Ricardo Receives Notice of Funding for a California Energy Commission Project
DETROIT -- The engineering services provider Ricardo Inc. said Tuesday that it will partner with Electricore, who has received a $750,000 award from California Energy Commission to perform a comprehensive survey of the commercial plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) marketplace and to propose value-based design options for standardization of battery systems.
The project will provide important industry knowledge about the market value and best use of battery systems -- knowledge that will be essential to the continued development and economic success of California's growing PEV market.
"This project is well suited to Ricardo given our in-depth knowledge of both the technical and strategic aspects of electric vehicles," said Tom Apostolos, president of Ricardo, Inc. "We are delighted to be working with such talented and capable business colleagues on such an important issue."
Using primary research to document lessons learned from previous efforts and updated techno-economic modeling, the team will provide concrete recommendations for battery system design standardization, value analysis justification and identify potential paths to commercial adoption of the proposed standards. Other members of the team include San Diego Gas & Electric, The California Center for Sustainable Energy (CCSE), and BMW group. Ricardo has a unique capability in this space, offering not only technical consulting expertise, but commercial and business strategy insights as well, through Ricardo Strategic Consulting (RSC). RSC brings thought leadership and market analyses across a broad range of markets in the transportation and power generation sectors, with expertise in regulation and policy making in the U.S. and around the globe.
Electricore will lead the team to survey the PEV marketplace and propose value based design options for standardization of battery modules for both vehicle and stationary applications. The overall goals of the project include examining the holistic impact of standardization on the cost of PEV batteries in dollars per kilowatt hour ($/kWhr), and to estimate the lifecycle cost impacts of the design and process changes that would be required for standardized designs, including the impact on vehicle manufacturing and design, vehicle competitiveness with other technologies, and battery removal and re-manufacturing costs.
Ricardo plc is a global, world-class, multi-industry consultancy for engineering, technology, project innovation and strategy. With almost a century of delivering value, we employ over 1,900 professional engineers, consultants and staff. Our people are committed to providing outstanding value through quality engineering solutions focused on high-efficiency, low-emission, class-leading product innovation and robust strategic implementation. Our client list includes the world's major transportation original equipment manufacturers, supply chain organizations, energy companies, financial institutions and governments. Guided by our corporate values of respect, integrity, creativity, innovation and passion, we enable our customers to achieve sustainable growth and commercial success. Ricardo's U.S. operation, Ricardo Inc., is headquartered in Van Buren Township, Mich. For more information, visit www.ricardo.com.
Electricore Inc. is a non-profit technology consortium established in 1993 in response to a request by the Department of Defense's D) Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Electricore partners with private and public sector organizations such as federal and state agencies, corporations, small businesses, universities, research institutions and other non-profit entities to produce breakthroughs in the field of energy, transportation and electronics.
