GE and Nissan Labs Partner on Smart-Charging Technology

It’s a test-tube conception using “competitive DNA” that could spawn a family of market-leading products: General Electric, a world leader in energy, and Nissan, a front-runner in zero-emission auto-making, have signed a two-year joint research agreement to speed up the development of a reliable, robust smart-charging infrastructure.

With more than 25 percent of the world’s electricity generated or distributed by General Electric equipment, GE is uniquely qualified to help address the global challenge of integrating millions of electric cars onto the grid.

Currently leading the all-electric vehicle (EV) market with the Nissan LEAF, Nissan has a major stake in technologies and partnerships that will help accelerate mass market adoption of EVs and ensure their successful integration into the grid.

GE Global Research in Niskayuna, N.Y., and Nissan Technical Center North America in Farmington Hills, Mich., have identified two key focus areas for the research efforts:

The integration of electric vehicles with homes and buildings; and

 Electric vehicle charging dynamics, including the future impact on the grid once millions of electric cars are on the road.

“As the U.S. and world move toward electric vehicles, the automotive sector is forming new industry connections that extend well beyond the traditional OEM space,” said Mark Little, senior vice president and director, GE Global Research. “One of the biggest connections being made is with companies that generate and provide electricity. As a major provider of power generation equipment and energy services, GE is in a great position to help the automotive industry bring millions of electric vehicles onto the grid.”

“Connections like this research partnership with GE reinforce Nissan’s commitment to bring zero emission mobility to the mass market,” said Carla Bailo, senior vice president, Research and Development, Nissan Americas. “GE’s broad expertise with energy networks will help Nissan create better conditions in the market for electric cars like Nissan LEAF, and add value for our customers both now and in the future.”

Several projects around the two focus areas already are underway. In one project, researchers from both companies are studying how electric cars like Nissan LEAF can be incorporated into GE’s overall concept for a smart home. Nissan engineers are developing methods to connect the vehicle to the home, making it a more integrated part of the building’s energy equipment. This project will look at how the addition of an electric car impacts the cost of electricity and changes overall home electricity loads.

In another study, researchers will use aggregate usage data, along with sophisticated simulation and modeling experiments, to analyze the effect millions of electric cars could have on our electrical distribution system.

For all of these projects, researchers will be seeking answers to a number of important questions, including: How can smart energy management systems for homes and multi-unit buildings be leveraged to support the management of EV charging? How can we take advantage of energy storage and renewable power—such as home solar arrays—to reliably manage and meet the power needs of electric cars? For example, are there innovative ways to directly link charging stations with renewable power sources?

Nissan researchers are studying the use of two-way power flow between the vehicle and the home, via its CHAdeMO quick- charging port, as a method to reduce the home’s consumption from the grid during peak periods, or to use the vehicle for emergency backup power. GE researchers have programs under way to understand how these systems, in tandem with the utility, could be used to meet vehicle-charging needs without over-stressing the grid.

Nissan provides a total of 6,168 Leaf electric cars sold to date this year. Its close competitor, General Motors (News - Alert), meanwhile, reported year-to-date sales figures of the Chevrolet Volt at 3,172 cars.