Siemens launches lineup of residential, commercial charging stations

Siemens Energy, Inc.has launched a lineup of electric vehicle charging station that include residential, commercial and integrated smart grid systems equipped with Coulomb’s ChargePoint networking capabilities. The lineup of chargers includes wall-mountable Level II residential units and multi-level (Level I and Level II) commercial chargers. The company’s wall-mountable residential system features a 7.2-kW single-output configuration, while the multi-level commercial units are outfitted with both a Level I and Level II output, and these can deliver power to two electric vehicles simultaneously.

By offering Coulomb’s ChargePoint-networking capabilities, all of the Siemens chargers feature 24/7 driver assistance, smart phone detection capability and automated driver billing. Additionally, all of the newly launched units are UL listed and incorporate metering capabilities that allow them to be easily integrated into rapidly expanding smart grid systems. Siemens has yet to release pricing for its lineup of advanced vehicle chargers, but we’d expect the residential unit to fall in line with others, like the Coulomb CT500, which offers similar capabilities.

AutoblogGreen

=> Siemens launches lineup of residential, commercial charging stations.

AllCell and Matra Debut Solar Energy Storage Battery Swap and Charging System at Paris Motor Show

The Paris Motor Show saw the debut of a solar energy storage system to support light electric vehicle battery swaps and charging. Designed and developed by AllCell Technologies for Matra Manufacturing Services, the Matra Solar Flow-R energy storage system (ESS) stores solar energy in an array of 12 swappable high energy lithium-ion battery modules using AllCell’s proprietary Phase Change Material (PCM) technology. (Earlier post.)

Electric scooter and light electric vehicle drivers can exchange depleted AllCell battery modules from their vehicles for fully charged battery modules from the Flow-R or charge the vehicle directly through the power plugs located on the front panel of the ESS. France-based Matra offers a line of electric bikes, scooters and quads.

An extra option allows the solar grid-integrated system to supply energy to utility customers during high-rate and peak demand periods, reducing energy costs and increasing renewable energy usage.

The cornerstone of the system is AllCell’s 1.44 kWh (48.1 V, 30 Ah) high energy lithium-ion battery pack. The 8 kg module has a high energy density of 180 Wh/kg, made possible by AllCell’s proprietary phase change material (PCM) technology that surrounds each cell in the pack to provide optimal heat management and safety control.

With 12 modules, each Flow-R ESS has a total capacity of 17.28 kWh. They will primarily charge using solar energy, but can give and receive energy to/from the grid. The full 17.28 kWh unit can handle 3 kW of power flow in or out. Each 1.44 kWh battery can do 2.88 kW charge/discharge.

AllCell’ PCM surrounds each Li-ion cell to absorb and conduct heat away from the battery. This maintains a constant temperature throughout the battery pack, which effectively doubles the pack’s life and prevents catastrophic thermal runaway (i.e. a fire or explosion). Click to enlarge.

AllCell’s PCM uses paraffin wax microencapsulated in a custom designed graphite matrix to provide superior cooling. As the battery discharges, the graphite matrix conducts the heat evenly throughout the pack while the PCM absorbs the heat as it melts to control the temperature. During resting or charging, the PCM re-solidifies and becomes ready for re-use.

In addition, PCM’s thermal properties extend the life of the battery, allow for use in extreme climates (45 °C+), and enhance the battery’s power (1/2 hour full discharge versus 1 hour discharge industry standard for high energy cells).

The Matra Solar Flow-R also enables consumers to tap into the previously unutilized value of their batteries. Typically end-of-service-life for most batteries comes when the battery’s capacity has degraded beyond the useful drive range in an electric scooter or light electric vehicle and the battery is either recycled or thrown away.

The Matra Solar Flow-R uses new and recycled battery modules, extending the useful life of the battery packs and improving the economics for consumers. In addition to controlling energy flow between modules, the smart electronics optimizes the flow between the solar panels, modules, and grid to increase renewable energy usage and minimize cost.

Matra is exhibiting a system at the 2010 Paris Auto Show (Pavilion 3/Row B/Stand 219) from 2-17 October and will be taking orders soon for units for fleet applications.

