Friday, July 23, 2010

Plug-in 2010 Questions

I’ll be flying into San Jose on Monday afternoon to attend Plug-in 2010. As I prepare, questions come up that I need to be asking and researching while I’m there….

For plug-in hybrid and pure electric vehicles to make their way to mass market, the home and public charging station reality must be faced. Who’s going to make this expand? How much money, time, and talent are utilities willing to invest? OEMs? Government agencies? Will technology suppliers like Better Place and Coulomb Technologies create the foundation for this to succeed?

What kinks and roadblocks still need to be worked out with plug-ins for them to gain acceptance – acquisition and home charging station costs, range anxiety, battery life, safety and dependability…?

What is the reality with batteries – how long will they be lasting and what will it cost for the owner to bring in a new one? How will these be disposed of in a way that respects environmental responsibility and safety?

So we’ve got the Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf, Coda sedan, Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Think City, Tesla Roadster, Fisker Karma, ZAP Xebra, and other models to test drive and follow. This is said to be a big year for plug-ins – what’s the buzz behind it? Who’s winning the race?

Hope to see you all soon. And read your comments and questions about all of this.

No comments: