[Quietcars] Ford and Microsoft unveil "critical" electric vehiclepartnership

[Mark J. Cadigan]

These all electric cars will be quieter than the hybrids we currently have 
to deal with. I wish that the partnership included some sort of noise maker, 
maybe the car can play the windows xp startup music. Lol.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Chip Hailey" <chiphailey at cableone.net>
To: <quietcars at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, April 01, 2010 9:19 AM
Subject: [Quietcars] Ford and Microsoft unveil "critical" electric 
vehiclepartnership


> Ford and Microsoft unveil "critical" electric vehicle partnership
> Wednesday, 31 March 2010
> Email
> Ford and Microsoft announced a partnership in electricity management
> Ford Motor Company
> Global giants Ford and Microsoft have confirmed a strategic partnership on 
> electricity
> management, in a major announcement on the first day of the New York 
> International
> Auto  Show.
> The two companies are to work together to develop energy management
> software
> for electric cars, which will allow consumers to closely monitor their 
> electricity
> usage and recharge their vehicles in the most practical and cost-efficient 
> way.
> The partnership is likely to provide a significant boost to both home 
> energy monitoring
> and the rollout of an electric charging
> infrastructure
> to support electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. Ford CEO Alan Mulally 
> described
> the announcement as a "needed step in the development of the 
> infrastructure that
> will make electric vehicles viable."
> The software, to be based on
> Microsoft's
> "Hohm" platform, will closely monitor consumers' electricity usage, 
> providing electric
> vehicle users with recommendations on when to charge their vehicles. By 
> aggregating
> usage patterns, the software will provide recommendations on conservation 
> to save
> consumers money.
> Critically, data will also be fed to energy companies to assist in supply 
> planning.
> The predicted boom in electric vehicles and associated strain on the 
> electricity
> grid is seen as one of the key challenges to developing an all-electric 
> vehicle infrastructure
> that reduces reliance on fossil fuels. It is thought that the addition of 
> an electric
> vehicle could double the energy consumption of a household if it is 
> recharged daily.
> "As the market for electric vehicles expands, it will have a significant 
> impact on
> home energy consumption and demand across the nation's energy grid," said 
> Microsoft's
> Steve Ballmer.
> "With Microsoft Hohm, Ford and Microsoft will deliver a solution that will 
> make it
> easier for
> car
> owners to make smart decisions about the most affordable and efficient 
> ways to recharge
> electric vehicles, while giving utilities better tools for managing the 
> expected
> changes in energy demand."
> Ford currently plans an aggressive electrification plan, introducing five 
> electric
> vehicles in North America and Europe by 2013. The Ford Focus Electric, to 
> be introduced
> in 2011, will be the first car to feature Microsoft Hohm, initially in 
> North America.
> http://microsoft-hohm.com
> http://www.ford.com
> Copyright
> Copyright 2009 Independent News and Media Limited
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