Seven major automakers have agreed to standardize electric vehicle (EV) chargers in Europe and the United States.
Audi, BMW, Daimler, Ford, General Motors, Porsche and Volkswagen will use identical charge plugs and the same system for communication between the charger and the car in their electric vehicles.
This will permit electric cars and trucks to share the same fast charging stations.
The standardized approach is also expected to faciliate the planning of future infrastructure, while helping to evolve a unified communication protocol (HomePlug Green Phy) that will allow electric cars to fit into smart grids.
The decision to unite under a combined system was based on reviews of current charging systems, the design of the connecter and the preferences of drivers in the United States and Europe.
Moving forward, drivers who own one of the 7 above-mentioned (electric) cars will no longer have to worry about finding a compatible charger on the road. Now, if only the auto giants can work towards a hybrid that dares to give drivers anything close to 200 mpg, like the Aptera, which is still in development.