Green Car Congress

=> AllCell and Matra Debut Solar Energy Storage Battery Swap and Charging System at Paris Motor Show.

Verify Markets claims electric vehicle charging industry will top $3b by 2017

GE WattStation – Click above for high-res image gallery

Dishing out $5,000 to read a report on the future of the electrical vehicle charging industry is not something that we often do around here. In fact, we’d never dish out that kind of dough to pour over some predictions based on speculation, forecasting models and perhaps some less-than-educated guesses. Paying for a just-released market research report with dubious predictions that reach seven years into the future doesn’t seem like a wise investment. That’s why when we heard that Verify Markets, a relatively unknown name in the automotive market research category, wants $5,000 to view its North American eMobility report, we held ourselves back and instead skimmed over the firm’s charging industry outline, which reads like this:

The market is expected to reach unit shipments of 2.8 million by 2017, with over 85% of unit sales comprised of residential and multi-unit housing chargers. The level three charging industry, which will follow right behind the level two infrastructure, is expected to have over 10,000 unit shipments by 2017 and revenues of over $250 million on unit installations alone. Competition in the industry will pick up drastically over the next two to three years when several major players, including ABB, General Electric, Eaton, and Leviton, are expected to have some type of product in the market. Greater competition will increase the downward price pressure of EV chargers. This will likely decrease unit price by 50% in three to five years.

There, we just saved you $5,000 and hours of time. Still, if you’d rather read the whole thing, then head over to Verify Market’s site, pay five grand and let us know all about it.

AutoblogGreen

=> Verify Markets claims electric vehicle charging industry will top $3b by 2017.

GE and Better Place Partner to Accelerate EV Infrastructure Deployment; Integrating GE WattStation with Better Place Services

GE and Better Place have formed a technology and financing partnership to accelerate the global deployment of electric vehicle infrastructure through collaboration in four key areas: standards-based technology development; battery financing; joint fleet electrification programs; and consumer awareness.

The partnership combines GE’s global scale, broad technology portfolio, smart grid expertise, and its new WattStation Level 2 electric vehicle charger (earlier post) with Better Place’s EV services and infrastructure solution.

Our collaboration with GE is another significant step forward for Better Place as we seek to assemble a formidable ecosystem of industry leaders including Renault, HSBC and now GE that can help us scale our model globally. Our team of partners is committed to accelerating the acceptance of electric cars as more affordable and more convenient than our gasoline heritage.

—Shai Agassi, Founder and CEO, Better Place

The partnership includes collaboration in four areas:

1. Standards-based technology: GE’s WattStation will be compatible with the Better Place service network. This partnership will allow consumers that manage charging costs under Better Place’s network to charge their vehicles using GE’s WattStation.
2. Battery Financing: GE and Better Place will develop a battery financing program that begins with a pilot project to finance 10,000 batteries in Israel and Denmark, which are the first two markets for Better Place. This financing will further drive the early EV market in those countries, helping to bring the first 10,000 electric cars to consumers there.
3. Fleet Electrification: GE and Better Place are collaborating to target fleet owners for pilot projects to test a comprehensive fleet electrification offering model in major city centers and connecting highways. The goal is to convert corporate fleet owners to electric fleets, so owners reap both the economic benefits of lower cost of ownership as well as reducing harmful carbon emissions.

   Target pilot locations include cities in North America, including the San Francisco Bay Area, Honolulu, Hawaii, and Ontario, Canada, as well as cities in Europe, Asia and Australia. Better Place is already working towards initial network deployments in these markets, beginning in 2011.

4. Consumer Awareness: Better Place and GE, as part of its ecomagination initiative, will focus on raising consumer awareness to understand the economic and environmental value of widespread adoption of electric transport and the infrastructure that is needed so make that level of adoption a reality.

Green Car Congress

=> GE and Better Place Partner to Accelerate EV Infrastructure Deployment; Integrating GE WattStation with Better Place Services.

Nissan and Endesa to Develop CHAdeMO Quick Charging Network in Spain

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., and Endesa, Spain’s largest electricity supply company, are developing a Quick Charging network for electric vehicles.

