Portland, Oregon is the most plugged-in city in the US, according to researchers at the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs. In “Plug-in electric vehicle readiness: Rating cities in the United States,” published in Electricity Journal, the researchers ranked 36 cities, including the nation’s 25 largest, in terms of the policies they have… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "time-of-use"
Siemens introduces VersiCharge SG, a WiFi-enabled, cloud-based charging station
There’s a new macro trend occurring with electricity rate structures. In an effort by utilities to match their real-time costs with pricing models, new variable rates are being tested and implemented. The problem is that the cost to generate and distribute power is extremely variable, and has a lot to do with what’s happening on… Read more »
South Korean plan turns ordinary 220V outlets into charging stations
Ironically, South Korea, home to some of the world’s leading producers of Li-ion batteries including LG Chem and Samsung, still has a comparatively tiny EV market. Total plug-in sales in 2014 were 850, far below a tenth of 1% of total vehicle sales. Neighboring Japan has around 110,000 plug-in vehicles on the road, compared to around 1,800… Read more »
Hawaiian Electric Companies launch online EV Bill Savings Estimator
Islands make perfect EV habitats, and the state of Hawaii is rapidly getting charged. To encourage off-peak charging, the Hawaiian Electric Companies offer special time-of-use (TOU) electric rates. The new EV Bill Savings Estimators give residential customers an online tool to estimate how much money they can save by driving electric. With a recent electric… Read more »
Siemens and Duke Energy demonstrate smart-grid-capable EVSE
As gains in energy efficiency and the plummeting cost of home-generated solar power threaten to shrink their revenues, some electric utilities seem to see EVs as a source of future demand for centrally-generated power. A case in point is Duke Energy, which, while leading the charge against efficiency and solar in its Florida service area,… Read more »
ClipperCreek and Itron test EV chargers with virtual smart meters
In the charged world of the future, EVs will take energy from the grid when needed, and return energy to the grid when needed. This will require utilities to have a dependable way to measure the back-and-forth flow of electrons, so they can charge (or pay) their customers appropriately. In the industry, this is known… Read more »
Nevada utility finds EVs offer lower costs, cleaner air
Electric utilities have a major role to play in the electromobility revolution. A new report from the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP) presents Nevada’s major utility, NV Energy, as an example of how utilities can promote EV adoption, bringing lower costs, cleaner air and new economic opportunities to their customers. The new report, NV Energy:… Read more »
Minnesota mandates special electricity pricing for EVs
Time-of-use electricity pricing is a good deal for all concerned. It allows consumers to save money, and it helps electric utilities to better manage their grids, by encouraging people to shift electrical usage away from peak demand periods. And of course, it provides yet another incentive to drive electric – it’s easy to schedule charging… Read more »
Results of California EV buyer survey now available online
The California Air Resources Board has published the results of a survey of plug-in vehicle buyers who received rebates from the state. The online data is available for researchers, policymakers and the public to learn about who is buying plug-in cars (PEVs) in California, and why. Between March 2010 and March 2014, about 191,000 PEVs… Read more »
New study: controlled charging helps manage grid fluctuations and reduces costs
As electric vehicles proliferate, more attention needs to be paid to their interaction with the electrical grid. Some fear that abundant EVs might drive up electricity prices if they are charged during times of peak demand. In a new study published in the journal Applied Energy, Carnegie Mellon University researchers found that controlled charging of… Read more »