GE and Nissan Get Into Smart Charging

Thursday, April 29, 2010
GE and Nissan have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly research "smart charging" stations.  Both companies will be conducting research separately and collectively, using computer simulations to finetune their software charging systems. 

 For more information, read the article: GE, Nissan team on smart charging for electric cars 

 Here is the full text of the entire article, in case the link goes bad: 
General Electric and Nissan plan to research "smart charging" technologies for electric vehicles to help consumers take advantage of cheaper electricity rates and keep the power grid stable.

The two companies on Monday announced a memorandum of understanding to undertake research mainly at GE's Niskayuna, N.Y., smart-grid lab for three years. The first phase of the work will focus on integrating electric car charging with homes and buildings. The second phase will work on integrating electric vehicles in the power grid, according to the companies.

"Together with Nissan, we will take a comprehensive look at what technologies will be needed in the car, on the grid and at home or work to make smart charging a reality," said Mark Little, the president and director of GE Global Research, in a statement.

Nissan last week began taking orders for the Nissan Leaf, an all-electric sedan that can go about 100 miles. The automaker plans to start delivery of the car in the U.S. and Japan by the end of the year.

As these plug-in vehicles come to market, though, people in the auto and utility industries say there still are a few issues that need to be cleared up to make the transition smooth for car owners.

In a blog post, GE scientist Matt Nielsen, who is taking the lead on the smart-charging research, said that GE and Nissan will seek to sort out which challenges are real and which are perceived by using computer simulations and gathering data.

Among the challenges Nielsen sees are equipping homes with the appropriate wiring for car charging, administering low-cost metering plans from utilities, and managing car cables so people don't trip over them.

In addition to providing convenience for drivers, smart-charging software is considered a critical piece of infrastructure as more electric cars are plugged in. If a neighborhood has even just a few electric vehicles charging at the same time, the load could strain or take down a local circuit, according to utility executives.

"Initially the small numbers of electric vehicles will not strain the grid. However, I would argue that providing a good customer experience will be critical for these early adopters. In today's social-media connected environment, the communication of their perception may impact the overall adoption curve," Nielsen said.

To avoid taxing the grid, smart-charging equipment could monitor the rate that car batteries are charged or schedule charging for off-peak times. Consumers could also program their daily charging to take advantage of off-peak rates, if they are available. Or there could be tools to check the charge status and estimate the charge needed for a planned driving route.

Ford and Microsoft earlier this month said Ford electric vehicle drivers will use car-charging tools in Microsoft's Hohm home energy-management Web application. The Pacific Northwest National Labs has developed a smart charger controller, a device that can get data on charge rates from the Internet while making sure a car is fully charged when needed.

Executives at utilities and electric vehicle companies are also exploring ways for plug-in vehicle batteries to provide services for the power grid. A network of plugged-in vehicles could help stabilize the grid's frequency and reduce the need for power plants used for that purpose. Electric vehicles could also send their charge back into the grid, although that technology is considered more challenging.

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-20003373-54.html#ixzz15U6zfBXs
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Nissan and Toyota Set Japanese Standard

Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Nissan and Toyota agree to standardize their EV charging stations in Japan -- and hope this leads to an international standard. For more details, read the story: Toyota, Nissan to standardize electric car recharger
Top Japanese carmakers Toyota and Nissan helped set up a group to standardize fast-charge stations for electric cars on Monday in a bid to promote the spread of the zero-emission vehicles.
The group, led by Japan's biggest utility, Tokyo Electric Power, Toyota Motor, Nissan Motor, Mitsubishi Motors, and Fuji Heavy Industries, will set a standard for Japan and later aim for an international standard.
Some 158 companies and government bodies are expected to join, including 20 non-Japanese firms such as PG&E, Enel, Endesa, and PSA Peugeot Citroen.

A plug for plug-in power.
(Credit: Toyota Motor)
Electric vehicles are seen as one solution to meeting stricter environmental regulations because they have no tailpipe emissions. But they face hurdles such as costly batteries and a limited driving distance compared with conventional cars, as well as the lack of infrastructure to recharge when away from home.

