Finally! May haps another state other than California will get some plugin infrastructure. Can't wait for the big boys to start playing the green game.

It was only a matter of time until they couldn't make money any other way!

HOOORAAAY!

Don't forget that people are looking and actively getting off the grid through alternative energy means than their public utility. This coalition needs to open up its practices and standards so that people who are off the grid and have a plug in car can equip their homes with the right equipment/specifications.

Getting off the grid with wind, solar, biofuel and now biomass gasification will continue to rise and gain in popularity especially with these gas prices. Although the other alternative energy sources are well covered, biomass and wood gasifciation is not. Albeit the technology is not new just forgotten.

The best step by step instructional video on how to do it can be found at www.victorygasworks.com. There is also a Youtube video on it http://youtube.com/watch?v=RCtLZWnTuog

The guy does it out of recycled parts and it can be done in a weekend! 1/10th the cost of solar.

I love when there is a technical standard, but its the commercial businesses that usually to go against it.

example:
USB - universal serial bus

how many different sizes for USB are there? how many people have different cell phone chargers when they are all very close to the standard of 5v charging.

This 110v 15a plug is fine for scooters and bicycles, but not much good for car charging. I really cannot see paying a monthly fee for such a minimal value system. The 2 way power moving feature is great for power utilities, but no use for car owners.

Lets hope for a real plan of 220v 100a 3ph to recharge a 40kWh BEV battery pack in under 2 hours. (1.5 hrs if only 15% losses are achieved)

And ... lets toss the monthly fee money theft along with the V2G scam. There are better ways to stabilize the grid than using my expensive lightweight transport batteries.

Future vision: digging around in my glove box for adapters.

Anybody remember the 'Magne Charge', it was produced GM back in 96' for the ev-1 and other electric vehicles. It was a safe, sealed, waterproof induction type charging system capable of handling those larger voltage charging needs. It like any other charging systems in world had only one big flaw, heat. The 'Magne Charge' system was shot down by the California Air Resources Board back in 2002 for a conductive plug in system.

I also find it funny when people equate a hydrogen fuel infrastructure to our current fossil set up. Hydrogen doesn't need to be transported to refueling station by pipeline or tanker truck. It's produced on site. Honda produced them out in Torrance, California.

http://world.honda.com/FuelCell/HomeEnergyStation/HomeEnergyStation2004/

RECHARGING ELECTRIC CARS – IS IT REALLY THAT DIFFICULT?

Am I missing something? Is it so simple that no one has thought of it? Of all the articles or stories I've read about how hard it's going to be to build the infrastructure to supply power to charge the electric cars of tomorrow none that I've read has disclosed my idea. Let me know if you've seen this concept mentioned before, and if not, I would like to hear your comments.

Here it is.

Every car manufacturer is limited to making their batteries, the entire pack as well as how it's mounted in the car to one, two or at most, three configurations. The pack must be easily removable and replaceable in minutes. You convert all the current gas stations and modify them with solar panels so they can generate the power needed to recharge the dead batteries. Anybody with an electric car drives until they need a freshly charged battery. They pull into one of these "charging" stations, the attendant disengages and slides the dead battery out, slides a new one in, you pay a nominal fee like, say, $10.00 and you're on your way. The price for this service is the same anywhere in the US, or world, and never goes up. All the current station owners get to keep their businesses because the government would give them tax incentives to convert to solar charging stations and instantly you have recharging stations already built and on the roadways where they need to be. By using these solar panels on the roofs of the charging stations as the power source, there wouldn't be an over burden on the current power grid. Also, there wouldn't be the need to build new charging outlets in hard to reach places, like the streets of major cities and parking garages in office buildings. Setting out on a trip longer than one charge would no longer be a fear knowing you will be able to get a new battery anywhere on the road.

Now, to make it all work, there has to be a way for the manufacturers to continue to make money off the deal. Here's how that works. The station owner has to purchase the batteries from the manufacturer, just as he would have to purchase the fuel. They have a life cycle so that the manufacturer will continue to have to make and sell them. Also, if the consumer has to give up one thing, it should be that the batteries can only be charged through these charging stations. No charging your car at home or work. As much as I hate saying that, doing so would keep the recharging off the current electric grid insuring we don't put undo stress on that system and it would keep those charging businesses in business which is the most important part of this concept.

It's that simple! Please, tell me. What I am I missing here. It just seems too elementary to not at least consider it. I would love to hear your comments, and if someone out there is in the automobile industry, tell us why it couldn't happen.

Thanks.