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GM, Power Companies Study Plug-In Problems

Where will all the outlets come from?

By Joe Benton
ConsumerAffairs.com

July 22, 2008

The study will focus on making sure the country's power grid is safe for vehicle charging as well as the transition from petroleum to electricity as a fuel source, the group said in a statement.

Plug-in hybrids allow consumers to use electric power for distances of 10 miles to 40 miles.

GM is counting on vehicles that will run on electrical power to help lead the automaker back to profitability. GM has two electric vehicles in the planning stage. The Volt is a small car with a 40-mile range and a Saturn Vue will be equipped as a plug-in hybrid SUV with a battery-powered range of about 10 miles. GM hopes to begin selling both by 2010.

The new study is designed to figure out how people will recharge the cars, both at home and in public.

The study will look at policy issues, including tax incentives for purchasing what is likely to be an expensive car.

The group will also look at how people who live in apartments can charge their cars, where the vehicles will be charged at work or on trips, and who will pay for the electricity.

Google is a corporate leader in plug-in technology. The company has converted four Toyota Prius hybrid-electric vehicles at its Mountain View, California campus to plug-ins and the cars average more than 65 miles per gallon. They are charged using solar-powered charging stations.

GM and the Electric Power Research Institute last month received a $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy for the study.

Ford Motor Company has announced Johnson Controls would be the battery supplier to a test fleet of 20 plug-in hybrids to be used in California and New York. A $10 million Energy Department grant is helping to fund the partnership as well.

Chrysler plans to build 80 plug-in vehicles along with General Electric as part of a separate $10 million government research project.

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