http://ecomento.com/2014/07/29/energy-companies-to-control-electric-car-charging/ Energy companies to control electric car charging July 29, 2014 – Richard Lane
[images http://cdn.ecomento.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/EPRI_FocusElectric_hero.jpg http://cdn.ecomento.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/EPRI_FocusElectric_Graphic.jpg ] Almost all of the world’s major carmakers will soon collaborate in an effort to ensure that electric vehicles integrate intelligently with the vast power grid in the US. Lower charging costs and increased usage of renewable energy are two key potential benefits for a portion of the 225,000 Americans who drive a plug-in vehicle, as their vehicles begin to communicate with energy suppliers remotely. Eight carmakers, including General Motors, BMW, Ford, and Mercedes-Benz, will work alongside 15 utility companies to ensure that the electric grid is also never overloaded as a consequence of draw from electric cars, preventing the possibility of blackouts. Smart grids, as they are known, have long been discussed within the industry, but successful pilot programs have never gained momentum nationwide due to differing standards elsewhere. This new collaboration, led by the Electric Power Research Institute, is the first time that so many electric car manufacturers and rival energy suppliers have been united under a single cause. A specifically designed interface will allow utility companies to schedule the charging time of electric vehicles with the permission of the owner. This allows them to synchronize power draw with times of low demand and, remarkably, when renewable energy becomes available. EPRI says the interface will be simple to interpret, allowing owners to easily participate in various programs, such as signing up for off-peak rates and nighttime charging. Indispensable technology Smart grids will likely prove a necessity as the popularity of electric cars grows. A recent study of 2,000 households in the western US discovered that electric vehicle owners consumer four times as much electricity than average after midnight. Installing rooftop solar can cater for a significant proportion of this draw, but not enough to prevent problems for the grid. Energy diversity will also present problems. As coal-fired power stations continue to make up a decreasing proportion of the US’s energy generation, smart grids like EPRI’s may also be called upon to improve reliability by balancing solar and wind-generated energy. Owners participating in such measures could even offset their energy bills to a certain extent. Handing over a level of control to a third party – whose interests have not always been aligned with those of the customer – may seem irrational to many owners, but the financial benefits to individuals and the environmental advantages of widespread adoption are irrefutable. “A key aspect of the platform’s benefits will be giving customers flexibility and choices,” said Dan Bowermaster, EPRI manager of Electric Transportation. “It can help the PEV customer determine the value of using their parked vehicle as a grid resource, and help the industry develop a convenient, user-friendly customer interface. We see this as the foundation for future developments to integrate PEVs with the grid.” [© ecomento.com] ... http://3d-car-shows.com/ford-motor-company-plug-in-electric-vehicles-and-energy-companies-lets-talk/ Ford Motor Company: Plug-In Electric Vehicles and Energy Companies Lets Talk [July 29, 2014] ... http://gmauthority.com/blog/2014/07/general-motors-working-to-improve-electric-grid/ General Motors Working To Improve Electric Grid by Greg Fink — Jul 30, 2014 ... http://paddocktalk.com/news/html/story-258577.html BMW Joins Electric Power Research Institute by: newsla Jul 30, 2014 For all EVLN posts use: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/template/NamlServlet.jtp?macro=search_page&node=413529&query=evln&sort=date http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2014/07/28/suv-pickup-truck-plug-in-electric-vehicle-revolution/ altetechnologies.com replaced V8 w/ 4cyl in SUV-pih w/ L3 @EPRI EVent ... http://nuworldresearch.com http://rema-ev.com/dc-fast-charge http://www.thanhniennews.com/world/electric-minicar-to-take-on-sao-paulo-traffic-nightmare-29257.html Brazilian car maker Strumiello set to unveil a lightweight mini-EV http://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/tesla-model-s-doesnt-get-navigation-in-china/ Chinese Tesla-S owners go w/o navigation due to Google incompatibility ... http://chinaev.wordpress.com/2014/06/30/tesla-response-navigation-on-the-way-for-chinese-customers-and-more/ Alysha Webb’s China EV Blog http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/canada/archives/2014/07/20140727-150519.html Quebec man has Canadian North America's first electric Tesla taxi http://www.ecns.cn/business/2014/07-29/126708.shtml Tesla to further extend charging network in China + EVLN: OSU's Magic CAN Node micro-controller & data acquisition system {brucedp.150m.com} -- View this message in context: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/EVLN-EPRI-seeks-Request-to-stop-charging-synchronized-smart-grid-tp4670755.html Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at Nabble.com. _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
