MIT Study Indicates Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) can Meet Most Drivers’ Needs While Lowering Emissions

An MIT Study by Professor Jessika Trancik cites that Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) can meet needs of most drivers.  The study indicates that “current EVs could meet the needs of about 90 percent of drivers, at a total cost no greater than that of legacy ICE vehicles. EVs could also play a significant role in meeting emissions reduction goals. Furthermore, assuming battery technology improves at the expected rate, by 2020 up to 98 percent of vehicles could be replaced…..by a low-cost electric vehicle available on the market today, even if the cars can only charge overnight,…..which would more than meet near-term US climate targets for personal vehicle travel.” The study contends that overall, when accounting for emissions from today’s power plants, this would lead to a 30 percent reduction in emissions from transportation.  
 
Although this study may seem aggressive in application, its findings may be closer to how BEVs could be deployed into the market at a faster rate than previously thought.  With the advent of more Level 2 and Level 3 (Fast) Charging Station accessibility, Level 3 Charging Stations are capable of providing 80% battery charging in 20-30 minutes, that will provide significant vehicle range increases at (200 - 250 miles/charge +), making BEV acceptance a much simpler reality than in years past.  And for those that need more range than 200 miles there are always the BEVs that have a range extender option or there are extended range electric vehicles (EREV), like the Chevrolet Volt, that offer no range limitations with on-board electrical generation. 
 
As the electric drive vehicle technologies and their derivatives continue to evolve at an exceptionally fast pace, these vehicles have now become part of the main stream market.  FutureTech expects to see a rapid adoption of BEV and other Plug-In vehicle technologies to move to the market forefront, very soon.

Author

Dr. Mark Quarto
Chief Technical Officer
FutureTech Auto, LLC