convenient locations for electric vehicle owners, including high-rise buildings, resorts and rental car facilities.

AeroVironment’s charging docks, including the two-port or four-port EVSE-RS+ and EVSE-CS (commercial) dock, will be strategically located throughout Oahu, Hawaii Island, Maui, and Kauai to offer drivers a practical, safe and reliable EV charging experience. AeroVironment has installed more than 1,000 charging docks in more than 300 communities across 18 states since November 2010.

The State of Hawaii is offering a rebate of up to $500 for installing charging docks through its Hawaii EV Ready Rebate Program. Customers who purchase an EV are also eligible for a state rebate of up to $4,500. In combination with the Hawaii EV Ready Grant Program and other development efforts, the rebates aim to establish the state as a leader in the clean transportation movement.

“We look forward to working with AeroVironment to help reduce the use of oil for transportation,” said Robbie Alm, Hawaiian Electric executive vice president. “Wide use of electric vehicles will not only help reduce our fossil fuel dependence, it will make it easier to increase our use of renewable energy sources such as wind power and others, all contributing to our energy, economic and environmental security.”

Alm added, “AeroVironment shares this vision and is an outstanding example of a supplier with a comprehensive solution for the EV market, a history in Hawaii, experience working with leading auto manufacturers and consistent high quality customer support.”

The Hawaii Natural Energy Institute (HNEI), University of Hawaii at Manoa will work with AeroVironment and Hawaiian Electric to collect data from chargers to analyze the impact of EVs and associated infrastructure on the power distribution grid.

“AeroVironment’s team focuses on the entire user experience from the start by providing the right tools and a full range of practical, groundbreaking solutions,” said Richard Rocheleau, director of the HNEI. “As a result, we’ll have the unique ability to collect and analyze usage patterns that will help us project the increased demand on Hawaii’s utilities as EV adoption accelerates.”

AeroVironment has been working on clean transportation programs in Hawaii for more than a decade, beginning with deployment of fast charging stations for passenger EVs in the early 2000s. AeroVironment also established world altitude records with its solar-electric, unmanned aircraft systems at the U.S. Navy Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands on Kauai.

“AeroVironment and the state of Hawaii are pioneers in the EV movement and have a long partnership focused on introducing clean transportation solutions,” said Mike Bissonette, senior vice president of Efficient Energy Systems for AeroVironment. “Together, we’re deploying practical solutions for a game-changing electric transportation ecosystem that will dramatically alter the vehicle refueling paradigm for drivers in Hawaii, the United States and the world.