For his part, Bredesen has agreed to explore strategies in which the state might help support the deployment of infrastructure for electric vehicles, including charging stations in public places. Under Bredesen’s leadership, the state and Nissan are joining with the TVA and other partners to embark on a series of conversations that initially will focus on the region’s heavily trafficked Interstate 24 and Interstate 65 corridors.

Somebody in the federal government must take control of the standardization of electric vehicle charging stations before things get out of hand.

Axil: Somebody in the federal government must take control of the standardization of electric vehicle charging stations before things get out of hand.

Are there any standards that are actually getting "out of hand"?

Frankly. I would rather our broken federal politic system not get involved; All they worry about is what oil company lobbyist will deliver the most favors and money for their election campaigns. If Nissan works it right and produces enough cars, they will produce the de facto standard for the feed plugs and wiring. As we write this, the Japanese are already working on an ISO standard for the batteries and associated devices.

There is a lot going on at the state and industry levels that by necessity are bypassing the federal government's attempts to torpedo electric cars for the oil companies. The republicans are holding up legislation to force drilling in sensitive areas for the oil companies and the Democrats are holding out to drill on existing oil leased land...neither idea will make a damn in the price of gasoline within the next 5-10 years. Washington has a secret energy policy known only to Dick Cheney and the oil companies. What a mess, they may as well live on another planet!

Beta vs. VHS, Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD, Steam vs. electric vs. ICE, AC vs. DC. It happens in every emerging new technology. Let the markets decide. The technologies are not sufficiently developed to let our government get their mits on it yet. Besides, according to an NPR story this morning, the parties are fighting over "use less" or "drill more."

Eventually a winner will emerge and then the Government will "let it be written...". If the auto companies have any sense, they will agree to a standard first and the government will not be needed. That seems unlikely based on their past behavior. Meanwhile, let the race begin.

@Lad.

Too bad the World isn't quite like your fervid conspiracies.

Only the triumph of Democrat policies on very short term domestic drilling was NOT an achievement for Mr. Bush. Democrats get full credit for keeping their campaign promises.

The Dems ran on a platform of increasing gasoline prices to force conservation, for some mystical, phantasmal, AGW reason, or other. A fantasy that is now discredited.

They succeeded in under 18 months from election to majority control. The gasoline and diesel price went from $1.90 to $4.50 per gallon.

Please take the credit. You wanted it. You voted for it. And you got it.
Please brag about it.

Mr. Bush revived Nuclear, and created the Nuclear Renaissance. He Created clean coal in the form of IGCC, that enables reasonable CCS. And recreated the new ITER international consortia that Mr. Clinton's own jackasses sabotaged against his powerless wishes. Mr. Bush set it up with expanded membership so that the Jackasses can't do it once again by making the US contribution only a small 9% share. But the Jackasses under Reid and Pelosi are trying to destroy it once again. Look at their zero budgeting for that, as an incidental to the antiwar maneuvering.

@Stan

Is it impossible for you to stay on topic?

Fortunately the attitude of LAD is rampant across this land. There will soon be a blizzard of pink slips issued to dysfunctional cronies across the federal bureaucracy. The way of doing business in Washington you favor will be over. Don’t take the upcoming turn of events to hard. I will always be here to comfort you.

Where did anyone read that the "federal politic system was involved"? The TVA hasn't been federal for decades. That is all privately owned utility companies.
The whole deal sounds fantastic. If we are going to get it done, it must be the public not the federal government! We need the states to help get it done. Hooray for Tennessee and hooray for Nissan. You have my business. It would be a good thing if all readers sent an email to Nissan giving them your support. WEcansoveit.org

@Axil
As soon as you fix government, let us know. For now, Lad is right, there are too many voters are voting themselves a piece of the pie right now than to vote to "fix" anything. The Federal government has become far too important (read: vast/wasteful) in our constitutional republic of states, so let some of the little guys get it done (Ca mostly, and now some like Tn). Maybe they can prove a few ways it won't work, but the sooner the better. The Federal government is frozen right now, and won't do anything until the elections are over, anyways.

Prosperous nations were built with effective governance and hard working creative people, not the Market Place nor all powerful lobbies and similar interested groups.

With time, effective governance and the people get complacent, the government is deeply infiltrated with ineffective weak leaders, financially supported and manoeuvered by local and foreign commercial interests.

Eventually, we the people becomes, we the lobbies or we the all mighty market place or we the deal and leader makers etc. People's life time savings are gobbled up in a few months. Hundreds and even thousands billion $$$ land in the hands of a few promoters, speculators and leader makers.

At that time, if nothing is done, a great nation will start coming down. Ecomomical unrest can settle in for many years or until such time as a new capable leader is found and elected.

The time has cometh to find such a leader, capable and competent enough, to move USA from a degrading oil based economy to a new oil free electrified and prosperous economy.

Will this be done in 2008, 2012, 2016 or in 2020 or latter?

Many people, like myself, will use an electric car as a commuter vehicle. I hope to be able to afford one as soon as 70mph/100mile range is on the market.

I would be perfectly satisfied with a dryer plug hookup and an overnight charge. Fast charge for long distance travel is just gravy.

Bill

I reject Stas Peterson's generalizations about democrats. I work with many fine, classy, committed democrats. As a government employee, I think my best advice for Stas Peterson is to go to work for the government. He can be a civil servant like me, or run for public office. Either way, Stas is very naive and ignorant about government - and the best thing for someone like him would be to actually work in government.

The federal government needs to at least give an anti-trust exemption to the auto companies so they can agree on a standard voltage and interconnection equipment for a V2G network. Such exemptions have been given in the past in other industries such as formats for the television industry. Without the exemption the companies involved would be charged with a crime.