GE, Siemens will compete with electric vehicle charger startups

Massive corporations such as General Electric and Siemens AG are getting ready to compete with lesser-known startups like Ecotality, Coulomb Technologies and Aerovironment for your electric vehicle charging dollars. GE is eyeing widespread distribution of its WattStation chargers in the second quarter of this year and, shortly thereafter, Siemens' lineup of Charge models should burst onto the scene.

Even though these sizeable conglomerates are trailing behind some of the already-established players in the plug-in vehicle charging industry, the might of mammoth corporations like GE and Siemens should allow them to make up for any lost ground in a flash. Also, once the big-name corporations step into the ring, some of smaller startups may find it difficult to survive with and mergers may be inevitable. Perhaps the added competition will ultimately drive down costs and hasten the deployment of plug-in vehicle chargers – and that's what matters most. Right?