Last week, BMW Group was proud to announce that it will begin testing an electric vehicle integration platform developed by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). The platform is designed to help manage utilities when plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) are being charged, a process that is known as demand charging. Keep reading to learn more about demand charging and the partnership between the BMW Group and the Electric Power Research Institute!
Demand charging would make it possible for utility providers to schedule electric vehicle charging for those times of the day when the demand for electricity is relatively lower, which could potentially save drivers of the 2014 BMW i3 lots of money while charging. EPRI is planning on working with eight automakers and 15 different utility providers across the country to help develop an interface that will synchronize electric vehicle (EV) charging with renewable energy when available, and to take advantage of real-time changes in the price of electricity.
Cliff Fietzek, Manager BMW Connected eMobility Group, believes that the collaboration will make it easier for EV drivers to save money, and that “in addition to this collaboration, BMW is developing technology that will allow our customers to easily control when and how their cars charge, and also to seamlessly integrate with home solar power generation and energy management system.”
The collaboration between BMW and EPRI is further proof of the BMW Group’s recent innovations that are designed to widen the market’s adoption of electric vehicles. To learn more about the 2014 BMW i3 electric vehicle, and other new BMW technologies, stop in to your Chicagoland BMW dealership, Fields BMW Northfield, to speak to a member of our team!