Under a Memorandum of Understanding signed by both parties, Nissan and Endesa have agreed to advance the technical progress and deployment of Direct Current (DC) quick charging technology throughout Spain. This is in parallel to the work started earlier this year between Endesa’s parent company, Italy’s ENEL and Nissan’s Alliance partner Renault on Alternative Current (AC) quick charging technology.

The DC technology will be based on the CHAdeMo standard (earlier post) for electric vehicle charging stations. The network will be compatible with the Nissan LEAF electric vehicle, which is expected to go on sale in Spain in June 2011.

In addition, Endesa will invite Nissan to take part in the SmartCity Project in Malaga and its Quick Charging Demonstrator Project in Catalonia. For its part, Nissan will support the certification process ensuring that Nissan LEAF and Endesa’s Quick Charge device are compatible and the Japanese car maker will share energy supply knowledge and ideas learned during the development of the Nissan LEAF and other EV projects with Endesa.

Endesa has pledged to develop a sustainable transport policy based on the EV as a key element in combating climate change, a cornerstone of its Sustainability Strategic Plan 2008-2012.

The CHAdeMO—or Charge to Move—standard was originally determined and agreed by a coalition of Japanese companies including Nissan, Toyota, Mitsubishi and Fuji Heavy Industries working closely with the Tokyo Electric Power Company. Today the association includes representatives from more than 150 Japanese and foreign companies, as well as local governments. Endesa is a regular member of CHAdeMo. Together with Enel, they represent two of the three companies from the European power industry in the coalition.

Green Car Congress

=> Nissan and Endesa to Develop CHAdeMO Quick Charging Network in Spain.

Elektromotive Introduces EBConnect Software

Public organisations and private companies investing in electric vehicle (EV) recharging points can now evaluate ongoing usage levels and bill individual users if desired, thanks to pioneering new technology from Elektromotive, the world’s leading manufacturer of charging stations.

EBConnect is a software solution that can be quickly and easily uploaded to all of Elektromotive’s Elektrobay recharging units across the world, ready to provide the data, analysis and reporting that any future ‘pay-for-use’ system might require. The new software gathers all transactional data in near-real time via a secure communications network, and can generate a plethora of reports for analysis and tailored billing.

Elektrobay owners can view information through the dedicated EBConnect web portal, and can grant access to Elektrobay users so they can assess their personal account. The multi-facetted interface of the EBConnect web portal can be used to set up customer email and SMS accounts, maintain user subscriptions and manage the availability of Elektrobay units remotely. Users can monitor their own usage levels and carbon savings and, if required, manage payments for electricity used.

EBConnect also performs ‘heartbeat’ monitoring at each Elektrobay charging point to ensure operational health. Should an appropriate response not be received, an alert will be raised. At this point, a central operator can perform a diagnostic check and resolve it remotely, or arrange for an engineer to be called out. Elektromotive duplicates the data on the EBConnect server for disaster recovery purposes so, in the unlikely event of a hardware failure, the data can be switched over without interruption in service.

“This EBConnect system sets a new standard for the industry, providing charging point owners with unrivalled insight into usage patterns and a future-proof billing solution,” commented Greg Simmons, Technical Director of Elektromotive. “With the availability of so many reports, owners can tailor their own billing strategy.“

Simmons continued, “There is still some discussion about when and how to charge users of recharge points. EBConnect has the flexibility to ensure that, whichever method is chosen, it will deliver the required functionality.”

System reports are set against four key performance indicators: customer usage, energy consumption, unit and cluster availability, and hardware maintenance. Additionally, EBConnect is linked to Elektromotive’s user administration scheme and can check if a user is white-listed (approved) or black-listed (not approved). From this information the system can allow white-listed users to recharge their vehicles, and prevent black-listed users from charging by shutting down the charging point and disabling their tag.

EVWorldwire

=> Elektromotive Introduces EBConnect Software.

