fuseproject: GE residential wattstation

possible installation of GE residential wattstation all images courtesy of fuseproject

earlier this year, designboom wrote about fusepoject’s GE watt station electric vehicle charger. now, general electric (GE) with fuseproject, introduces a new residential version of the smart grid-compatible device. the residential GE wattstation is designed to help accelerate the adoption of plug-in electric vehicles by significantly decreasing the amount of time needed for vehicle charging and, using smart grid technology, allowing utility companies to manage the impact of electric vehicles on the local and regional grids.

rendering of the charging unit

combining functionality with consumer friendly form, on average the GE wattstation decreases electric vehicle charging time from 12-18 hours, to as little as four to eight hours compared to standard charging ‘level 1’, assuming a full-cycle charge for a 24 kWh battery.

the price is still being negotiated, but the project team predicts the residential version will cost between 1,000 – 1,500 USD per unit. as part of this announcement, GE has partnered with servicemagic – the USA’s leading website which connects consumers with service professionals for simple installation and financing programs. together with GE, servicemagic will provide consumers with financing options, giving them the opportunity to pay for the charger and installation costs over time, which helps overcome a major obstacle when it comes to the adoption of EV technologies.

‘the residential GE wattstation design is friendly and so simple to adopt that it will literally change one’s life overnight. no more trips to the gas station, something that surely no one will miss.’ – yves behar, founder of fuseproject

color variations

the GE wattstation will be commercially available globally in 2011.