The Electric Vehicle Research Center launched as the Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) Research Center in early 2007, and later updated to the Plug-In Hybrid & Electric Vehicle (PH&EV) Research Center in 2010, with support from the California Energy Commission’s allocation of Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) funds for transportation research. The Center collaborates closely with California utilities, automakers, regulators, and other research institutions such as the Electric Power Research Institute and Argonne National Lab on research aimed at developing a sustainable market for plug-in vehicles.
The Center began with three initial research projects, and with the development of a PH&EV Research Roadmap, identified high-priority research areas for future research, including consumer perspectives and vehicle use, charging infrastructure, fleet market development, battery studies, and the impact of human-machine interfaces on behavior.
Moving forward our research is aimed at measuring, monitoring, and understanding multiple aspects of the quickly evolving market for plug-in vehicles internationally. The research we conduct is still consumer-focused, evaluating the impacts of policies and incentives on consumer purchases, the impacts of consumer driving and charging behavior on the electrical grid and corresponding emissions, and the role that international collaborations can have on a sustainable and equitable market for EVs in the future.