A method for communicating between an electric vehicle and a charging station for electrically charging at least one energy storage device of the electric vehicle. The electric vehicle is connected to the charging station during the charging process by a lockable mechanical coupling between a terminal of charging cable connected to the vehicle and a terminal of the charging station. Charging current is fed from the charging station through the charging cable. Information is transferred in the course of the charging process based on a communication between the electric vehicle and the charging station. The information includes a signal transmitted from the electric vehicle to the charging station for locking and/or unlocking the mechanical coupling. The signal triggers the locking and/or unlocking of the mechanical coupling between the terminal of the charging cable and the terminal at the charging station.

This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for wireless power transfer and particularly wireless power transfer to remote systems such as electric vehicles. In one aspect, a wireless power transfer system includes a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter includes a first inductive element and a current generator. The current generator supplies a current to the first inductive element to generate an electromagnetic field. The receiver includes a second inductive element, a tuning circuit, and a controller. The second inductive element receives wireless power from the electromagnetic field. The tuning circuit has a reactance and includes a plurality of capacitive elements connected to the second inductive element. The plurality of capacitive elements supply an output current to a load. The controller selectively connects the plurality of capacitive elements in a plurality of configurations. The tuning circuit has substantially the same reactance in each of the plurality of configurations.

Systems and methods for power aggregation are described. One method includes charging an electric resource or vehicle over a power connection to an electric network, obtaining, with a processor, a unique identifier of a device associated with the electric resource or vehicle at the power connection, and determining, with the processor, a location of the electric resource or vehicle from the unique identifier.

The present technique relates to a power supply device and method as well as a program which can surely perform a billing process when a device is charged. When a vehicle ID registered in advance in an external storage matches a vehicle ID acquired by a reader/writer, a control unit makes a request to input, by operating a display unit formed of a touch panel, information which determines the amount of electric power to be charged. Once the information determining the amount of electric power to be charged has been input, the control unit controls a billing part to calculate the amount of electric power, so that a billing server performs a billing process on the amount of money corresponding to the amount of electric power. The control unit then controls a communication unit and turns on a selector switch.

A network of collection, charging and distribution machines collect, charge and distribute portable electrical energy storage devices. To charge, the machines employ electrical current from an external source. As demand at individual collection, charging and distribution machines increases or decreases relative to other collection, charging and distribution machines, a distribution management system initiates redistribution of portable electrical energy storage devices from one collection, charging and distribution machine to another collection, charging and distribution machine in an expeditious manner. Also, redeemable incentives are offered to users to return or exchange their portable electrical energy storage devices at selected collection, charging and distribution machines within the network to effect the redistribution.

The subject matter of the invention is a cable connector (1) for establishing an electrical connection to a device connector, in particular a device connector of an electric vehicle or a charging device for the electric vehicle, wherein the cable connector (1) comprises a mechanical locking device (7), which is designed to lock the cable connector (1) to the device connector, and the locking device (7) is disposed at least partly on an outer side of a main body (2) of the cable connector (1), wherein the cable connector (1) has a covering device (14), which is designed to cover the locking device (7) at least partly on the outer side of the main body (2), and the covering device (14) has an actuating region (16) for actuating the locking device (7) via the covering device (14).

An electric vehicle (EV) charging system can include a plurality of charging terminals, each charging terminal comprising a charging cable configured to connect to an electric vehicle. The system can include an electrical equipment assembly physically separated from the plurality of charging terminals. The assembly can include a plurality of electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) loads, each EVSE load configured to supply power to a respective charging terminal to provide a charge current to an EV connected to the cable of the charging terminal. A main breaker can be connected to the plurality of EVSE loads configured to supply power to the plurality of EVSE loads and to provide fault protection to the plurality of EVSE loads to provide protection to each charging terminal. In certain embodiments, the main breaker is at least partially solid state.

A modular hybrid vehicle uses multiple different modular battery units in a vehicle. New batteries can be added, or removed. The batteries can each be associated with a separate electric motor. Each battery individually drives a motor, allowing the characteristics of limited slip or all wheel drive. Also, the batteries can be replaced, or added to, to provide more battery power to the vehicle. There may be sensors at the battery that sense various characteristics and report those characteristics wirelessly to a central controller.

An opening and closing control device of a vehicle cover is configured to control opening and closing of a cover covering a connection part of a vehicle connecting a connection member, and includes a drive unit which performs the opening and closing operation by moving the cover. An operation status detection unit an operation position of the cover, a control unit drives and controls the drive unit so that the cover is set in one of a plurality of positions based on whether the connection member is connected or not, the operation position detected by the operation status detection unit, and the ON/OFF state of the power of the vehicle when a control signal is input from a control switch or a remote key.

An ECU executes a program including: a step of setting a threshold as a shutdown threshold when, during a power supply operation, a duration of a power supply stoppage exceeds a first time; a step of stopping an operation of an engine or prohibiting the engine from operating; and a step of executing system shutdown processing when an SOC of a storage apparatus falls to or below the shutdown threshold or the duration of the power supply stoppage exceeds a second time.