Testing Electric Vehicles in a Real-life Environment
Funded through ERA #4: BEST Challenge, the ENMAX E-Fleet Pilot project successfully demonstrated the feasibility, performance, and cost-effectiveness of medium-duty electric vehicles (EVs) in a real-life operational environment. The project monitored truck capacity, performance, battery life, and charging infrastructure to evaluate viability and identify any infrastructure barriers.
Completed in 2023, the project involved installing two 24 kilowatt chargers and one 120 kilowatt direct-current fast charger (DCFC) for electric trucks. Each van body had four 300-watt solar panels mounted on top to trickle charge a separate battery that powered auxiliary lights, heaters, microwaves and small tool loads. The separate battery was added due to concerns about the energy needs of the cabin. The pilot demonstrated that the EVs performed as expected, achieving impressive energy usage of 1.21 kilowatt-hours per km with over 11,000 kilometers of driving. The project team observed significant environmental benefits, with 16 tonnes of emissions reductions and 9,600 liters of diesel fuel savings compared to standard diesel-engine vehicles. By fostering a collaborative approach and sharing knowledge and experiences, the project can play a vital role in driving additional emissions reductions in the province.
Understanding Environmental and Infrastructure Challenges
The project initially faced challenges with the reliability of charging infrastructure, particularly reliability of both 24-kilowatt and direct-current fast chargers. A key aspect of this issue was the distinction between software and hardware reliability. It became evident that the software component of the charging systems was the primary cause of the initial reliability concerns. By resolving the software-related problems, the reliability of the charging stations improved, enabling a more seamless integration of the EVs into daily operations. The project also experienced instances of reduced range and performance of electric vehicles in extremely cold weather conditions. During periods of extreme cold, there was a 51 per cent reduction in range. ENMAX found strategies to optimize EV performance in cold weather including pre-conditioning the vehicle cabin, encouraging energy-efficient driving habits and will explore vehicles with more efficient cabin-heating technology. Fuel usage displacement was the biggest insight for stakeholders of the project. ENMAX determined that idle time in an EV platform has a far lower impact on the vehicle and therefore cost to operate.
What’s next?
ENMAX has made significant contributions in commercializing the use of electric medium-duty vehicles in its fleet. The pilot was part of ENMAX’s goal to electrify its mobile fleet by 2030 and helped de-risk the technology. As a result of this being a first-in-Canada demonstration project, ENMAX garnered significant interest from various stakeholders regarding pilot learnings. This has led to investment in additional chargers and investments to reduce emissions leveraging storage and other grid management technologies.