Renewed Focus on Electric Vehicles & Smart Grids

Brisbane will once again host a national electric vehicle conference. Organiser Philippe Reboul says the 21 October event will not only explore the short and long term consequences for electric vehicles but also consider the role of Smart Grids. There’s a review event on this Saturday 22 May & next Wednesday 26 May. Meanwhile, Better Place and China automaker Chery have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on technology for switchable-battery electric cars. A report from Auto China 2010.

Electric Vehicle and Smart Grid Conference 2010

2^nd Australian Annual Conference on Electric Vehicles

“EV short and long term impact”: Market, Infrastructure, Utilities, Fleet Owners, Policies, Renewables

“Smart Grid: making it relevant to you”: Governments, Developers, Distributors, Suppliers, Customers

21 October 2010, Brisbane, Australia

EV Conference organiser Philippe Reboul says:

“After the tremendous success of EV Conference 2009 thanks to all our fantastic speakers and participants, this year’s conference is happening on Thursday 21 October 2010 and will be even more exciting!

“Not only we will explore the short and long term consequences for all stakeholders of EVs arriving on the Australian market but we will also have a parallel conference on Smart Grid, another of the hottest subjects at the moment in the Energy world.

“And the two are closely linked! EVs are certainly part of the overall Smart Grid puzzle that must be progressively solved by Utilities, all levels of government, developers, suppliers and eventually customers!

“Improving our society energy efficiency and reducing its energy dependency are essential toward achieving a cleaner and more sustainable future but come with both strategic and practical challenges on which our speakers will focus.

“This conference will bring together experts from overseas and Australia’s electric vehicle and Smart Grid community representing an exceptional opportunity to network and learn about this emerging industry.”

Source: www.evconference.com.au

As a short preview to the October event, this Saturday 22 May there will be an Electric Vehicles Forum at the Mt Ommaney Library, Dandenong Road (Brisbane) from 1pm.

The organisers Sustainable Jamboree say this is a fact finding, futurist fun-filled forum – this will change your ideas about your transport options…

Can just about any vehicle become electric? Will petrol stations disappear? Do you know the difference between hybrid and electric? Electric vehicles in Australia are already on the road. Find out how soon you might be able to get one too.

Speakers include:

Dr Andrew Simpson, senior research fellow, Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute. He has over 10 years experience in the hybrid/electric vehicle, electric power and renewable energy industries in Australia and North America, including two years most-recently at Tesla Motors in California.

Russell Austerberry, Australian Electric Vehicles Association, Brisbane.

Paul Martin, electric bicycles enthusiast

Allan Dow, www.elationebikes.com.au

The programme is being repeated on Wednesday 26 May.

Hosted by Sustainable Jamboree – think global and act local in the Jamboree Ward and beyond.

Source:  www.sustainablejamboree.org

Behind the scenes at Auto China 2010

From Dan Cohen, Vice President, Strategic Initiatives for Better Place

With 990 vehicles on display and 780,000 visitors passing through, it is impossible to escape the conclusion that something big happened at Auto China 2010. But despite the glamorous displays, the media frenzy, the pomp and circumstance, for me the most interesting event took place in the after hours.

After all the visitors had gone home one day, the venue closed its doors, lights went down, and the 2 million square foot venue was full of display cars blanketed with their protective covers. Amid this serene backdrop, Chery’s booth including the Better Place corner was in full swing for a special event.

As we recently announced, Better Place and Chery signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on technology for switchable-battery electric cars. Chery’s Vice President for New Energy Vehicles, Dr. Yuan, has been following Better Place for the past couple of years, and concluded that developing electric cars to operate on a battery switch platform would ultimately deliver the greatest value to consumers.

Chery is a fascinating company – aside from being one of the fastest growing automakers in the world, it is China’s largest independent automaker. Chery is proudly indigenous, relying on its continuously developing in-house engineering expertise to build the next generation of automobiles that are both world-class and environmentally sustainable.

Chery is based in Anhui Province, home to 61 million people. Hefei, its capital, has approximately 5 million people and is one of China’s 13 pilot cities subject to a mandate for integration of alternative fuel vehicles into their fleets. Attached to the mandate is a USD $8,800 rebate for fully electric cars used as taxis or other commercial fleets. And this is just a precursor of a much broader suite of pro-EV policies in the pipeline.

Better Place is now working with Chery to meet the emerging demand for affordable electric cars in the world’s largest auto market. The model for switchable-battery electric cars was displayed in China for the first time at the Chery booth, and it was received favorably by the private and public sectors alike.

The handful of VIPs visiting the booth for the after hours showing included China’s Vice Premier, Zhang Deijang, and the Mayor of Beijing, Guo Jinlong. The Mayor, who had previously served three major posts in Chery’s home province of Anhui, was delighted to see the company introduce Better Place to China at the auto show in Beijing. He said to us, “I think this is the most sensible model for an EV. I highly appreciate you guys bringing it here.”

With the rapid emergence of China’s automotive market – and the expectation that it will grow exponentially in the next few years – we predict that many standards for the automotive industry will be set in China. For Better Place, China is not only a strategic market vis-à-vis its size, but it is both a leading indicator and a trendsetter in the global race to sustainable transportation, and will have significant impact around the world. For all of these reasons, we’re happy to be here, and we see plenty more big developments on the horizon.

Source: www.betterplace.com