Major Car Companies Standardize Electric Vehicles Plug-400V!

[MitchJi]

Hi,

Maybe on Justin's next trip he'll need to charge at 400V.

http://gas2.org/2009/04/19/car-companies-agree-on-plug-standard-for-electric-vehicles/

Just a few hours after General Motors called for a standardized EV plug, one has been created!

Caroline Reichert, a spokeswoman for the Germany energy company RWE, said leading automotive and energy companies have reached and agreement for a standardized plug for electric cars. Some of the automakers include in that agreement are Volkswagen, BMW, Ford, General Motors, Fiat, Toyota and Mitsubishi.

The three-point, 400-volt plug, which will allow electric cars to be recharged anywhere in a matter of minutes, will be unveiled Monday at the world’s biggest industrial technology fair in Hanover, northern Germany.

No time frame for the introduction of the plug was mentioned, saying that talks between the companies were ongoing.

If electric vehicles are going to stand a chance against petro-based cars, standards are a must. This is a major step froward in EV mass production.

 

[Link]

400V? Wow. Isn't that around the point where a spark from a fault tends become more of an arc flash? ._.

 

[deronmoped]

That is going to be costly for the homeowner here in the US. 120/240 is standard in houses, 400 would require some sort of converter.

Also why a three prong plug, why not a four prong plug? With the extra tap you could run house hold things in your car, a blender, toaster... No really, having a standard household plug available in the car could have all kinds of uses.

Deron.

 

[frodus]

well, lots of chargers are switchmode power supplies with a wide input range. 400V gets into IGBT land.... but they should be able to work with a very wide input range.... so homeowners buy the charger (prolly expensive as shit) and they're done.

120/240V switchmode chargers are all over the place.... only because its a standard voltage. Once another standard comes, they'll figure out a way to make it work.

 

[MitchJi]

Hi,

If 400v takes off it's going to take a while to be a widely available affordable option but if it does charging will be a lot faster:
http://www.leftlanenews.com/chevrolet-volt.html

Volt will plug into either a standard 120V household outlet or a 240V outlet. It takes about eight hours to charge the Volt on a 120V outlet and three on a 240V. GM estimates that charging will cost about 80 cents based on current energy costs, less than a household refrigerator or freezer.

 

[morph999]

They are doing everything they can to delay electric vehicles. This is just more bullshit. Why doesn't someone just take the Zap and improve it's range? Ridiculous.