When you visit Billion Honda at 2641 Mormon Trek Blvd Iowa City, Iowa, you'll find a wide range of new Honda models that are more efficient than they've ever been. But that doesn't mean Honda is done innovating the automotive world just yet. In the near future, the 2013 Honda Fit will be the first mass-market electric vehicle that the Big H has ever produced, and Honda is aiming to make it efficient in every area possible.

What does that mean, exactly? While the Honda Fit EV will be eco-friendly and affordable with its all-electric powertrain, a large number of them all plugged into the same power grid does have the potential to cause brownouts during peak power usage hours. This is a problem that all electric vehicles face as the general public begins to more seriously consider an EV for their next car. Honda, however, is the only automaker with a plan to stop it.

Specifically, they intend to team with IBM and PG&E to equip a 2013 Honda Fit with new smart grid technology that allows it to make charging more efficient than ever before. It does so by allowing the vehicle to interact with the grid in a more extensive manner than simply drawing power from it. The vehicle can download charging instructions, send feedback regarding the driver's use of the vehicle, and even limit its charging times when power is least needed or during peak hours.

"This pilot project with IBM and Honda will help us demonstrate that third-party providers have the systems and capabilities to help meet some of the challenges that electric vehicles could place on the power grid as their adoption increases in the coming years," says Saul Zambrano, senior director for consumer products for PG&E. "With updated charging patterns for EVs, we have the ability if needed, to shift demand to non-peak times to ensure the reliability of the grid so that we can continue to deliver safe, reliable and affordable energy to our customers."¹

In other words, there's no need to worry about the cost of electricity going up due to EV adoption rates if a system like this is installed. And with that, we invite you to stay tuned for more on its development.

Source: ^1,2http://www.examiner.com/green-transportation-in-national/ibm-honda-and-pg-e-testing-electric-car-smart-grid-technology

[INFO] http://www.elp.com/index/display/article-display/1557127280/articles/electric-light-power/renewable-energy/phev/2012/April/IBM__Honda__PG_E_enable_smart_charging_for_electric_vehicles.html