Zoomi Life

Until you sit down and really think about it, charging an electric car from a public charging station seems like a pretty simple concept. Then you start to realize that things like vandalism, theft, billpoints, and other stuff starts to come into play. So saying a public electric vehicle charging station is as easy as plug it in, give it your credit card, and walk away is like saying an ATM is just a machine that you say “gimme money” to and it spits it out.

Well, ATMs probably work like that in Washington D.C., but in the rest of the world…

ChargePoint Smartlets are a system designed by Coulomb Technologies in California. These systems were on display at the EDTA Conference earlier this month and were demonstrated to an interested public and potential buyers/investors.

The system works based on an RFID card that the user waves near the receiver on the Smartlet’s screen. This identifies the driver and “unlocks” the machine for use. The door for the cord is then unlocked and the user can stretch it to the car, plug it in, and activate the charging sequence. Then walk away.

The system monitors the charge, shuts itself off when it’s done, and automatically locks down if the cord is unplugged (no more power), cut, or any tampering with the system is noted. It can then only be unlocked by the user’s card or a technician.

Charging can be stopped at any time by the user’s card if just a quick top-off or some additional juice while you shop is needed, of course.

It’s built to be as bulletproof as possible, as are most financial machines. The next time you’re at the gas station or ATM, think about what’s going on behind the panel on that dispenser you’re utilizing and all the possibilities for things to go wrong and how the machine’s designer’s have built it to think around those. If the hose is cut or ripped off the gas pump, for instance, the whole row of pumps in that line will automatically shut off.

The technology is there and ready for use, so now it’s just a matter of getting it installed (which companies like Better Place are doing now) and getting people to use it.

Check out AutoBlogGreen’s excellent reporting on the ChargePoint stations for more information and a detailed photogallery of the charging process.

[Show as slideshow]

Source: AutoBlogGreen

Hawaii has endorsed a deal with Better Place, which puts together electrical charging infrastructures for EV use. This follows a deal with California and Oregon and will be the first of the state-wide setups to be completed.

Announced on December 2nd, the plan will have charging stations on Oahu installed and functioning within 18 months while the other four major islands will see more stations by 2012. Hawaii has some of the highest gasoline prices in the 50 states (all fuels are imported) and a strong, though still burgeoning, alternative power industry.

Some question the business plan since Hawaii has fewer drivers than most other states (only about 1.2 million cars on the road, about 10% of which are replaced annually) and shorter commutes than most areas. Most drivers rarely take trips of over 100 miles while most commute walking or biking distances of 1-4 miles to work.

Better Place and Hawaii’s governor are excited, however, and see this opportunity as a great way to facilitate more electric vehicle usage in the state. As a side note, Hawaii is second only to Florida for number of electric golf carts per capita.

Source: 1, 2

Better Place, which we’ve covered in their quest to install electric charging stations for EVs, officially unveiled their first operational charging station. The station is in Pi-Glilot, Israel and ones like it will be popping up throughout the country in major cities like Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

The station is the first of several that have been agreed to with “Ahuzat Hof’s” parking lots throughout the nation. Other companies, including IBM and Axelrod have also signed deals to have the stations installed there.

Better Place Israel’s CEO Moshe Kaplinsky plugged in his EV at the unveiling, touting the charging station’s reliability and safety features while his car took on juice.

Source: Treehugger

In a move that is sure to make California jealous, Portland General Electric has announced it’s plans to install several electric vehicle charging stations in the Portland, Ore. metro area.

Lake Oswego, an affluent suburb south of Portland, has spent about $7,500 to buy and install what amounts to a filling station downtown for the tiny number of all-electric vehicles in Oregon, mayor Mayor Judie Hammerstad announced.

Portland General Electric is building a network of such stations. Besides downtown Lake Oswego, they are at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry across the Willamette River from downtown Portland, and at PGE’s Salem and Portland offices.

Harmmerstad says Lake Oswego officials hope for an economic boost from electric car drivers who spend some time and money locally.

“Most of all,” she said, “it’s setting the stage for other cities. If we can do it, you can do it. This is a big step forward in sustainability and reducing carbon emissions.”

There are about 270 all-electric passenger cars registered in Oregon, state transportation officials say.

Via NRToday.com

Chinese news agency Xinhua reported yesterday that the State Grid Corporation, the world’s largest electric power transmission and distribution company, is speeding up its plans to build electric car charging stations.

The electric vehicle charging stations, which cost between US$37,000 to US$44,000 each to build, will initially be placed in major cities such as Shanhai, Beijing, Taijin, and other large cities. The charging stations will initially service buses and sedans with plans to eventually cover the entire nation.

According to the ministry of science and technology, China plans to bring in 10,000 fuel cell, electric and hybrid cars as well as the infrastructure necessary to power the vehicles in 10 chosen cities around the country within two years.

Via: Ecogeek, Autoblog Green and China Daily