Accelerating the Adoption of
Electric Vehicles:
Arctic EV Technology Showcase
Dr. W.A. (Bill) Adams
Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies
Collaborative (RESTCo)
In 2013, we are living in the beginning of the
renaissance of the electric powered road vehicle.
Exciting times! But it’s a long road ahead.
Plug-in electric and hybrid vehicles make up less
than 0.5% of new vehicle sales in Canada and the
U.S., and are still an oddity on our roads, at less
than 0.002% of the existing road fleet (cars and
light trucks).
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 2
Barriers to Adoption of Plug-in Vehicles
There are real barriers to acceptance of EVs.
1) Initial purchase cost
2) High perceived financial risk by consumer
3) Range anxiety
4) Lack of service centres
5) Perceived high cost of operation
These are being addressed now.
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 3
Barriers to Adoption of Plug-in Vehicles
While selling 10s of thousands of plug-in
vehicles a year in Canada and the U.S. is a
huge step forward from just 4 years ago
when we were selling dozens, clearly there is
still a high degree of reluctance by car
purchasers.
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 4
Barriers to Adoption of Plug-in Vehicles
Some real barriers do remain.
If you want to buy an EV in Ottawa today,
local Nissan dealers have a Leaf you can test
drive. Other than that, you have a real
challenge finding an EV to try out.
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 5
Barriers to Adoption of Plug-in Vehicles
However, the real barrier remaining for
widespread EV adoption is mythology.
EVs don’t work in the cold.
EVs don’t go far enough on a charge.
EVs actually increase air pollution.
EVs will crash the electrical grid.
EVs will fill the landfills with batteries.
EVs won’t work in real-world conditions.
And so on (and on and on)
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 6
Barriers to Adoption of Plug-in Vehicles
Enough! We know EVs work in the cold, and
in the ‘real world’ and do it well.
This paper’s authors were both driving EVs
regularly in Ottawa winters in the 1980s.
It’s time to explode the myths in a dramatic
way, demonstrating EV advantages by
showcasing them at work at the Arctic Circle.
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 7
Pang is a hamlet of about 1,300 permanent
residents, situated in a fjord on Cumberland
Sound, on the east coast of Baffin Island, about 40
km from the Arctic Circle.
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 8
Welcome to
Pangnirtung,
Nunavut
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 9
A
winter
view
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 10
Average annual temperature: - 8 degrees Celsius
In Jan. and Feb., the average low: - 30 degrees
Overnight lows approaching - 40 degrees are
expected several days per year.
That does not include the windchill.
In Pang, winds over 100 km/h are sufficiently
frequent that the houses are cabled to the ground.
On November 27, 2010, wind speeds over 130
km/h were recorded at the Pangnirtung airport.
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 11
This is why buildings in pang are tied down to the ground.
Pangnirtung can have extremely high winds.
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 12
Kite
Skiing
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 13
Wind turbines at
Kotzebue, Alaska
Average wind
speeds in Pang are
about 4 m/s (25
km/h), and blow
from the west
about 27% of the
time.
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 14
For about one month a year, the sun does not set.
There is continuous daylight from April to midAugust. There is amazing potential for harnessing of
solar power – thermal for space and water heating –
and photovolatic for electricity production through 910 months of the year.
Micro co-generation would make a good complement.
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 15
Today, all electricity is currently produced using
diesel generators (Qulliq Energy, Nunavut Power).
All fossil fuels – diesel, heating oil, gasoline – are
delivered by ship during a short window in the
summer, when the fjord is ice free and the passage is
relatively free from storms. The storm season is
growing longer, so climate change is not really
extending the annual sealift window.
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 16
As the hamlet is located in a fjord between land mass
rises, air can be trapped in the fjord during an
inversion. Air quality suffers.
The longest road in Pang is about 5 km long. There is
a total of 15 km of roadway in total, none of it paved.
Pangnirtung’s potholes are the stuff of legend.
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 17
There is no piped water supply or sewage
system, as you cannot economically dig into
the rock and permafrost, and even if you did,
the pipes would freeze – no ‘frostline’ as we
have in the temperate south.
Therefore, drinking water is delivered by
truck a couple of times a week, and wastewater is trucked away. About 15 trucks are in
regular use for these 2 services. They travel
tens of kms a day.
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 18
Water Delivery in Pangnirtung
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 19
A larger version could
deliver for Pang
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 20
The main local industry is turbot fishing, using diesel
and gasoline power boats.
Tides at Pang are typically about 5 metres (over 16
feet). So there is potential for tidal energy to be used
to generate power when the fjord is not frozen.
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 21
Boats in Pangnirtung harbour – low tide
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 22
Boats in Pangnirtung harbour – high tide
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 23
Local transportation consists of trucks, some
cars, but lots of ATVs, snowmobiles and boats.
In the cold season, internal combustion engines
are left running continuously (creating clouds
of exhaust fumes), or block heaters and battery
blankets are plugged in to ensure they will start.
Outdoor electrical outlets are ubiquitous to
support vehicle block heaters and battery
warmers.
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 24
Boats in Pangnirtung off-season storage
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 25
Electric boats exist today
The 2,200 hp Mercedes AMG electric
cigarette boat concept vessel,
capable of 160 km/h
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 26
Electric boats exist today
Want something a
bit less flashy, more
industrial?
Perhaps ABB 3.5
MW azipod electric
drives for
icebreakers to
break metre-thick
ice.
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 27
Electric boats exist today
Perhaps something in-between
would be more practical.