Forming a common "language" for fast-charging electric cars across various brands would save development costs for carmakers and ancillary industries, said the group, called Chademo. (Editors' note: According to Toyota's press release, "'CHAdeMO' is an abbreviation of 'CHArge de MOve', equivalent to 'charge for moving', and is a pun for 'O cha demo ikaga desuka' in Japanese, meaning 'Let's have a tea while charging' in English.")

"We will compete when it comes to vehicle performance, but we should cooperate on areas such as infrastructure," said Nissan Chief Operating Officer Toshiyuki Shiga. Japan's No. 3 automaker will begin selling its first electric car later this year.
Mitsubishi Motors and Fuji Heavy, the maker of Subaru-brand cars, are the world's only mass-volume automakers now producing battery-run electric cars, with sales so far limited to corporate and government fleets in Japan.

"There are 1,000 electric cars and 150 fast-charge stations in Japan already," Tokyo Electric Power Executive Vice President Hiroyuki Ino told a news conference in Tokyo. "Our aim is to form a standard in Japan and make use of that in the world."

He said the group would lobby international bodies such as the Society of Automotive Engineers and the International Transport Forum to promote its technology.


Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-20000430-54.html#ixzz15UDH4h6N
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Nissan Leaf Hits Seattle

Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Listen to what happens when the Nissan Leaf roadshow reaches Seattle. Read more about it in:

Nissan Plans Leaf with Complete Charging Infrastructure

by Denis Du Bois for Energy Priorities.
"In some cities, Leaf drivers won't have to wait for the charging infrastructure to catch up. Mark Perry, Nissan North America's Director of Product Planning, says Seattle is part of a DOE project to place 2,500 charging stations to the Puget Sound region this summer. Perry says there will be a public charging station within five miles of any spot in the Puget sound area. But Nissan expects most owners to charge at home, overnight. The charger is built into the car, with a timer so you can control when it charges itself."
Read the full text of the entire article, in case the link goes bad:

Program Notes

At the test location, Nissan technician Dean Romaine orients me to the prototype car's dashboard and controls.

The all-electric Nissan Leaf car prototype visited Seattle's Qwest Field this week.


Kate Quigley, of the Nissan Leaf Road Crew, gives an on-camera interview at a media drive day.


The Leaf has no internal combustion engine, which makes it a zero-emissions car. (The electricity that charges it, however, is not necessarily emissions-free.) Nissan expects the Leaf to be the first affordable, all-electric car.

This prototype is the Leaf powertrain, batteries and regenerative braking system under the body of a Nissan Tida.

Initially it's a lot like driving a Toyota Prius hybrid... until the straightaway, where Dean persuades me to floor it.

The acceleration is quick -- and almost completely silent. The Leaf has 107 horsepower and tops out at 90 miles an hour -- although I don't come close to that.

You can't buy this, or any production all-electric car, in the US today. Nissan will begin taking reservations for the Leaf in the spring of 2010.

It has all the creature comforts -- air conditioning, cruise control, stereo, and a navigation system that shows the locations of the nearest public charging stations.

In some cities, Leaf drivers won't have to wait for the charging infrastructure to catch up. Mark Perry, Nissan North America's Director of Product Planning, says Seattle is part of a DOE project to place 2,500 charging stations to the Puget Sound region this summer. Perry says there will be a public charging station within five miles of any spot in the Puget sound area.

But Nissan expects most owners to charge at home, overnight. The charger is built into the car, with a timer so you can control when it charges itself.

The ideal car battery would have a long range, and minimal residual waste at the end of its useful life. Nissan is taking advantage of battery technology developed for consumer electronics.

The Leaf's battery is a LiMn chemistry. Nissan expects it to have a ten year life. As Nissan improves its battery technology, car owners will be able to upgrade. At end of life, Perry says Nissan has planned to recycle the battery.

The Leaf itself contains quite a bit of recycled materials. The one thing it doesn't have is a tailpipe. It is completely emissions-free -- no carbon. And, in places like Seattle, where the energy utility gets its power from renewable energy, is carbon neutral, even the charging source is carbon neutral.
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