Mini E Field Test Highlights Roadblocks Facing Electric Cars | Autopia | Wired.com

Mini E Field Test Highlights Roadblocks Facing Electric Cars | Autopia | Wired.com: "Mini E field-test data:

* Plug design: No worldwide standard of connectors currently exists. The Society of Automotive Engineers is expected to adopt a universal charging plug — known in the EV biz as SAE J1772 — sometime next year, but for now manufacturers are going their own way.
* Customer expectation management: Steinberg said Mini E field testers underestimated the challenge of installing a charger in terms of construction, permit authorities and local municipalities.
* Utility options and requirements vary: Electric meters vary from town to town. One solution is to install a secondary meter to avoid upgrading the existing panel. Secondary panels could be “smart” enough to charge the car during specific off-peak hours. (Off-peak electricity costs 50 percent less in California.)
* Inspection and permitting standards: In addition to being a big hassle, each municipality’s inspection and permit approval processes are unique. Steinberg said California was easy, but that New Jersey permit authorities and inspectors were a particular point of friction.
* Wallbox installation delays: BMW had to waive lease payments for some field testers “pending the installation of a fully operational wallbox.” In addition, fleet customers who tested a larger number of the vehicles didn’t seem to comprehend the urgency of identifying a suitable place to install the charger.
* Post-installation servicing and troubleshooting is murky. When the car won’t charge, several factors could be to blame: the car, charger, ground-fault indicator on the 110V cable or on the outlet, the circuit breaker, or the utility. Not only does this make problems harder to find than in traditional cars, but it also complicates the matter of which party should pay to send a technician to the home.
* Public infrastructure: Range anxiety is significant enough for widespread electric-car adoption to require public charging stations, and those must be cross-compatible between manufacturers, service providers and utilities.
* Vehicle-to grid-communication: All of this gets easier if the car can talk to the grid. Specific examples include charging subscription plans, smartphone reservation apps to reserve public chargers, and load-leveling calculations.

BMW unveiled the Mini E at the L.A. Auto Show on Nov. 19, 2008.

BMW unveiled the Mini E at the L.A. Auto Show on Nov. 19, 2008.

Approximately 1,800 people applied to field test the Mini E, which is being leased to customers at $895 a month for one year. Of those, 1,010 applications were forwarded to dealers, who chose 250 testers in southern California and 200 in New York and New Jersey. Field testers include private customers, nongovernmental organizations, municipalities and charities."