The Plug-in Conference and Exposition 2010 took place on July 26-29 at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California. This event featured presentations by automakers, state and federal agencies and charging station manufacturers from around the world. Visitors could meet with representatives from 43 public and private players in the growing market for plug-in EV products. The conference was particularly important for a handful of equipment manufacturers with innovative products.
Plugless Power presented a 240-volt Level 2 EV charging station set for commercial sales in 2011. This station eschews cumbersome plugs and cords through the use of inductive power transfer. The Plugless Power Level 2 unit features a parking block and a car adapter that interact to recharge a vehicle’s battery. The company highlighted a $1.25 million grant from the Wythe County Joint Industrial Development Authority as a sign of progress. This grant will be used for a large-scale infrastructure test to be conducted later this year.
Liberty PlugIns was another entrant at the Plug-in Conference that showcased a creative approach to EV charging. The company collaborates with parking meter manufacturers to combine charging stations and parking meters. Liberty PlugIns presented its Synchronous Codes technology at the event to answer concerns about the costs of EV charging. Each metered EV parking station would issue a unique code to a driver who has paid for a certain amount of charging time. This code would then be punched into the station and allow for recharging as long as the driver has time left on the meter. Liberty PlugIns is advancing the ball in terms of balancing EV station availability with cost efficiency for utilities and city governments.
Additional entries by Eaton and ECOtality showed that the EV charging industry may be surpassing the auto industry in terms of technological advancement. Eaton introduced a 480-volt DC Quick Charge unit that could recharge a battery to 80% capacity in 25 minutes. The company also brought along the i-MiEV demonstrator from Mitsubishi to test its chargers. ECOtality is working with Roush Manufacturing to produce the Blink Level 2 charging station. The Blink’s main feature is a touch screen that allows a user to select timed charges based on commuting needs and electrical costs. This station could be purchased by a consumer in wall-mounted or standalone form. All of these innovations will be useless without faster advancement in plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles.
