Electric-Car Makers’ Quest: One Plug to Charge Them All

[Dennis Donovan]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/28/automobiles/electric-car-makers-quest-one-plug-to-charge-them-all.html?smid=tw-nytimes&seid=auto

WITH electric cars and plug-in hybrids at last trickling into the showrooms of mainstream automakers, the dream of going gasoline-free is becoming a reality for many drivers. Cars like the Nissan Leaf and the Chevrolet Volt can cover considerable distances under electric power alone — certainly enough for local errands and even most daily commutes — while enabling their owners to shun gas stations.

Indeed, charging the car’s battery pack at home, or topping up at the office or shopping mall, will work fine for most drivers. But what about trips that are beyond the range of a single battery charge? Couldn’t a driver in need simply pull up to a charging kiosk and plug in for a rapid refill?

It’s not that simple.

Sure, there are already public charging stations in service, and new ones are coming online daily. But those typically take several hours to fully replenish a battery.

As a result, the ability for quick battery boosts — using a compatible direct current fast charger, the Leaf can refill to 80 percent capacity in 30 minutes — could potentially become an important point of differentiation among electric models.
</snip>

[godai]

1. I've ordered a Leaf for November delivery. I'll use 110v charging for now.

The plug shape is an issue that will be resolved in the near future. As mentioned in the article, the Level 3 charge stations could have 2 types of plugs, if necessary. I see these stations on the east coast up and down I95, allowing 30 minute charging on longer trips.

[hobbit709]

2. Why can't they use a standardized plug, just like a standardized gas nozzle.

Evidently they want to be like laptop computers, where each make and model has a different connector to supply the same voltages.

[Tesha]

3. They pretty-much do for Level 1 (120 VAC) and Level 2 (240 VAC).

But Level 3 charging is technically complex and
acceptable standards haven't been worked-out yet.
The connectors must carry very high power levels
while still being easy to mate/demate (so light
in weight!) and must survive many mate/demate
cycles without loss of performance or even
outright damage.

Tesha

[backscatter712]

7. The beautiful thing about standards is that there are so many of them!

Standardization is not so easy, especially when one big player doesn't want to play ball. And then there are technical advances, where people want to do new things that the old standard doesn't have the capability to do, thus it's time for yet another new standard.

Look at where we are in the computer industry.

[immoderate]

13. Quotable.

:rofl:

Brings up memories of Mr. Polan, in the Inspection Lab, at Brooklyn Tech.

One of his rules. "If you make a joke, and I don't laugh, it's a point off your grade."

--imm

[supernova]

4. Battery changing stations

I saw a program recently on electric cars. One part of it was about a guy who was advocating battery changing stations. Getting low on your charge driving down the highway? Don't have time to sit for hours for a recharge? Pull into a changing station, could be a converted gas station -- they're ubiquitous. Pop out your tired battery, pop in a fully charged one. Voila! You're on your way in less time that it used to take to fill up with gas. Meanwhile the station could take its time charging your old battery before giving it to someone else.

This would take some getting used to. Thinking of batteries more like public utilities or maybe library books for one. They would have to have some form of standardization so that it wouldn't matter which battery went into which car for another.

But I do like the idea of bringing back the old horse changing station idea. You wouldn't want to do it every day, but for long trips it might be worth it.

[godai]

6. They're trying this for taxis in Tokyo.

In the test program - which follows a shorter demonstration of a prototype battery exchange station in Yokohama last year - a trio of battery-electric taxis operated by Nihon Kotsu - Tokyo's largest cab company will ply the central Tokyo streets through the end of July, carrying passengers,collecting fees and putting the Better Place battery exchange system to its toughtest test yet.

The cabs, which average 180 miles a day and carry from 40 to 90 passengers on trips ranging from a few blocks to about three miles, will pull into the exchange station for a few minutes every 50 miles or so to drop off depleted battery packs and pick up freshly charged replacements.

The machinery demonstrated by Better Place today does that job automatically in less than 60 seconds - far faster than it takes to pump 12-15 gallons of gas into a conventional car.



http://www.autoobserver.com/2010/04/battery-swap-program-begins-in-tokyo-with-taxi-company-demo.html

[supernova]

9. Thanks for the info

:thumbsup:

Glad someone has tried it. That was last spring. I wonder if there's any followup?

[godai]

14. Here's some more info...

Copenhagen, Denmark (June 28, 2011) — In preparation for commercial launch later this year, Better Place today unveiled the company’s first Battery Switch station in Europe at an event in Gladsaxe, just outside Copenhagen. The station, which showcased the company’s Battery Switch technology, switching a Renault Fluence Z.E., is the first of 20 Battery Switch Stations to be deployed across the country over the next nine months as part of the company’s nationwide network of charging infrastructure that will launch later this year in partnership with DONG Energy and more than 45 municipalities.

In March, Better Place opened the Better Place Center in Hellerup, Denmark and since then, nearly 3,000 visitors have passed through the center and interest in a tour of the Better Place Center continues to grow. Moreover, nine out of 10 visitors have said after the visit, that they are considering buying an electric car. Better Place and Renault will begin marketing the Fluence Z.E. later this fall.

"The Better Place solution offers a great driving experience, improves air quality and increases the share of renewable energy in the electric grid – all of this at a more affordable cost of ownership than comparable conventional cars," said Johnny Hansen, CEO of Better Place Denmark. “I am convinced that with the Battery Switch model we have overcome the last barrier to the electric car's commercial breakthrough: range, and based on the interest we have received so far, I expect this to be the top selling car in Denmark in just a few years.”

http://www.betterplace.com/the-company-pressroom-pressreleases-detail/index/id/Better%20Place%20Unveils%20Europe’s%20First%20Battery%20Switch%20Station%20in%20Denmark

Tokyo taxi video: http://www.betterplace.com/the-company-multimedia-videos-detail/index/guid/ac58e4e7-0461-4e26-b771-2ceb72dcb5c8

[Romulox]

5. Our power grid isn't sufficient to charge everyone's car, plug notwithstanding. nt

[grahamhgreen]

11. Sounds like rebuilding it would be a great stimulus plan!

[Pab Sungenis]

8. By comparison, imagine

if every make of car required a different blend of gasoline.

Once they standardize this, there may be hope.

[godai]

15. It's more like regular and premium gas...2 choices.

But, they'll likely standardize on 1 plug, or else have 2 types of plugs on each station.

[rurallib]

10. Place I used to work had electric forklifts

made by Aliis Chalmers, Toyota, Clark and one other I can't remember. All took a standard battery which we could change out and leave to charge.
So it is not like the technology is not there.

[bahrbearian]

17. Hyster?

I used to drive an electric forklift in the 80s, ran all day on a charge. was smaller and in some cases more powerful then our CAT forklifts, Never leaked oil ,it was great.

[rurallib]

18. strangely, it wasn't Hyster. That is probably the big name in that industry

We only had 2 of them and they were the last anyone ever used, whatever they were.

[grahamhgreen]

12. Kind of like how all gas tanks can use the same nozzle. A no-brainer.

[godai]

16. Regular/mid/premium? n/t