Jul 22 2008

Sparks Fly at Plug-in 2008

Posted by: Jennifer Zerwer

The Plug-in 2008 conference officially opened today and hit the road running with a flood of electrifying announcements. A unifying focus was building the ecosystem necessary to ensure that when PHEVs begin to hit the market in the 2010 timeframe, they do so seamlessly and in a way that benefits consumers, the environment and the grid.

• GM was the belle of the ball with its joint EPRI announcement to work with 34 utilities, including yours truly, to accelerate the introduction of PHEVs. Click here for the Wall Street Journal's report.
• The City of San Jose is partnering with Coulomb Technologies to install electric charging stations in garages and on street lights. The Mercury News' Matt Nauman gives the download on the effort.
• eTec, a battery manufacturer, launched a program with the U.S. Department of Energy to research bi-directional fast-charging operations for PHEVs.
• Raser Technologies announced their plans to develop a 100 mpg plug-in hybrid light truck. PG&E will take delivery of one of the first vehicles for testing and demonstration within our fleet.

It's exciting to see these companies firing on all cylinders as the electricity and transportation sectors converge before our eyes. If you want to learn about how PG&E is prepping its grid for the future, check out Dow Jones' MarketWatch piece on creating a smarter, faster grid.

 

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