General Electric announced that they will not have the WattStation, or new electric car charging station. The charger reportedly reduces the amount of time it takes to charge a 24 kWh battery by two thirds. The WattStation will be for home and commercial use.
WattStation and the technology used
The WattStation charging unit uses smart-grid technology to help it. A two way digital control is used by intelligent grid to discover areas with high demand and deliver extra energy to them. Extra energy required to charge batteries quickly is pulled by the smart-grid that combines with superconductive transmission lines.
Does the WattStation work?
General Electric reports that a properly installed WattStation will charge an electric car battery in four to eight hours. Usually twelve to eighteen hours are required to charge an electric car. Although the time is slowly being reduced, electric car batteries still take twelve hours at the very least to charge.
Electric car battery challenges
The biggest problem for electric cars is getting enough power in the battery to make the car run. No matter what chemical composition of the battery, it can only charge so quickly. Only so much power could be given at once by electric transmission systems and lines. However, WattStation claims to have fixed this issue.
Will WattStation encourage car buyers?
Car makers have always been frustrated with electric cars. While there seems to be great support for electric cars in the market, they nevertheless remain a niche product. Long charging times and questionable battery technology make it much more attractive to stay with gas-powered cars for most buyers. GE hopes that, combined with new cars and better battery technology, the WattStation will encourage buyers to make the leap to electric.
