Smart charger controller for PHEVs monitors grid useage

[Wiyosaya]

PNNL - the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory seems to be on top of PHEV technology. Around the end of 2007, they made headlines when they published a study that said, essentially, that PHEVs are a worthwhile investment that could greatly reduce US dependency on foreign oil. Unfortunately, that report seems to no longer be availalbe on the PNNL web site.

However, this news is something I found interesteing

Electric vehicle owners can plug in their cars and forget about them, knowing they'll get the cheapest electricity available and won't crash the grid - using a new technology called the Smart Charger Controller. Developed at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the controller automatically recharges electric vehicles during times of least cost to the consumer and lower demand for power. Widespread use of these devices could help advance a smart power grid.

Now that the polictical winds have changed, hopefully, forward looking scientists will continue to be employed at our national laboratories, and innovation like this will no longer be squelched.