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SAE World Congress: Siemens introduces VersiCharge SG connected charger

Can Lower EV Charging Cost By Up To 45 Percent, Siemens Says

If you like your electric vehicle chargers connected, then Siemens has a device for you. The new VersiCharge SG was announced at the 2015 SAE World Congress in Detroit this week and it talks not just to your phone or tablet, but also to the local electric utility so that you can use your gadget to control charging times. Why would you want to have all of this communication going on? To pay the lowest possible costs as you charge your EV, of course.

Once you've logged the VersiCharge SG onto your home wi-fi network, you can use it to schedule charging at off-peak charging times. This sort of thing is built into most plug-in cars, but the VersiCharge SG can also communicate with the utility to share data and know when demand response rates push costs up or down. Knowing this can save EV drivers up to 45-percent in charging costs, Siemens says.

The VersiCharge SG will be available later this year, but pricing is not yet available. The previous model, simply called the VersiCharge, does not have the wi-fi connection and costs $649. Both units are 30-amp, 7.2-kW chargers that use a standard J1772 connector.
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Siemens Introduces VersiChargeā„¢ SG, the First Wi-Fi-Enabled, Cloud-Based Electric Vehicle Charging Station for Residential Use

New VersiCharge SG gives consumers the ability to monitor and control a charger in real-time via a mobile or web-based app on the cloud
Can interact with utility programs like demand response directly through the cloud, allowing utilities to better understand electric vehicle usage and lowering costs for users
Technology has shown to result in 45 percent lower charging costs during off-peak hours compared to traditional electric vehicle chargers

DETROIT--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Siemens introduces VersiCharge Smartgrid (SG), the first Wi-Fi enabled electric vehicle (EV) charging station that allows residential owners to monitor and control usage remotely through a mobile or web app. With this new technology an EV owner can automatically turn charging on or off, schedule charging when rates are lowest, and view past power consumption data including usage and cost for the first time in a graphical form. The cloud-based charging station also interacts with utilities, receiving demand response and pricing signals so consumer can better shape and shift their charging experience. Utilities can offer programs that help manage the time and level of EV charging across the grid to increase grid reliability and efficiency while minimizing peak demand. This level of interaction will enable utilities to better understand the impact EVs have on power consumption market and will result in lower charging costs for the consumer.

"The VersiCharge SG solves two of the longest-lasting challenges associated with EV ownership-the uncertainty around the actual power being consumed and the ability to easily control energy consumption," said Barry Powell, head of Siemens Low Voltage & Products. "Consumers can now have flexible charging options that can target either the cheapest energy rates or instant convenience and utility partners can better understand the growing network of EVs and their impact on the power grid."

By accessing the Siemens cloud, utilities can offer rate programs to EV owners to allow the consumer to charge at highly attractive rates while simultaneously allowing the utility to manage the loads on the grid. By shifting each EV charging event slightly in time or rate at which kilowatt hours are supplied to the EV, utilities can potentially reduce the peak demand on the grid, which in turn helps to reduce the total amount of generation needed. When the demand response functionality is enabled in the VersiCharge SG unit via the mobile or web-based app, utilities and energy aggregators have new opportunities to use EV technology as a valuable part of a distributed energy management strategy.

The VersiCharge SG can be installed for indoor or outdoor use via a plug-in option or hardwire installation. Siemens also offers an accessory pedestal that allows users to install units in locations where a wall mount is not possible.

The VersiCharge SG is part of Siemens VersiCharge electric vehicle charging portfolio and offers the functionality that has been incorporated into the VersiCharge line of level 2 electric vehicle chargers since 2012: 30 Amps of charge at up to 7.2 kW charging rate with the standard J1772 connector interoperable with most EVs, the highest degree of safety with UL certification, best in class outdoor rating (NEMA 4), and best-in-class 5mA CCID ground fault protection.

The VersiCharge SG will be available for purchase later this year. To learn more about VersiCharge SG, please visit Siemens Booth #426 at SAE World Congress in Detroit.

This press release and a press picture / press pictures/ further material is available at http://news.usa.siemens.biz/.

For further information on Siemens electric vehicle charging, please see www.usa.siemens.com/versicharge.

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