Evatran Previews Cordless Electric Vehicle Charging Station

At the Plug-In 2010 conference this week in San Jose, California, Evatran debuted the Plugless Power, a hands-free, wireless electric-vehicle charging station. Rather than remembering to plug in the car at the end of the day, drivers simply have to park next to the station, which charges the vehicle’s battery using electromagnetic induction. The station requires a model-specific adapter mounted onto the car, but it’s installed, a driver only needs to park close to the floor-mounted magnetic charging block.

Granted, it’s 10% less efficient than plug-in stations. It charges in the same amount of time, but to make up for the energy lost during transfer, Plugless Power uses more. That’s less than ideal, but it’s still better (and cheaper) than using gas, particularly if that electricity can be produced from renewable resources. And if this sort of futuristic tech helps to convert a few more drivers to electric vehicles, it will still be a net environmental gain. Evatran says that the Plugless Power will be available in early 2011. (via CNet)

GoodCleanTech

=> Evatran Previews Cordless Electric Vehicle Charging Station.

JFE to conduct field trials of super-rapid charger by year’s end

Early last month, we broke a story regarding a super-rapid charging system that could take an electric vehicle (EV) from empty to 50 percent charged up in as little as three minutes. The super-rapid charging system, developed by JFE Engineering, could potentially change the EV industry forever. Just imagine, an EV could be charged in about the same amount of time that it takes to fuel up a traditional car. This could certainly put to rest some of thegripes regarding long charging times that are often associated with EVs.

JFE Engineering has apparently made significant progress on its super-rapid charging system and claims that it will be ready for field tests before the end of the year. In addition, the company claims that it will be ready for production as soon as EVs supporting the rapid charging standard become available. The system utilizes 500-600 amps of current, significantly more than the CHAdeMO systems, which of course means that the Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi i-MiEV are not currently compatible with the super-rapid standard. Of course, there’s stillconcern over battery degradation from the rapid charging system, but JFE remains confident that batteries can be designed to withstand the additional strain. We’ll update you again as soon as the super-rapid charging system swings into action. Hat tip to Larz!

AutoblogGreen

=> JFE to conduct field trials of super-rapid charger by year’s end.

Ultra Quick Battery Charge System Developed: 50% Full in 3 Minutes

The Nikkei newspaper (subs. req’d) says that a Japanese company has built a quick charge system that can take a battery from zero charge to 50% full in about 3 minutes.

JFE Engineering Corp, based in Yokohama, says that the system will go on sale later this year and has the capability to charge 5 times faster than other such quick charge products. Even though one station costs about $63,000, that’s roughly 40% less than the competition.

Gas 2.0

=> Ultra Quick Battery Charge System Developed: 50% Full in 3 Minutes.

Report: plug-in chargers could be a $11.75 billion market by 2015

Forecasting the future is not always easy and, sometimes, far from accurate, but we like predictions because they usually give us some idea of what to expect as we move forward. In this instance, the predictions point to a world in which plug-in vehicle chargers are almost as common as gas stations. Well, not quite, but they do suggest that the U.S. will lead the world in something – and that’s always worth talking about.

ABI Research conducted a market study of vehicles chargers and determined that this is, indeed, big business. The study suggests that global investments will reach $11.75 billion by 2015. The spending will help increase the number of charging stations from 20,000 worldwide today to over 3 million five years from now.

Now, that’s all great, but here’s the crowning glory for Americans. The study shows that the U.S. will be home to 54 percent of all chargers in 2015, followed by China at 23 percent. If correct, and forecasts often aren’t, the U.S. can reclaim a number one spot in the auto industry. Even though the worldwide leader of vehicle chargers is not quite as brag-worthy as China’s title of the world’s number one automotive market, we’ll take it.

AutoblogGreen

=> Report: plug-in chargers could be a $11.75 billion market by 2015.

Schneider Electric, Legrand and Scame Create EV Plug Alliance

Schneider Electric, Legrand and Scame are forming the EV Plug Alliance to promote the use of a high safety plug and socket solution for Electric Vehicle charge infrastructure.

The rapid adoption of a European standard for Electric Vehicle infrastructure plugs that meets the existing security levels required for installation in homes and buildings at an optimized cost is a key factor to develop the nascent Electric Vehicle market, the companies say. The Alliance aims to provide a label that guarantees full compliance with the Type 3 of the IEC standard for plug & socket in finalization.

