The technology is enabled as OnStar receives a signal from PJM Interconnection that shows the percentage of available renewable energy on the grid. Data from this forecast is downloaded to the OnStar cloud, or Advanced Telematics Operating Management System (ATOMS).

OnStar uses this signal to simultaneously manage the charging of many Volts and to match the renewable energy availability. A mobile app could also be used to alert customers when renewable energy is available.

OnStar and Google are working together to demonstrate the technology on the 17 Chevrolet Volts in Google’s “Gfleet” based at the company’s headquarters in Mountain View, Calif.

The demonstrations are taking place this week at the 2012 DistribuTECH Conference and Exhibition in San Antonio. DistribuTECH attendees can see live demos at Booth 1543. OnStar will also be demonstrating the company’s Demand Response and Time-of-Use Rate solutions.

PJM data shows that peak time for renewable energy generation from wind is generally between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. With this in mind, it would be possible for customers to use OnStar’s Smart Grid solutions to further reduce their carbon footprint and save money by charging during these off-peak times.

If the renewable energy service goes into production, customers interested in using it would simply need to sign up. OnStar would then regulate their charging using the renewable energy signal.

The renewable energy technology is the latest addition to OnStar’s suite of Smart Grid solutions. OnStar has also developed intelligent energy management technology solutions including:

- Demand response – This solution connects utilities to companies that have intelligent energy management products. These companies can use OnStar to manage energy use for Volt customers who opt in for the service. This future service allows the customer to save money on energy costs while enabling more efficient use of the electric grid.

- Time-of-Use (TOU) rates – OnStar can receive dynamic TOU pricing from utilities and notify Volt owners of the rate plan offers via email. Owners will be able to use OnStar to load the rate plans directly into their vehicle and access them to schedule charging during lower-rate periods.

- Charging data – OnStar also sends and receives EV data that helps utility providers without having to interface with the vehicle’s electric vehicle supply equipment. This includes location-based EV data that identifies charging locations and determines potential load scenarios.

A Volvo C30 Electric will be delivered to Flanders’ Drive on May 19, to be modified for wireless charging. The handover also marks the formal starting signal for the project.

Wireless energy transfer
In inductive charging, a charging plate is buried in the ground, for instance in the driveway at home where the car is parked. The charging plate consists of a coil that generates a magnetic field. When the car is parked above the plate, energy from the plate is transferred without physical contact to the car’s inductive pick-up. The energy that is transferred is alternating current. This is then converted into direct current in the car’s built-in voltage converter, which in turn charges the car’s battery pack. Charging a battery pack of the size fitted to the Volvo C30 Electric, 24 kWh, is expected to take about an hour and twenty minutes, if the battery is entirely discharged. The charging system to be evaluated is dimensioned for 20 kW.

One aspect of this project is to integrate this technology into the road surface and to take energy directly from there to power the car. This is a smart solution that is some way into the future.

Several car makers and technology companies are conducting research into this area but as yet there are no car manufacturers that can offer the market a finished product.

Developed by Evatran LLC, Plugless Power is a Level 2 (7.7 kW, 240V at 32A) inductive charging system.

Plugless Power is based on inductive technology, which has been used in electrical transformers for more than 100 years, and streamlines the charging of electric cars and extended-range hybrids by eliminating the nuisance of the cord and the plug.

Using inductive technology, Plugless has managed to harness the electrical power produced by the station and send it all, wirelessly, into the surrounding air, charging in the process the plug-in hybrids and the electric vehicles that happen to be in the vicinity.

Evatran is actively seeking other fleet trial opportunities with corporations and municipalities to experience the Plugless Power technology in the third quarter of 2011.

Most EV models are eligible for Plugless Power through a simple retrofit process. In addition to fleet distribution, Evatran is currently working with automotive manufacturers to integrate the Plugless Power technology into mass-market EVs by 2012.

Google has multiple low-speed electric vehicles for short-range travel around its campus and includes plug-in vehicles in its on-campus employee car-sharing program. The company will initially use the Plugless Power station to charge a retrofitted short-range electric vehicle. Google showed interest in testing the Plugless Power technology and understanding how its features could simplify the charging process for its plug-in EV fleet vehicles.

