Electric car manufacturers agree to adopt compatible recharging system

New Scientist : Seven leading car manufacturers have agreed on an international standardized charging system for electric vehicles in Europe and the US. It will allow all electric vehicles manufactured by Audi, BMW, Daimler, Ford, General Motors, Porsche, and Volkswagen to share the same charging stations. The standardization is expected to simplify the building of an electric charging infrastructure and reduce manufacturing costs. In addition, drivers won’t have to deal with multiple charging adaptors like the ones cellphone users have had to deal with for years. And existing electric cars will also be able to charge at the new stations. The seven manufacturers have agreed to use a universal protocol, HomePlug Green Phy, which will allow electric vehicles to integrate with smart grids in the future.