Although hybrid cars that combine a gasoline engine and an electric motor are popular, some carmakers are already taking the next step forward by introducing electric-only vehicles. But in order for them to be practical, a network of charging stations has to be developed just as gasoline stations refill gas-powered cars.
Two companies are taking different approaches to serving this market. Coulomb Technologies, of Palo Alto, Calif., is building a network of charging stations where car owners can plug in while at work, at a shopping center or in their neighborhoods. Another company, Better Place, of nearby Campbell, Calif., offers another twist. In addition to charging an electric car’s batteries, a motorist can go to a station and switch out their drained battery for a fresh one.
Plug-in Hybrids on the Way
Concerns about high gasoline prices and the contribution of tailpipe emissions to global warming have prompted carmakers to speed up development of all-electric vehicles. Some of these cars are also called “plug-in hybrids” because a small gas-powered engine may be used to recharge the batteries, even though the electric motor is the primary source of power.
General Motors has the most-anticipated electric car introduction, with the Chevrolet Volt four-door sedan due to be released as a 2010 model. But electric cars are expected in the next year or two from BMW, Ford, Nissan, Toyota and other manufacturers. Coulomb Technologies estimates shipments of plug-in hybrid cars to reach 33,000 units in the U.S. in 2010, growing to 780,000 in 2014, according to its Web site.
Charge Cars Where They’re Parked
Filling up a gas-powered car usually takes no more than five minutes, but charging an electric car takes several hours, depending how drained it is, so charging stations need to be located where someone can park their car for long periods of time.
Further, many car owners don’t have a garage at home where they can charge the batteries overnight, so Coulomb Technologies is placing its ChargePoint Network of Smartlet charging stations at, among other locations, parking garages where employees leave their cars while they are at work.
Coulomb, which set up its first charging station in downtown San Jose, Calif., in January, plans to open as many as 1,000 stations nationwide, according to a report in the Feb. 4, 2009, issue of the San Jose Mercury News.
Stations to Switch Dead Batteries for New
Better Place thinks it has a better idea on how to build a network of charging stations. Its plan is to open charging stations where batteries could be recharged, or switching stations where a car’s batteries could be completely replaced. The company is collaborating with the Renault-Nissan alliance, which is developing a plug-in electric car, according to an article in the Feb. 9 New York Times.
Better Place has a more global business model than Coulomb; the company has plans to open stations in Canada, Denmark, Israel, Japan and several other countries.
The founder of Better Place, Shai Agassi, told the Times that over time, lithium-ion batteries will become a standardized commodity and will be easily taken out and replaced. They could be as easy to work with as the batteries that only operate the lights, stereo, wipers and other electrical devices in a conventional car today.
 |
