Posted By
JULIE CRIDLER
on
7/28/2010 5:29 PM
The development of a charging infrastructure for EVs is taking on a life of its own and styling / design is becoming a competitive differentiator even in advance of the market really taking off. It is becoming clear that the seemingly mundane task of recharging is going to become an area of new opportunity for both vehicle manufactures (at least those that are interested in getting involved in the charging infrastructure segment of the market) and outside companies. Nissan’s heavy involvement in establishing charging technology, as discussed in an earlier blog post, is a good example of this.
There are two recently unveiled charging stations – the WattStation from GE and Ecotality’s Blink – that show how design and styling are going to play an influencing role in this market. That WattStation was created by industrial designer Yves Behar to be a welcoming design that seamlessly integrates into the urban landscape as a regular part of our daily driving routine. The WattStation will be commercially available in 2011 and will enable vehicle charging in 4-8 hours. Ecotality’s Blink, designed by Frog Design, was introduced with a great deal of emphasis on the styling features – the two tone black and white color scheme and the interesting use of shapes, as well as a user-friendly touch screen interface and a cord that remains flexible even in low temperatures.
Even though the market is new and unproven, the competition is heating up. It is interesting that, for these two products that are so heavily influenced by technology, the market hype is as much about how they look as it is about how they function and perform.
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