PROJECT EASY GREEN

We've just returned from Raleigh, NC where the Plug In 2011 conference was being held, and have put together a slideshow of the electric cars and technologies on display. The most visceral argument for EVs? Take a look at the microwave and alarm clock that "run" on gasoline in the photo gallery below. If that doesn't make you want to go out and buy a EV, not much will. We also saw three leading trends at the event, which I note here:

1. For the first time, Level 2 chargers are now available at big box retail stores. 

   GE’s announcement that their Level 2 (240V) EV chargers will be available at Lowe’s and lowes.com should be viewed as an early inflection point for the EV market. No doubt, other charging companies and other big box retailers (ahem, Home Depot & Best Buy) will soon be making similar offerings available, all of which will be great news for the acceleration of EV adoption.

2. Roadside assistance for EVs? AAA has an app for that.

   What do you do if your EV runs out of charge? The same thing that you do when your traditional car won’t start: call AAA. Their service vehicles will provide hook-ups for both Level 2 and Level 3 (DC fast charging), with the idea being that this is not a specialty service, but one that all of their trucks could potentially have in the future.

3. Go wireless, and forget about plugging in altogether!

   Companies like Virginia-based Evatran want to know, who needs the hassle of actually having to plug in a car when you could instead rely on electromagnetic induction and have the vehicle charge wirelessly.  The company claims that their 240V solution, dubbed "Plugless Power," charges as fast as the plug-in charging units. While theirs will sell at a premium, the difference is a lot less than you might think. Website: http://www.pluglesspower.com/

All in all, this year’s Plug In 2011 was an excellent event: well organized, well attended, and, most notably, attracting the right speakers from both the utility and smart gird vendor communities, not to mention most of the major auto OEMs working on electric transportation. We at Greentech Media are looking forward to attending again next year in Texas. 

Of further of note, just about everyone with whom we spoke expects residential Level 2 chargers to quickly drop in price (GE’s WattStation will initially retail for roughly $1000). Most industry observers expect this to fall into the $200 to $300 price range, as second- and third-gen EVs begin to be offered over the next eight years. Also of note, word on the (fake) streets inside the Raleigh Convention center is that SAE is getting closer to coming to an agreement on standards for communications between the cars and the charging units, with a decision expected within the next six to nine months. This will be absolutely critical in integrating these EVs into the smart grid to both accommodate and manage these thirsty appliances. 

Lastly, we asked AAA if they will able to recharge your EV while you are still driving (fighter jet style); to our dismay, the company is, at this point in time, not planning such a solution.

We'll be covering EVs and their effects on the smart grid in more detail at our Networked EV: Smart Grids and Electric Vehicles conference on Oct. 20, 2011. Registration is open! You can see the full agenda for the conference here.  For those looking for a detailed report explaining the technology and planning considerations that will enable a successful smart grid-EV convergence, please see the similarly titled report: The Networked EV: The Convergence of Smart Grids and Electric Vehicles.

Greentech Media will be in Raleigh, NC the week of July 18 for Plug In 2011. The conference will provide attendees with the latest insights from experts on the technological advances, market research and policy initiatives shaping the future of plug-in hybrid and electric transportation.

As Greentech Media just opened registration for our Oct. 20 one-day focused conference on the intersection of smart grid and electric vehicles, The Networked EV 2011, the topics to be discussed at Plug In will lay a solid groundwork for future discussions.

In particular, some topics that we’ll be exploring at the conference include the industry’s thoughts on how smart grid infrastructure development will enable electric vehicles, or alternatively, how interest in electric vehicles will continue to drive smart grid investment. Now that the ARRA funding has been allocated, could the cart drive the horse? Or could the whole industry be driven by fleets?

You can find the full agenda for Plug In here — and please let us know what your own thoughts are on the future of this industry.

Read the full press release here.

Greentech Media, the industry leader for news, market research and conferences in the green technology business-to-business market, announces The Networked EV 2011: Smart Grids and Electric Vehicles on October 20, 2011 in San Francisco, CA at the PG&E Auditorium. The Networked EV 2011 will bring together the thought leaders of the electric vehicle, smart grid, and utility markets.

Since the 2010 Networked EV conference, major changes in the electric vehicle landscape have taken place. The Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt have been unveiled, the Obama Administration has promised a transition to electric fleet vehicles, and the San Francisco Bay Area continues on its path to become the 'Electric Vehicle (EV) Capital of the U.S.' This year’s conference will bring together players involved in all of these initiatives, as well as those shaping the future of industry.

The Networked EV 2011 will also draw on research by David J. Leeds, who heads the Smart Grid practice at GTM Research. Leeds, who has authored a report by the same name as the conference, has said that this year marks a turning point for electricity as a transportation fuel for passenger vehicles. The conference will focus on themes from his report, including the traditional hot-button issues of transformer build-out, advanced metering, and charging infrastructure, as well as emerging smart grid solutions for the EV market. These solutions include communications standards and protocols that act as the “digital handshake” between the grid and the EV.

“Right now, EV infrastructure investment is centered on electric delivery via the charging stations,” said Leeds. “However, as more public stations and Level 2 home chargers pop up, investment in a new generation of dynamic grid devices will be imperative. Smart grid technologies such as next generation tap changers, voltage regulators, capacitor banks and reclosers, and the communication networks to support these smart devices will bring a new level of grid optimization and control, enabling EVs to safely scale into the tens and hundreds of millions.”

Visit the event website at http://www.greentechmedia.com/events/live/the-networked-ev-2011/ to learn more about the event, to sign up for updates, and to find out how to participate in this year’s conference.