Changing the Game: Plug-in Electric Vehicle Pilots

With oil demand projected to grow by 1 percent per year on average from now to 2030—and the transport sector being the main driver of this growth (accounting for 97 percent), the industry is facing mounting pressure to find alternative fuel options and limit the carbon impact of growth.

This latest study aims to highlight the capabilities being developed through PEV pilots, investigate some of the early lessons learned, the creative mechanisms in development and the emerging Smart Grid business models across geographic markets through the lens of these pilot programs.

View the Changing the Game: Plug-in Electric Vehicle Pilots news release

In November 2009, Accenture published a research report titled Betting on Science: Disruptive Technologies in Transport Fuels. In the report 12 potentially disruptive transport fuel technologies were examined, plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) were identified as leading to the electrification of transport as an industry "game changer“.

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While reading this paper, it is important to remember that electrification remains a nascent industry and that it is constantly evolving. Continuous monitoring of the market will thus be critical to gaining clarity and to identifying the market winners.

In this context, plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) which are estimated to be 40 to 65 percent more efficient than conventional vehicles, have received significant attention. More than ever before industry and government have begun to make significant choices, and spend significant resources, to change the game for how we power our vehicles.

We have highlighted, we have made five key conclusions:

1. PEV market models will vary by geography.
   
   
2. Many of the assumed PEV challenges can be identified through pilot testing, but three key challenges require further time for development.
   
   
3. Creative mechanisms will be critical to overcoming key challenges related to technology cost, scale and grid management.
   
   
4. A variety of business models are emerging across the three value chains—automotive, battery and charging—with different players taking the lead in different markets and working to resolve the challenges presented by PEVs. Early success of these business models will determine who’s who on the PEVs landscape.
   
   
5. The likelihood of consumer uptake remains difficult to estimate.