A Charger for the Smart Grid
The new GE charging station for electric cars will fully charge a battery in four to eight hours–much faster than standard plug-in charging, which can take 18 hours. It allows two-way communication between stations and power companies, so that the utilities can minimize the vehicles’ demand on the grid. GE hopes that municipalities and green-building owners will install the chargers in parking areas and that electric-car owners will buy home versions for their garages.
Credit: Erik Pawassar
Product: WattStation
Cost: $3,000 to $7,000
Availability: Now for commercial version; a residential version costing $1,000 to $1,500 will be announced later in 2010
Source: www.ecomagination.com/wattstation
Company: GE
Keep Reading
Most Popular
Geoffrey Hinton tells us why he’s now scared of the tech he helped build
“I have suddenly switched my views on whether these things are going to be more intelligent than us.”
ChatGPT is going to change education, not destroy it
The narrative around cheating students doesn’t tell the whole story. Meet the teachers who think generative AI could actually make learning better.
Meet the people who use Notion to plan their whole lives
The workplace tool’s appeal extends far beyond organizing work projects. Many users find it’s just as useful for managing their free time.
Learning to code isn’t enough
Historically, learn-to-code efforts have provided opportunities for the few, but new efforts are aiming to be inclusive.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.