Electric car-makers struggle for standardisation

electric car manufacturers are trying to put their heads together to decide on a set of standards when it comes to electrical plugs and sockets that will be used to charge electric cars. BMW and General Electric are among those currently debating the issue. Instead of going the route of the cellphone industry, in which most cellphone makers have their own standard connections, the car industry has so far managed to keep the number of different power connections used down to about seven. The debate is now shifting to ways in which to help customers avoid recharging entirely, say by offering battery swop-out services at filling stations.