A European Plug for Electric Vehicles
Are electric cars a dead end? Just as Ho Chi Minh said when asked about the French Revolution, it’s probably too early to tell. In the meantime, interesting things are happening. Der Spiegel reports that a European consortium of car makers and utilities has agreed on a standard for plugs. That means you’ll soon be able to drive from Lappland to Sicily, or from Lisbon to Moscow (albeit in 50-mile spurts), without worrying about compatibility. The plug will be in a three-phase, 400V configuration. But what about loading stations connected to the plugs? The news here: a consortium including Volkswagen, Daimler, BMW, Ford, General Motors, PSA, Fiat, Toyota, Mitsubishi as well as major western-European utilities are working on a standard electric “filling station.” So much for infrastructure. But what about the cars?
Will anybody be actually driving electric vehicles in the foreseeable future? The UK government wants people to and is willing to put its money where you’d put the plug in. If Gordon Brown’s government is re-elected, as reports Spiegel Online, a £5K ($7,450) incentive will be available to anybody who scraps his gasoline-propelled car and buys an electric. Other European governments are talking of following suit. Oh happy days of industrial policy!
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Responding: Please re-read my post: A small EV (sized between say a Smart ForTwo and a Honda Fit/Jazz) that has a range of 30 miles would easily meet all of our requirements for a second car. I am not talking about an EV that can meet all my needs all of the time, just one that can meet some of my needs much of the time. John Horner: The common wall plugs you refer to do not provide nearly enough capacity for reasonable recharge rates of electric cars. Overnight in my garage is a reasonable recharge rate for me. Remember, this is a second car and I have a regular car available in case I need to go somewhere and the EV is not charged. AWD-03: . . . where it is exactly you live that you think 30 miles is perfect. . . . you are only talking about a niche vehicle at that point. I live inside the Washington Beltway, walking distance from work and a metro station. For me 30 miles is two to three times what I could see needing on a regular basis. Long-distance commutes are a poor application for EVs. I am absolutely talking about a niche vehicle--it's the only way for EVs to make traction. They have to start that way. The SUV also started out as a niche vehicle. So did the hybrid. Properly designed and marketed, I think EVs can be a successful, niche, second car. There is another article today on second (or third) cars and how you decide whether to get an additional vehicle and what to get. Much of that discussion applies here as well.
Oh great solution. They standardize on a 400V plug and socket. Is that to prohibit that joe sixpack recharges his EV at home? because that means a 3 phase network into your home. My electricity company charges lots of money for that. every month
I believe that most European houses are 3 phase though not at every plug. It wouldn't be too hard to make an adapter for slower overnight charges.
Hi, Can anyone please inform the name of the standard (for charger) being talked above - 3phase 400V? Thanks in advance,