Burlington Hydro Inc. announced last week
that it is beginning a one-year EV demo to assess the viability of a larger EV
rollout. Vancouver-based Rapid Electric Vehicle Technology Inc. (REV)
retrofitted a Ford Escape with its proprietary electric drive system for the
Burlington utility company. The REV 300 ACX will be used in day-to-day maintenance
routes throughout the city. This demo project fits into the goal of the Ontario
provincial government to have 5% of all vehicles running on electricity by
2020.
The REV 300 ACX is powered by a 125kW AC
motor and a lithium-ion battery pack installed in place of a traditional gas
engine. Burlington Hydro Inc. and REV anticipate a 99-mile range for this demo
vehicle, which would be sufficient for daily routes. REV designed this vehicle
to achieve a maximum speed of 89 miles per hour, providing enough power for
highway travel. Burlington Hydro Inc. may be testing out the REV 300 ACX but
partners like the University of Waterloo and Pioneer Petroleums are taking this
project to the next level.
Professor Roydon Fraser at the University
of Waterloo will conduct a study on how the REV 300 ACX relates to the
electrical grid. Fraser’s study is intended to observe charging times, battery
life and other criteria in anticipation of a larger EV rollout. The University
of Waterloo study is funded by Transport Canada, which is interested in
reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Ontario by 50% through EV adoption.
Pioneer Petroleums has partnered with Union Gas, Cisco and other corporations
to invest in an Eaton Corporation EV charging station for Burlington.
Burlington Hydro Inc. is not simply dropping the REV 300 ACX into its route
schedule but trying to develop an infrastructure for mass EV adoption.
Burlington Hydro Inc. serves more than
58,000 residential customers and 5,000 businesses in the Burlington area. As
such, this electrical utility covers a lot of mileage during its maintenance
and repair routes. Utility representatives note that its hub and spoke fleet is
the perfect format for the introduction of EVs and plug-in hybrids. Hub and
spoke fleets emerge from central depots, travel reliable routes from day to day
and return to their depots each night. As the REV 300 ACX makes its rounds this
year, Burlington and its partners will be able to determine the scale of
charging infrastructure needed for commercial fleets.
