GE and Juice Technologies in pact to develop electric vehicle charging devices

Diversified conglomerate GE and Juice Technologies have entered into an agreement to jointly develop intelligent plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) charging devices.

Juice Technologies is a provider of products and technologies that enable the intelligent charging of electric and plug-in electric vehicles as well as products to optimise home and business energy use.

Juice Technologies' products are sold under the brand Plug Smart and are distributed worldwide through electric utilities and the consumer electronics channel.

According to GE, the chargers would integrate GE's smart meters with Juice Technology's Plug Smart engines to help consumers charge their cars during low-demand, lower-cost time periods.

According to GE, smart chargers will hasten acceptance of plug-in cars by making them more attractive to both consumers and utilities. Consumers will benefit by receiving the lowest-possible charging rates for their cars, while utilities will be able to better control the demand for electricity and take on the added load of electric vehicles without over taxing their grids.

Utilities will also realise greater value from their capital equipment during overnight and other low-demand times, when it is substantially less utilised, GE says.