Meet the UD researchers who are shaping the future of electric vehicles
The electric vehicle industry has lots of kinks to be worked out, and two researchers out of the University of Delaware have been trusted with solving some of the major issues for the industry and its customers.
Located behind the University of Delaware's STAR Campus, Willett Kempton, Rodney McGee and their small team of researchers have been working on publishing standards that could change the electric vehicle industry in a matter of years.
The two standards, technically named J3400 and J3068, set the blueprint for allowing all automobile manufacturers to use the Tesla charging standard, and to make "vehicle to grid integration" more accessible across the nation.
Automakers, power companies and governing bodies have put their trust in the experts to visualize a future where electric vehicle driving and charging becomes more accessible, and potentially become a money-maker for households.
Why are these standards needed?
If you ever wonder how certain specifications of a car are measured or evaluated, you may stumble across the acronym SAE.
Formerly known as the Society of Automotive Engineers, SAE is a standards-making body that essentially publishes guidelines for how different aspects of a car (or plane or truck) should be manufactured and tested. While these standards aren't necessarily mandatory to enforce, they are typically widely accepted across the globe.
But in a complicated industry like electric vehicles, the different moving parts and constituents can be tricky to regulate. As states across the country are pushing for more electric vehicles to hit the road, there's a large gap in how charging is regulated.
EV mandate answers: Your questions, answered: What you need to know about state's new electric vehicle mandate
For standards to work, the research team at the University had to attempt the impossible: regulating the power industry and the automotive industry under one umbrella. Two industries that, in McGee's words, are "used to getting their own way."
McGee and Kempton have been researching electric vehicles and their various possibilities for decades. They knew that standards had to be implemented to make the electrification of the transportation industry work, so they went to SAE to pitch their research.
Tesla chargers for all cars
The first standard that was approved by SAE in December is J3400. This essentially standardizes the Tesla car charging connector, making it so that future U.S-made electric vehicles of any brand can use the same design and technology.
Previously, Tesla charging stations have been able to be used by Tesla vehicles only, and make up more than half of all on-road chargers in the United States.
More: Will Delaware have enough charging stations to meet planned electric vehicle mandates
"This will eliminate Tesla's monopoly on their charging stations, making them available for use by any new EV," Kempton said.
The standard essentially directs manufacturers to meet certain design parameters within a certain range of error when building an electric vehicle or charging station. Ford and GM have already committed to adopting this model.
The first non-Tesla cars to be equipped with this technology are expected to hit the market in 2025.
Vehicle-to-grid technology
Standard J3068's two pillars are lower-cost charging and vehicle-to-grid integration, sometimes referred to as V2G. The document is over 70 pages long and lays out the engineering, policy and technical framework to make charging cheaper and more accessible in public while providing possibilities for homeowners to save money on their electric bills and even power their homes.
Kempton, dubbed the "grandfather of V2G," invented the technology for grid integration over two decades ago at the University of Delaware. The basic definition of V2G is that when an electric vehicle is plugged into an outlet, power can be sent from the car's battery back into the local utility grid. This can reduce electric bill costs, help strengthen the nation's power grid and even power your household during a power outage.
According to Kempton, current electric vehicles need to undergo major updates in order to participate in this kind of technology. With the recent approval of the standard, new electric vehicles equipped with this technology are also expected to be available by 2025. Delaware utility companies are already required by law to allow V2G technology to reflect back onto consumers' bills.
More: Winter emergency car prep: What to keep in your car, check before driving this winter
Built into this standard are guidelines to make low-cost charging readily available in public spaces and easier to use. With this new standard, a car and a charging station can exchange unique IDs that can be connected to the car owner's account, which makes the payment contactless.
Also implemented into the standards is a simpler charging station, hopefully making it harder to break and easier to fix. Included in that is a detachable cord that can be stored in your car so you don’t have to worry about the cord of the charging station being operational.
As Delaware and the nation attempt to shift toward renewable energy, these researchers see electric vehicles as something that can add to the grid’s power and hopefully promote a more equitable market by making each other cheaper.
“Vehicle grid integration is the means at which mass electrification becomes accessible to society as a whole,” McGee said. “Because right now, EVs frankly, are the toys of the upper middle class.”
Molly McVety covers community and environmental issues around Delaware. Contact her at mmcvety@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @mollymcvety.
More Delaware news
Routes returning: Which 2 suspended routes are returning to the Wilmington Airport in May?
EMS 'crisis' averted: Wilmington approves $3.5M contract with St. Francis to continue ambulance services
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Meet the UD researchers who are shaping the future of electric vehicles
