Electric Vehicle

Israeli Electric Corporation to run electric vehicles charging stations

"A uniform standard for hooking up to the recharging system will be set, which will ensure the recharging by any electric car driver at any authorized recharging station, irrespective of the recharging vendor to which he is connected," the Globes business news site reported, quoting ministry officials at an inter- ministerial meeting on EV policy.

Recharging electric vehicles via a third party via a so-called managed grid "will reduce the need to set up more electricity production facilities and expand the current national grid, while providing proper safety for using the grid to recharge vehicles. Controlled recharging is intended to enable control and oversight of electricity demand and of load on the electricity system’s production, transport, and distribution."

The announcement also said the IEC would be allowed to certify installers for building such stations in private locations.

Industry sources oppose the measures claiming they would raise costs and slow the process of importing such electric vehicles, according to Globes.

The plan is in conflict with Israel/California-based electric car and charging station developer Better Place, which plans to begin commercial operations here within about a year, followed by a comprehensive project in Denmark.

There are some 10,000 hybrid cars and 8,000 natural gas-powered cars already on Israel’s roads, according to the ministry.

The Transportation Ministry recently approved a plan by Better Place to import 13 all-electric cars Renault Fluence in order to test the company’s power infrastructure, the Jerusalem Post newspaper reported. The electric vehicles with lithium ion batteries are expected here within a few weeks, officials said.

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