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 28
ATVs in Pangnirtung
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 29
Polaris Ranger EV Electric ATV (2014 model)
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 30
Epic AMP Electric ATV (2014 model)
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 31
Some older residents
are returning to the
dog sled as a less
expensive, less noisy
and safer means of
transportation
Snowmobiles in the
Canadian Arctic
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 32
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 33
Electric Snowmobiles
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 34
Why EVs for a remote northern community?
• Climate change is affecting the Arctic more
rapidly than anywhere else on the planet –
the residents are more inclined to take action
to protect their way of life than in other
areas
• Their traditional food sources are
threatened, and elders recognize that their
traditional knowledge for forecasting
weather is no longer effective
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 35
Why EVs for a remote northern community?
• All fossil fuels have to be shipped in, and
shipping has a short, defined season
• Even electricity is produced from diesel
today ($0.38 to $0.47 per kWh)
• Fossil fuel prices are rising – currently about
$3/litre landed and delivered cost
• Fossil fuels are not sustainable
• Soot is recognized as speeding the Arctic ice
melt (albedo effect)
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 36
Why EVs for a remote northern community?
• GHG emissions reductions
• This community wants to reduce their fossil
fuel dependency
• Local energy resources can be used for
electrical generation (tidal, ocean current,
wind, solar) to displace diesel generation
• Reduced noise levels
• Reduced air and water pollution
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 37
Why EVs for a remote northern community?
• EVs will start and run in cold weather
(winter charging electrical energy may be
less than ‘ready-to-start’ electricity use)
• Energy required to replace 10 km of daily
travel for personal electric vehicle – 2 kWh
(10 km / 5 km/kWh = 2 kWh = $0.80)
• Energy required to power block heater (22
hours x 500 watts = 11 kWh = $4.40)
• Up to 80% electricity reduction, does not
include the vehicle fossil fuel saving
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 38
Why EVs for a remote northern community?
• Battery thermal management will be
required
• Quiet operation is seen as an advantage
• Outdoor outlets (for engine heaters) are
already installed and common and sufficient
for most EV charging given short distances
• EVs don’t have to run at idle to remain
operational in the cold
• Air quality at ‘lung-level’ will be improved
• EVs can provide emergency electrical supply
to buildings
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 39
Why EVs for a remote northern community?
• EVs can provide support for utility load
levelling and storage for renewable energy
generation
• The central generation facility is old
• Distances to be travelled are relatively short
– no ‘range anxiety’
• Reduced fossil fuel demand and use reduces
potential for oil product spills in the harbour
and in the community, or affecting the
turbot fishery
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 40
Why EVs for a remote northern community?
• Local residents are resourceful and
successful
• They build and maintain buildings, roads,
boats, generators, engines, heavy equipment,
computers, electronics … with training and
basic support and spare parts, they can
maintain EVs
• If an EV can succeed at the Arctic Circle,
they can succeed pretty much anywhere on
the planet – they have already operated
successfully on the moon
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 41
RESTCo and Pang
RESTCo is collaborating with Pang
today to help the hamlet reduce its
dependency on fossil fuels, focusing on:
•Energy efficient housing
•Substituting renewables for electricity
generation, and
•Electric drive transportation
We hope to set an example for other
remote communities for the future
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 42
RESTCo and Pang
RESTCo is collaborating with Carleton
University and Moose Factory Cabins to
design a truly efficient and healthy
house model for Arctic communities.
A design session with the community in
Pang this winter will guide the layout.
We expect to deliver the first house to
Pang in the summer of 2014 sealift.
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 43
RESTCo and Pang
Part of the project is to integrate the
house energy production (PV, wind) to
charge an EV, assist with utility load
levelling and provide backup power to
the house.
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 44
RESTCo and Pang
We anticipate using a pilot smart microgrid to help manage the electricity flows
to help reduce diesel use.
We talk about this sort of project in the
south, but it will actually be easier to
implement on a remote, small grid than
on the complex continental grid.
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 45
RESTCo and Pang
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 46
RESTCo and Pang
We are in discussions now with an EV
OEM to work on battery thermal
management and put a vehicle (or 2) in
Pang in 2014 for municipal service.
Assuming they see early success, we
anticipate more to follow.
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 47
RESTCo and Pang
We are in discussions now with the
developers of the original Samak
prototype snowmobiles – developed with
input from the Inuit in the 1980s, with a
view to developing an updated, electrichybrid version, appropriate for Arctic
conditions.
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 48
RESTCo and Pang
One of RESTCo’s associated companies
is a boat-builder based in Atlantic
Canada. Due to concerns about oil
pollution in water, they are increasingly
interested in developing electric drive
capacity in their work vessels, and we
will continue to work with them.
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 49
RESTCo and Pang
We have an engaged community and we
know EV technology works in the cold.
RESTCo has the necessary expertise.
The challenges will be in moving
knowledge and support capacity into the
community, and gaining general
acceptance of a new, ‘southern’
technology.
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 50
RESTCo and Pang
We will be documenting changes and
progress on all fronts. We recognize
that it will take years for the real
impacts to be realized, but early results
will reinforce success and progress.
We expect to have a university student
living in Pang next summer to facilitate
implementation.
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 51
RESTCo and Pang
We will be addressing the anti-EV
mythology with experience and data as
this is more easily demonstrated in a
small, remote community, and because
the Arctic Circle is instantly recognized
as a hostile operating environment.
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 52
RESTCo and Pang
We will be able to show that EVs
• work in the cold, on water, ice, land
and snow
• don’t send batteries to landfill
• improve air quality
• have adequate range for real-life use
• will support the grid (not crash it)
• reduce life-cycle costs
and more
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 53
Questions?
Web: RESTCo.ca
E-mail: darryl@restco.ca
bill@restco.ca
Dr. W.A. Adams and Darryl McMahon
Remote Energy Security Technologies Collaborative
Slide 54