Smart Charger Controller Aims To Standardize Plugs

There is one good thing about standards when it comes to doing things – you don’t need to grapple with proprietary technologies that will confuse and muddle the poor consumers at the end of the day. Word has reached us concerning a research team at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory who has successfully developed a Smart Charger Controller which might see the end for automakers to create proprietary charging controllers in electric vehicles. Taking more than a year to develop, the PNNL Smart Charger Controller will receive wireless signals which are broadcasted by the utility, where power prices inform the car when to charge and when to stop. Apparently, such a device could save plug-in vehicle owners up to $150 annually by taking advantage of off-peak energy prices.