Volvo ELVIIS smart electric charging project revealed

 

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Posted on 24 Feb 2012 at 10:54

Volvo has confirmed a partnership between itself, Ericsson, energy supplier Göteborg Energi and the Viktoria Institute dubbed ELVIIS and aimed at developing an intelligent system for charging plug-in electric vehicles.

ELVIIS - the Electric Vehicle Intelligent Infra Structure - is designed to allow drivers to charge the battery pack of the vehicle using any ordinary power outlet. When connected, the ELVIIS system identifies the outlet via GPS, and allows the driver to set timing and charging amount on a touch-screen controller or smartphone device.

When set, the ELVIIS system uses the mobile network to communicate with the central grid in order to configure the charging scheme such that the energy grid is used in the most efficient way possible and that the driver gets the best price for the energy he or she is using.

The system monitors the charging process, alerting the driver if there is any interruption, while the cost of each charge is automatically directed to the driver's personal utility bill regardless of where the car is charged.

Initial tests have used a Volvo C30 Electric vehicle with an added 7in colour touch-screen controller for accessing the ELVIIS system. Now further tests will take place using an additional four C30 Electric cars to further prove the concept.

"Our basic view is that the owner of an electric vehicle shouldn't have to sacrifice any of the properties he or she expects from a luxury car," explained Lennart Stegland, Volvo's vice president in charge of electric propulsion systems, at the announcement. "This smart technology for charging in any outlet, and paying automatically via your own electricity bill, is an excellent example of how we do everything to make the daily use easier for the customer."

Volvo promises that the technology developed under the ELVIIS project will use generic communications systems, making it easy to apply globally once proved.

Author: Gareth Halfacree