Rising prices of fuels and the ever-increasing concern with CO2 emissions are forcing car manufacturers to come up with new car technologies. Electric Car Technology is one of the most important technologies that car makers are looking up to when fuel efficiency and renewable resources of energy are considered.
Nissan and General Electric have come together with a 3 year agreement to develop a robust and reliable charging infrastructure. The collaboration focuses on two main areas: while the first addresses the integration of electric vehicles with homes and buildings, the second concentrates on electric vehicle charging dynamics with the grid.
People who are pondering electric vehicles simply want to plug it into a socket and forget all about it. Most people don’t give a thought about what’s on the other side of that plug and how it can be utilised for optimal charging and use of the grid. In the recent past,Ford and General Motors have been found to be working with utilities to ensure that an electrical grid can efficiently handle the coming influx of cars with cords.
Similarly, Nissan is working with Ecotality to create charging infrastructure in several states in the US.
“In the past few years, we have seen an acceleration of innovations in plug-in hybrid and electric cars that have sparked a revolution in smart-charging technologies. 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,” Mark Little, senior vice president and director of GE Global Research, said in a statement.
The Smart Charging Technology would let EV’s to communicate with local utilities and ensure that they are charging when the electricity is relatively cheaper and the impact on the grid is lesser. The increased efficiency would not only lead to cheaper energy for the electric vehicle owner but also a stable grid for the rest of the people.
The two companies are experts in their fields and their collective expertise will bring the best results in charging technologies. GE’s expertise in electricity at all levels of generation and distribution and Nissan’s experience in electric vehicles like the Nissan Leaf will work wonders.
Most of GE’s tasks will be accomplished at its R&S centre in Niskayuna, New York, and Nissan will make use of its technical centres in Farmington Hills, Michigan and in Japan.
Though electric cars are yet to get their due popularity in India, there are a significant number of people opting for EV’s. And the market for electric vehicles heating up in India, we hope to see similar projects making their way towards the country.
