[ausev] Nissan, Reliant Energy to make Houston electric car capital

[Gary Schulte]

Nissan, Reliant Energy to make Houston electric car capital
Restructuring Today
November 16, 2009

Reliant Energy and Nissan reached an agreement to make Houston a
launch city for the broader use of electric cars by the American
public, the two firms said Friday.

"This agreement is another part of our comprehensive effort to speed
up the adoption of a broad-based electric-powered transportation
ecosystem," said Reliant parent-firm NRG CEO David Crane.

"We have much of the needed infrastructure in place -- an excellent
road system, a diverse portfolio of power generation and the means to
deliver electricity to homes, offices, businesses and streets across
the nation.  Now we need to focus on tying these elements together
with the technology, services and policies needed to power electric
transportation."

The Japanese car firm is launching the LEAF (leading, environmentally
friendly, affordable family car), likely the first all-electric,
zero-emission car designed for the mass market.  It will be available
in 2010, but was first shown to the North American Public at Dodger
Stadium in Los Angeles Friday.

The retail market in ERCOT gives Reliant and other firms the
flexibility to design rates that will help charge up cars such as the
LEAF, the firm's VP of Strategy & Development Glen Stancil told us
Friday.

Dynamic rates that change with the time of day will help bring the
cars onto the grid, he added.

Eventually smart meters -- Houston utility CenterPoint is in the
process of rolling them out -- will play an important role in making
sure the cars are charged at the right times, but they can start to
come into the market before every customer has one.

Reliant is looking into rate structures that would let electric cars
be used as storage for the grid but it is working to ensure that such
options wouldn't curtail the customers' access to the LEAFs.

Consumers will still be able to drive to the store or get somewhere in
an emergency with such storage pricing plans, said Stancil.

Reliant will be installing public charging stations, focused initially
in Houston, and will also develop a comprehensive set of power
services to support electric vehicles including home charging
equipment that will be based on standard infrastructure and, as long
as other manufacturers follow, will serve owners of other electric
vehicles than the LEAF, too.

Reliant entered into the agreement with Nissan since the LEAF is aimed
at the mass market, said Stancil.  The electric cars available now are
priced too high for most people to afford.

The car is quiet and fast, said Stancil.  It can go 100 miles on
single charge and that is expected to take four to eight hours with a
220-volt line, though it can use a 120-volt outlet, too.

© 2009 GHI LLC