The world may not be able to agree upon a single set of standards for crash tests and emission regulations, but automakers and energy firms the world over have reportedly agreed to a single standard when it comes to electric vehicle plugs.
According to Engadget, Germany’s RWE has announced that automakers and energy firms have finally come together on a standard for electric vehicle plugs. The EV plug will use a three-prong, 400-volt design, allowing for universal recharging – no matter the country or even the continent.
According to RWE spokeswoman Caroline Reichert, the standardization of the EV plug will ensure “a car can be recharged in Italy in exactly the same way as in Denmark, Germany or France.” A long list of automakers — including General Motors, Volkswagen , BMW , Fiat, Toyota and Mitsubishi – have signed off on the global plug design, along with a number of energy firms from around the world.
The move to standardize the EV plug should not only reduce headaches for the end user and speed up acceptance, but should also go a long way in cutting costs for the world’s automakers.
