Toyota shows smart-grid technology for its plug-in hybrid

Called the Toyota Smart Center, it allows people to see on TV screens and mobile handsets how much electricity is being consumed by a household, how much a plug-in vehicle has charged, and how much electricity has been stored in the home.

It calculates the most efficient way of using energy, eliminating waste by shutting off gadgets when they aren’t being used and maximizing the recharging benefits of hybrids, which recharge as they run. Utilities can also be used when rates are cheapest such as overnight to heat stored water.

By Yuri Kageyama, AP Business Writer

Full Story: http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/environment/2010-10-05-toyota-smart-house_N.htm