Ask what EVs can do for the smart grid
It was barely a year ago that electric vehicles (EVs) were largely relegated to the novelty category by most in the utility industry. Now, one finds EVs prominently covered in virtually every utility smart grid conference program, and some utilities are even considering the launch of new EV charging businesses. In over 20 years of utility industry involvement, I have never seen utilities go through such a rapid shift in thinking.
Many factors contributed to the shift in utility perspectives toward EVs, but the turning point arguably would be the announcement of billions of dollars of federal stimulus funding to support alternative fuel vehicle programs in the U.S. and elsewhere. This has propelled auto manufacturers to announce planned production of at least 60 xEV (EV, PHEV, HEV) passenger and light duty plug-in vehicles by 2010, and at least 119 models of xEV passenger vehicles by 2015 (1). What does the arrival of all of these EVs mean for utilities?
[Source & Read More: Better Place]
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