The plug endorsed by the Alliance will ensure compatibility between multiple suppliers’ products. Charge at a power up to 24 kW, in mono or three phase installations will allow charging electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. It will offer the highest level of safety with the use of shutters to protect against accidental touch of electric parts.

The EV Plug Alliance is open to any new member, and our first challenge is to gather as many actors concerned as possible. The more we enlarge the Alliance, the more chances we will have to create an eco-system with one strong standard, easing development of solutions and practical applications to revolutionize the electric vehicle charge.

—Statement from the three co-founders

The first products labeled by the EV Plug Alliance are planned to be available at the end of second quarter 2010.

Green Car Congress

=> Schneider Electric, Legrand and Scame Create EV Plug Alliance.

KAIST Introduces Online Electric Vehicle With Inductive Charging for Amusement Park

The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has developed anddeployed a prototype implementation of its online electric vehicle (OLEV) technology that picks up electricity from power cables buried underground through a non-contact magnetic charging method. The OLEV demonstrator developed by KAIST replaces a trackless combustion-engine train running inside Seoul Grand Park.

KAIST called the non-contact charging of vehicles while running, idling, or parking an important and practical technology necessary for the development of commercialized electric vehicles.

The power pickup equipment installed underneath OLEV collects electricity from a roadway and distributes the power either to operate the vehicle or for battery storage. Whether running or stopped, the OLEV constantly receives electric power through the underground cables. As a result, OLEV the mitigates the burden of equipping electric vehicles with large battery packs—the OLEV’s battery size is one-fifth of the batteries installed in electric vehicles currently on the market.

A road embedded with underground recharging strips is divided into several segments so that, when a car drives on a certain segment, a sensor in the segment is turned on, and the car above the segment picks up electricity. A selective provision of power to vehicles with the pickup equipment relieves safety concerns about electromagnetic radiation exposure to pedestrians or other conventional vehicles. EMF test results for OLEV are well below the 1998 the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) guideline, 62.5mG at 20kHz.

If the OLEV charging method is applied to the public bus system in South Korea, the underground power lines would need to be installed on only 20% of the total bus route at places like bus stops, parking lots, and intersections, KAIST said.

In terms of power system transmission efficiency, KAIST’s research team achieved a maximum pick-up capacity of 62 kW/h, 74% with an airgap height of 13cm from the road to the bottom of the vehicle.

Comprising one engine and three passenger cars, the OLEV travels along a total length of 2.2km. There are four sections of power supply infrastructure on the route (Sections 1, 2, and 3: 122.5 meters long each, and Section 4: 5 meters long). The power supply cables were installed under the road surface for a total of 372.5 meters, 16% of the total distance of the 2,200 meter route.

The city government of Seoul and KAIST signed a Memorandum of Understating (MOU) on the development of the online electric vehicle in August 2009.

KAIST has submitted more than 120 applications for patent rights in connection with the development of OLEV, and has set up a roadmap for research and development that will lead to the commercialization of OLEV:

• Development of core technology for the power supply and collection system (2009)
• Development of test prototype for OLEV and common core technology of electric bus (2010)
• Development of practical prototype technology for OLEV (2011)
• Development of standard prototype technology for OLEV (2012)
• Introduction of commercial product to market (2013 and beyond)

Green Car Congress

=> KAIST Introduces Online Electric Vehicle With Inductive Charging for Amusement Park.

Coulomb Technologies Introduces New Open Billing System for ChargePoint Networked Plug-in Charging Stations; No Subscription Required

Coulomb Technologies has introduced a new, open Flex Billing system; beginning in July, users of ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations will no longer need a subscription to the ChargePoint Network. Owners of the charging stations (Hosts), including utilities, retailers, municipalities and corporations can determine the price that drivers pay to use their stations, if any.

The Flex Billing system provides the tools for Hosts to set pricing at individual charging stations while Coulomb provides turnkey services to collect, process and forward payments from drivers directly to Hosts. Additionally, Coulomb is introducing its new ChargePass smart cards that gives EV owners the ability to fuel up at any ChargePoint Networked Charging Station and receive payment discounts and other benefits.

