Since the 19th century, when Thomas Alva Edison not only invented the light bulb but also contributed greatly to improvements in battery technology, the name Edison has been synonymous with progress and innovation when it comes to electricity.
As the 21st century unfolds, Southern California Edison carries on the legacy of such pioneering visionaries, taking a leadership role to ensure the safe, reliable, efficient use of electric-drive technologies.
These technologies – whether battery, hybrid or fuel cell cars and buses, or non-road equipment like forklifts and golf carts – offer tremendous benefits in reducing our dependence on foreign oil, lowering greenhouse gas emissions and improving the quality of the air we breathe.
So take a look at where the electric-drive technology industry has been during the last two decades – and where it’s going, as SCE continues two decades’ worth of work in supporting a sustainable transportation future. View the timeline (PDF) .
1987: The Research and Development Department at SCE explores opportunities for fleet use of electric vehicles, and the company leases a British-built electric-powered delivery van called the Griffon.
1988: SCE co-sponsors the first electric vehicle-focused national gathering of stakeholders from a broad range of industries to address commercialization of this technology.
1991: SCE founds its Electric Transportation Department. Also, in partnership with the Electric Power Research Institute, SCE helps form the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Working Committee to develop industry standards for charging infrastructure.
1993: In a key milestone, SCE establishes its Electric Vehicle Technical Center in Pomona, Calif., to test and evaluate electric-drive systems, battery types and infrastructure options.
1994: SCE and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power team up with General Motors to launch the PrEView Drive Program, the first consumer field test of the Impact (later EV1) electric vehicle.
1996: The Electric Vehicle Technical Center at SCE is selected as one of two U.S. Department of Energy test sites in the nation for evaluation of electric vehicle baseline performance, reliability and fleet operation.
1998: SCE’s electric vehicle fleet passes the million-mile mark. By mid-2008, the fleet had logged more than 16 million miles, reducing air pollutant and tailpipe greenhouse gas emissions by over 10,000 tons.
2001: SCE’s Electric Vehicle Technical Center receives a certificate of registration from the Quality Management Institute by fulfilling requirements for the ISO 9001:1994 standard of quality. The Center later becomes ISO 9001 Registered.
2002: A program developed and managed by SCE and funded by the California Energy Commission reduces summer on-peak forklift and golf cart battery charging by over 9 megawatts.
2005: SCE takes delivery of its first fuel cell electric vehicle, the hydrogen-powered DaimlerChrysler F-Cell. This allows SCE to continue its leadership work in assessing existing and emerging electric-drive technologies.
2006: SCE begins testing Daimler AG’s Sprinter Van, the first plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle prototype from an original equipment manufacturer, to gain additional knowledge about this technology in real-world applications.
2007: SCE and Ford Motor Company announce a first-of-its-kind collaboration to examine the future of plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles as part of a complete vehicle, home and grid energy system.
2008: Continuing its innovative work, SCE moves forward with its “garage of the future” evaluation platform, part of a fundamental convergence of electricity and transportation that can create more sustainable mobile and stationary energy storage systems.
The story continues at SCE. We’re advancing our commitment to reducing dependence on foreign oil and protecting the environment we all share. We’re making it happen.
Electricity…Sustaining Our Transportation Future.