German Co. Offers New Way to Charge Electric Cars
Ford C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid
German manufacturer Ubitricity will make at least 1,000 portable car-charging devices as a first production run. The new unit, which is capable of acting as a mobile charging station, could have a significant impact on the current state of electric vehicle infrastructure. Rather than using a large, expensive charging unit to deliver electricity to an EV, the Ubitricity unit would allow any driver to hook up to one of the company’s special outlets and be billed automatically.
Germany’s Ubitricity: Video
“Rethinking infrastructure for electric vehicles,” intones the narrator in the informational clip below, as she explains exactly how the Ubitricity system works via graphics and animation. The idea takes a bit of time to sink in, but essentially, it operates as though any electric car could plug into any socket, or in this case specifically designed sockets. Leaping past the concept of charging stations completely, the Ubitricity plan is for car owners to purchase the units and carry them in the trunk, enabling billing and charging from any proprietary outlet. As long as an EV driver is plugged into one of the unobtrusive Ubriticity outlets, billing and charging take place at the same time, and seamlessly deliver metered power to the car. Unique in its simplicity and application, the Ubitricity charging method might just eliminate the need for conventional charging stations.
German Company Ubitricity
The company says that the sockets would be as easy to install as standard electrical outlets, which could enable building owners, municipalities, and homeowners to put sockets wherever needed, all for a fraction of the expense of a full-blown charging station. In many ways, a system such as Ubitricity’s would create instant infrastructure for all electric vehicles.
For more about the German company that has developed the portable charging unit, see the official website:
http://www.ubitricity.com/
German Co. Offers New Way to Charge Electric Cars,
