Plug-in cars add urgency to building a smart grid

The gasoline-powered automobile begat the interstate highway system and the highway system begat entire industries that grew up around gasoline-powered cars. Before the auto, there were none of the ubiquitous filling stations, fast-food restaurants or motels that now populate the nation’s highway exits.

Similarly, the rise of electric cars probably will transform more than just the automobile.

"The moment you put a plug on a car, you’ve got these two titan industries coming together and supporting a customer," said Ed Kjaer, the director of electric transportation for Southern California Edison, a giant utility.

By Kevin G. Hall

Full Story: http://www.mercurynews.com/cars/ci_17805442

McClatchy Tribune