Commercialization of Electric Vehicles to Speed Up
28 September 1998
International Coalition of Automakers and Technology Partners To Speed Commercialization of Electric Vehicles BRUSSELS, Belgium, Sept. 28 -- Several of the world's largest
automakers announced today that they have established a formal, international
coalition to further develop the infrastructure needed for the
commercialization of electric vehicles (EVs).
American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Chrysler Corporation, Ford Motor Company,
Mazda Motor Corporation, along with infrastructure technology partners EVI of
California and SCI Systems of Alabama announced the formation of the Electric
Vehicle Conductive Charging Coalition (EVC3) in Brussels at the 15th
International Electric Vehicle Symposium (EVS-15). The primary mission of
EVC3 is to promote education and awareness of conductive charging systems for
EVS worldwide. Recently, EVC3 was expanded to include Avcon Corporation of
Wisconsin, Norvik Traction Inc. of Canada and Daimler-Benz AG of Germany.
"A single, universal charging system is an important step in the
development of the infrastructure required to support the EV market today,"
said John Wallace, director of Ford's Alternative Fuel Vehicle Programs.
"Since the majority of automakers around the world are using conductive
charging for their EV production vehicles, we feel this will speed the
development of a common infrastructure."
"The EVC3 will accelerate the world-wide adoption of conductive charging
as a safe, efficient and affordable way to charge electric vehicles," said
Robert Bienenfeld, EV Program Manager, American Honda.
The EVC3 will hold an open workshop in conjunction with EVS-15 in
Brussels, Belgium on Wednesday, September 30, 1998 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in
the Ambassador Room of the Heysel Conference Center. This workshop will
reveal some exciting news on advancements made to significantly reduce the
cost of EV conductive charging equipment and will also serve as the venue to
expand the Coalition.
"The EVC3 has moved conductive charging to the next level," added Craig
Love, Executive Engineer, Chrysler. "We are united and are working together
to develop the EV market. The industry has made significant progress over the
past year in moving forward in agreeing to adopt compatible systems for next
generation vehicles. These developments will advance EV charging technology
and the EV industry, and our customers are going to be the ones who benefit."
EVC3 membership is open to all stakeholders who have an interest in
advancing conductive charging systems for EV charging. The EVC3 was recently
formalized through the signing of a Cooperation Agreement by the member
companies. Members meet regularly to address issues relating to conductive
charging and discuss strategies to promote the advantages of conductive
charging technology for electric vehicles.
Conductive charging, the traditional method of connecting electrical
equipment to power sources, uses metal-to-metal contacts to transfer
electricity. Based on over 100 years of experience, conductive connectors are
used on virtually all electrical equipment in homes, and by industry around
the world.
Conductive charging is designed to be safe and considered the most
efficient and cost-effective method of EV charging available. Its open
architecture is flexible enough for fast charging and other future needs.
Designed for high reliability and case of service, conductive charging
equipment requires no special tools, expensive diagnostic equipment, or
specialized training to service.