Under the MOU, the three companies will conduct a joint study to develop charging facilities which can provide continuous service to EV users and maintenance of charging equipment by working with existing service providers. They will also establish a business model for the charging infrastructure that will give convenience to EV users by optimally installing standard charging facilities and quick chargers at key strategic locations, including provisions of charging facilities for residents of apartment buildings and monthly parking users. In addition, future use of charging facilities by plug-in hybrid vehicles will also be studied.

Sumitomo also launched the New Business Development & Promotion Division, which is responsible for environmental businesses and is working on developing new approaches to realizing a low-carbon, recycling-based society. Aiming to realize such a society, the company will also support the widespread adoption of next-generation vehicles including EV through the second-life use of lithium-ion batteries for automotive use, the development of the system that facilitates “Green IT” and the auto lease business by its affiliate company, Sumitomo Mitsui Auto Service Company.

With the goal of becoming a global leader in zero-emission mobility, Nissan launched its mass-market EV, Nissan LEAF in Japan on December 20th with Nissan-developed quick chargers going on sale previously in May. Through the new service, the company intends to accelerate the development of infrastructure essential to promoting EV and achieve both greater convenience to users and business feasibility.

NEC will provide various systems utilizing cloud computing in the membership management, including quick charging services, member authentication and payment processing. Through this new business, the company will improve convenience for users with the establishment of a new infrastructure that takes advantage of networked charging facilities and ICT technologies to promote a whole new service that will contribute to the environment.

In order to create further synergy for the business, the three companies will leverage their combined know-how in gaining support from a wide-range of organizations from all industries. The first trial service is set to start within Kanagawa prefecture early next fiscal year, in collaboration with the prefecture and its local governments.

During the test phase the service will be free of charge. Following commercial launch, charging stations will offer the possibility to pay via mobile phone using text messages, paybox or a RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) card with a RFID chip.

13,500 telephone booths are currently operated by the company countrywide out of which 700 are multimedia stations and in the first roll out phase, the focus will again be on multimedia stations offering on-street parking opportunities for electric cars.

By year-end 2010 a total of 30 charging stations will be on stream.

Admittedly, the scheme is still in its infancy: there are just 223 electric cars currently registered in Austria at the moment, plus 3,559 hybrid cars, from a total 4.36 million cars on Austrian roads.

But the Austrian motor vehicle association VOeC is predicting that the number of electric vehicles will significantly increase in Austria over the next few years, with e-scooters exceeding 60,000 and electric cars 115,000 by 2015.

The move comes from KB Home’s market surveys that showed buyers want greener homes that are not only “earth-friendly” but save them money as well.

This new earth-friendly option is designed to ease the future installation of a station to charge an electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle conveniently at home.

Both cars must be charged, and a higher-voltage charging station at home could make the process go more quickly than charging from a standard home outlet.

“This is just one of many innovative and earth-friendly options that homeowners can choose from as part of KB Home’s Built to Order experience. It’s a great feature for homebuyers who currently drive electric cars, or for those who want to build their new home to accommodate these cars in the future,” said Jeffrey Mezger, president and chief executive officer of KB Home.

Electric vehicles will begin shipping in volume across the United States in 2010. Charging stations will be needed to meet the growing consumer demand. Chargers will communicate with power grid to determine best times to charge, helping plug-in electric vehicles enter the mainstream.

The chargers integrate GE’s smart meters with Juice Technology’s Plug Smart™ engine to help consumers charge their cars during low-demand, lower cost time periods.

Smart chargers will hasten acceptance of plug-in cars by making them more attractive to both consumers and utilities. Consumers will benefit by receiving the lowest-possible charging rates for their cars. Utilities will be able to better control the demand for electricity and take on the added load of electric vehicles without over taxing their grids. Utilities will also realize greater value from their capital equipment during overnight and other low-demand times, when it is substantially less utilized.

GE will offer a comprehensive line of charging products that combine GE’s smart meter technology and communication capabilities with Juice Technologies’ patent-pending intelligent charging technology.

Initial chargers will be available in the United States in the second quarter of 2010, with full-scale production ramping up throughout the year. Global availability will follow.