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General Motors is planning ahead, and two years before its
plug-in cars are scheduled to be launched, the automaker joined 30 utility
companies and the Electric Research Power Institute in discussing the
infrastructure necessary to deal with electricity issues to come.
More details on the partnership are expected to be unveiled
on Tuesday, during the Plug-In 2008 Conference and Exposition held at San Jose
Convention Center in California from July 22 to July 24. The conference will be
the first of its kind to focus exclusively on plug-in hybrid technology.
Automotive manufacturers, component suppliers, electric
utilities, as well as government agencies and the environmental community will
all take part in an initiative that establishes the premises for the future of
plug-in hybrid technology.
In late 2010, GM plans to roll out its Chevrolet Volt, the
first concept car to use the GM E-Flex Propulsion system, which makes the idea
of driving a vehicle capable of running on electricity and
charging from ordinary 110-volt household outlets closer to reality.
“This vehicle is real. It’s coming into production,” said
Britta Gross, GM’s manager of hydrogen and electric infrastructure
commercialization, as quoted by the Associated Press, showcasing that they want
to have an infrastructure in place when the car hits the showrooms and is ready
for sale.
One of the issues addressed during the three-day international
conference will be choosing the most appropriate time for recharging car
batteries without overwhelming the network during peak hours, as well as establishing
the basis of a nation-wide infrastructure for drivers traveling away from home.
GM’s Chevy Volt concept allows drivers to use electrical
powers for 40 miles a day without recharching. When the electric battery needs
to be recharged, the E-Flex Drive System kicks in and recharges the lithium ion
battery pack.
A well thought electrical grid is absolutely critical if
plug-in car developers want consumers to turn to these electrical vehicles. The
conference will focus on everything from consumer education, to tax incentives
and the impact on the electric grid.
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