Plug-In

  While the traditional fossil fuel vehicle is pretty much a dead weight when it’s not in use, electric cars offer promise of increased utility. Automakers have been on a roll finding - and implementing - novel ways of integrating the electric car into our lives. Ford’s foray into sustainable energy partnership with SunPower is one just positive step forward. On August 2nd, Nissan took a similarly bold step forward in increasing the utility of electric cars in our lives with the introduction ...

As governments are under increasing pressure to go green, and the public not yet convinced that plug-in cars are the wave of the future, lawmakers are stepping up the tax incentives for buyers.  This is in addition to the huge grants and tax credits that federal and state governments are providing to manufacturers of charging infrastructure. In the United States, federal laws already allow significant income tax deductions that apply to new vehicles, such as the upcoming Nissan Leaf.   According to IRC ...

General Motors opened this week what's being called the largest battery factory in the U.S.  But before we start to analyze the numbers, let's first get them all listed: The new Global Battery Systems Lab is located at the Warren Technical Center campus on the outskirts of Detroit. According to information coming from the company, it cost GM $25 million to construct, takes up 33,000 square feet, and employs over 1,000 engineers. The facility will operate 42 thermal chambers and 160 test channels ...

Questions loom over the fate of the Chevy Volt as General Motors prepares to file for bankruptcy tomorrow, June 1st 2009.    Based on GM's worldwide assets of $91 billion and liabilities of $176 billion, the bankruptcy would be  the third largest in U.S. history, behind Lehman Brothers and Worldcom. There have been several prominent speculations over whether GM will abandon its plug-in program.   Keith Johnson, writing for the Wall Street Journal, has come out saying he believes the Volt will be ...

One of the thorniest issues facing the mass adoption of electric-only vehicles is the time it takes to charge them - plugging in for a couple hours seems cumbersome for anyone wanting to drive more than just to work and back. There have been several solutions proposed, such as waiting for advances in battery technology, battery-swapping stations, and improving charging standards and infrastructure. A group of engineers in South Korea, however, have proposed and tested an idea ...

The American Clean Energy and Security Act, also known as H.R. 2354, was opened up for amendments and debate today in Congress.  The legislation is meant to introduce  measures that increase energy efficiency, deploy green technology, and transition the country away from fossil-fuel dependence. The Bill mandates utilities to begin development of plans that support electric vehicle infrastructure and standards for incorporating their integration with a smart power grid.   It also authorizes the Secretary of Energy to provide financial assistance for the ...

You might call them swapping stations, battery cell replacement stations, charging stations or any combination of the above. The important thing is, we will be talking about them soon: there's a $400 million startup company, and billions of dollars in capital set aside by its partners, who are all banking on it.   Their idea?   The future, as they see it, is one where drivers will be provided with ultra-cheap cars and then billed by the mile/kilometer as they move around. ...

Called "The Business of Plugging In", the conference will be held from October 19-21 at the MotorCity Hotel and Conference Center.  It will bring together various interest groups to discuss the future of plug-in electric vehicles. "This conference will foster the dialogue among utilities, automakers, regulators, universities and other stakeholders to assess the environmental impacts of PEVs and to assist with the understanding of how widespread adoption of electric vehicles will impact the electric system," said Al Fields of DTE, an energy company. An ...

The United States Council for Automotive Research is set to formulate new standards for the high-voltage wiring and connections in plug-in automobiles.   The alliance, which includes Chrysler LLC, Ford Motor Company and General Motors Corporation,  will be meeting to discuss the details at the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) conference in Detroit  on April 20-23. The new standards will cover specifications for systems running up to 400V, replacing the old standards for wiring capacities of only 20V.   This will allow plug-in ...