This shift is a direct result of the feedback from our customer base which dates back to 2008. Flexibility is extremely important to our station owners, whether access to a charging station is controlled and billed based upon time, kilowatt hours, or is completely free. Through our networking software technology, we’ve added the Flex Billing system to our Application Service Suite, allowing station owners to set their own pricing.

—Richard Lowenthal, CEO of Coulomb Technologies

The Flex Billing system enables station owners to set pricing as a function of time of day, calendar date, and driver. For example, a city with public ChargePoint stations can require drivers to pay one price per hour for access during the hours of 9:00 am to 4:00 pm and a second price “after hours.” Those same stations can also be configured to provide “free” access to that city’s EV fleet vehicles 24/7. Electric Utilities who own stations can now bill their customers by kilowatt hour and time of use. In addition, corporations who own charging stations can offer their employees free parking but may opt to require visitors of their facilities to pay for charging at their stations.

The Flex Billing system features include:

• Coulomb no longer requires subscriptions and no longer charges drivers for system use.
• Station owners set charging prices.
• Coulomb provides billing services to station owners.
• A 24-hour toll free number enables drivers to use major credit cards, and get help when they need it.
• The use of all major contactless credit cards directly at stations.
• The ability to use Coulomb’s own ChargePass smart card.

We are pleased to see Coulomb adopting an open system and moving away from subscriptions. From our research we concluded that utilities and other charging station owners generally don’t want a third party between them and the customer. An open system is in the best interest of station owners, utilities, and drivers.

—Dr. Mark Duvall, Director of Electric Transportation at the Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. (EPRI)

ChargePass Smart Card. Coulomb’s new ChargePass smart card is modeled after bridge toll systems. Each time a driver uses a ChargePass card, the Flex Billing system automatically deducts the EV fueling fee from their current account balance and sends that money to the station owner. When the balance gets below a predetermined limit, the account is “re-filled” automatically. Drivers using the ChargePass cards can get discounts, and the ChargePass card can be private labeled for use in loyalty programs.

Green Car Congress

=> Coulomb Technologies Introduces New Open Billing System for ChargePoint Networked Plug-in Charging Stations; No Subscription Required.

New System Provides Hybrid Electric Autos With Power to Spare

An advancement in hybrid electric vehicle technology is providing powerful benefits beyond transportation.

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have designed, fabricated and demonstrated a PHEV traction drive power electronics system that provides significant mobile power generation and vehicle-to-grid support capabilities.

“The new technology eliminates the separate charging mechanism typically used in PHEVs, reducing both cost and volume under the hood,” said Gui-Jia Su of ORNL’s Power Electronics and Electric Machinery Research Center. “The PHEV’s traction drive system is used to charge the battery, power the vehicle and enable its mobile energy source capabilities.”

Providing more power than typical freestanding portable generators, the PHEV can be used in emergency situations such as power outages and roadside breakdowns or leisure occasions such as camping. Day-to-day, the PHEV can be used to power homes or businesses or supply power to the grid when power load is high, according to Su.

The charging system concept, which is market ready, could also be used to enhance the voltage stability of the grid by providing reactive power, Su said.

The Power Electronics and Electric Machinery Research Center is DOE’s broad-based research center helping lead the nation’s advancing shift from petroleum-powered to hybrid-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. The center’s efforts directly support DOE’s Vehicle Technologies Program and its goal to provide Americans with greater freedom of mobility and energy security while lowering costs and reducing impacts on the environment.

via http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100204204323.htm

Chinese electric car charging station standards to be announced in June

China is expected to release its standard for nation wide electric power stations in June this year. Shenzhen city, the home of electric pioneer BYD, is reportedly planning 20,000 electric charging stations which will make it the worlds pioneer in vehicle charging.

In 2010, the Chinese State Grid has set its eyes on the next big area for profits, they are working with Tianjin Qing Yuan, BYD, and Chery on setting a standard for charging that will be utilized in China, and more than likely across the rest of the world.

CCT will keep you updated on the progress of the talks.

China Car Times

=> Chinese electric car charging station standards to be announced in June.