JUL 07

Mitsubishi has teamed up with the Tokyo Institute of Technology to create an EV charging station infrastructure that provides energy from renewable sources. The team knows that EVs are all well and good, but that their power often has to come from unsustainable sources and it can be challenging to find stations. To cut down on thermal and atomic power, the two parties are looking to create an infrastructure that can power EVs through sun and wind.

The team is testing out three types of infrastructures, one from solar PV, one from solar thermal, and one from wind. The energy collected from the wind power generator will be stored along with the energy collected from the PV system. A power control system will collect and store low-cost energy from utility companies at lower night-time rates to supplement the renewable energy collected. Because wind energy also cannot be generated on demand, the team is working on a system that can shut off charging capabilities at the charging post when electricity from wind isn’t available.

The systems are undergoing testing, which started on July 1 and will run through March 2010. They’re using the Mitsubishi i-MiEV prototype. The vehicles will run between the Ohokayama Campus of the Tokyo Institute of Technology and the Suzukakedai and Tamachi Campuses, where all the charging posts are located. They’re also setting up a concept house to mimic the home of an EV owner, which will be decked out with PV panels and a charging post. This way they can evaluate the practicality of the system for everyday use.

Getting going on this type of renewable energy for EV charging is important if we expect to be able to use EVs in a sustainable way as part of daily life one day. The city of San Jose, CA, among many others, are also working on getting renewably powered charging stations for EVs to be prepared to meet the demand when consumers start using EVs on larger scales, as well as to help out with the already growing number of EV rentals, city fleets, and sharing services.

Via GoodCleanTech, Techon

Comments (4)

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My Next Car Will Be Electric
written by PlanetPinknGreen, July 07, 2008

God this is good to know. I've seen photos of the Mitsubishi i-MiEV prototype and many others as well and am happy to hear that research is being done to harness energy from renewable resources (for EV stations). That question comes up a lot in conversation when I mention that my next car will be electric. Thanks for sharing. --Cheryl Janis, writer of Planet Pink n' Green - http://www.planetpinkngreen.com , Twitter: PPnG

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Hey, that's nearby!
written by JamesAt15, July 07, 2008

I live near Tamachi, want me to go and see what the stations look like and maybe get some photos?

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Ah..
written by JamesAt15, July 07, 2008

I should have read more closely. Tamachi only has a charging post, probably nothing much to look at. The simulated charging house is in Ookayama, which is not terribly far away but I'm not likely to make it there anytime soon. Bummer.

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aosifnosdknv dsaf sdf
written by fg, July 08, 2008

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