Ford Develops “Smart” Charging System for Plug-Ins

Ford is working on a “smart” charging system that would enable wireless communications between vehicle and power grid. Using the car’s navigation system, drivers could choose to only charge the vehicle when electricity was below a certain price, or when said power came only from renewable sources. Most often, that means the car would only charge at off-peak times like the middle of the night. Ford also has plans for charging outlets in places like mall or office parking lots, the idea being that drivers could juice up their rides with

a process that would reportedly be “as simple as plugging in and swiping a credit card.” Ford already runs a fleet of 21 plug-in hybrid Escapes and will soon equip them with the intelligent charging system. The company plans to sell plug-in hybrids by 2012 and will begin rolling out all-electric Transit Connects and Focuses in 2010 and 2011, respectively. If the plug-ins go mainstream, Ford hopes smart meters will help broaden their appeal to consumers. No related posts.

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Ford Develops “Smart” Charging System for Plug-Ins