This week is the 38th Electric Vehicle Symposium in Gothenburg and I will be attending on behalf of ‘The Driven’.
EVS is a unique event in the global EV calendar, bringing together academics conducting research across a broad spectrum of vehicle electrification topics and industry players from vehicle OEMs, charging equipment manufacturers, software and service providers.
Not only is it one of the most important gatherings in the EV industry, it is also one of the oldest, dating back to 1969 when the conference was held in Phoenix, Arizona.
The proceedings of that conference are available through academic libraries and a quick scan of the contents shows that the hot topics of the time included lithium-sulphur batteries, end-of-route charging for electric buses, the latest developments in motor technology, and how electric vehicles might shape behaviour and the urban environment—topics which all have relevance today.
Probably most significantly, a British company showcased a prototype electric vehicle, the Enfield “455”, which would be released in 1973 as the Enfield 8000. This two-seat microcar had a claimed range of 40 miles, achieved from a lead-acid battery that took 6 hours to charge overnight.
The then governor of California and later President of the United States, Republican Ronald Reagan, visited the symposium and was so impressed with the little car he declared, “Why can’t we make it here?” and offered the company land and incentives to manufacture in California.
Sadly, Enfield picked Cowes on the Isle of Wight in the UK as their production site. Whilst Reagan had overseen the creation of the California Air Resources Board in 1967, and California has led the way on vehicle emissions standards ever since, California had to wait until the launch of the GM EV1 in 1996 before it saw its first locally manufactured EV.
Today, vehicle electrification is one of the tools we have in the fight against the climate crisis, and EVS is a key forum for knowledge sharing across the industry.
EVS is hosted by the members of the World Electric Vehicle Association: the Electric Drive Transportation Association of North America (EDTA), Electric Vehicles Asia Pacific (EVAAP), and e-Mobility Europe. Notably, no Australian institution is a member of any of these bodies.
I attended the Seoul event last year and some of the most interesting topics covered were those that looked at the behaviour of drivers—what drives their decision-making processes with respect to vehicle adoption, usage, charging patterns, and most importantly, the friction they experience even in some of the most mature EV markets.
This year’s EVS is hosted by Gothenburg, home of Volvo Group (Trucks and Buses), Volvo Cars, and Polestar, all of whom are enthusiastic sponsors of the event. Looking through the programme, there is a distinct focus on commercial vehicles and commercial vehicle charging.
However, a lot of work is being presented on hot-button issues such as interoperability, cybersecurity, and ease of use of EVs and charging. Some of the most interesting content is contained within the Poster Sessions, a rotating set of 12-minute slots where researchers can showcase their work—a launchpad for more in-depth discussions.
Finally, I’m looking forward to following up with the City of Gothenburg itself. Last year at EVS 37 they showcased the wireless charging trial they had been running across some of the city’s taxi fleet, with chargers located under key eating spots for drivers.
Opportunity charging of waiting commercial vehicles is a fantastic use case for wireless chargers, and what was presented showed how it helped convince sceptical drivers to convert to electric. I’m looking forward to an update on this project and maybe even a visit to one of the charging sites.
It’s going to be a busy few days and you can catch all the most exciting news from the symposium right here on The Driven.
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Ed Lynch-Bell is Principal at Second Mouse, dedicated to building more sustainable energy tech and mobility products, services and businesses. Ed is also a co-host of the Melbourne and Sydney EV Meet-ups, bringing the e-mobility industry together.