Electric Vehicles Standards Panel to Host First Plenary June 20-21 in Detroit

All Interested Parties Encouraged to Help Drive Safe Implementation of Electric Vehicles in the U.S.

NEW YORK, June 16, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The first plenary meeting of the ANSI Electric Vehicles Standards Panel (EVSP) will take place on June 20-21, 2011, in Detroit to initiate work on a strategic roadmap identifying the standards and conformity assessment programs needed to enable the widespread acceptance and deployment of electric vehicles and associated infrastructure in the United States.

Participation in the June meeting and in the EVSP is open to all affected parties, including representatives of the automotive, electrotechnical and utilities industries, relevant trade associations, standards development and conformity assessment organizations, government agencies, and academia. Thirty-nine public and private sector organizations have already joined the EVSP initiative, including:

• Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers
• Association of Global Automakers
• ATIS
• Audi AG
• Better Place
• California Public Utilities Commission
• Con Edison
• Corning Inc.
• CSA America
• Duke Energy
• Eaton
• Edison Electric Institute
• Electric Power Research Institute
• General Electric
• Green Dot (Transportation) Inc.
• IEEE
• International Association of Electrical Inspectors
• International Code Council
• Intertek
• ITT Interconnect Solutions
• Mercedes-Benz USA
• National Electrical Contractors Association
• National Electrical Manufacturers Association
• National Fire Protection Association
• National Institute of Standards and Technology
• Rocky Mountain Institute
• SAE International
• Schneider Electric
• SEW-Eurodrive
• Siemens
• Sony Electronics, Inc.
• Southern California Edison
• Southern Company
• TDI Power
• Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.
• U.S. Department of Energy
• Virginia Tech Transportation Institute

Participation in the EVSP provides an organization with the ability to help determine priorities on standardization issues (design, performance, safety, interoperability, testing, certification, training) impacting their business, stay ahead of the curve in technical advancement and policy issues, and enhance their ability to compete in the U.S. and global markets. The EVSP also facilitates the public-private partnership that is needed to ensure that the technologies and infrastructure for electric vehicles will be safe and effective.

"I encourage all interested parties to join with these leading organizations and get involved with the EVSP today," said S. Joe Bhatia, ANSI president and CEO. "Time is of the essence, and the U.S. standards community must come together to keep up with the fast pace of technological developments. We must also keep up with our trading partners who are accelerating their national and regional standardization initiatives, recognizing the enormous opportunity to grow this emerging industry."

The decision to form the EVSP was reached at the March 4 meeting of an interim steering committee convened by ANSI in response to suggestions that the U.S. standardization community needs a coordinated approach to keep pace with electric vehicles initiatives moving forward in other parts of the world. The need for the panel was reinforced at the April 5-6 ANSI Workshop: Standards and Codes for Electric Drive Vehicles that looked at standards, codes, conformance and training issues. The EVSP hosted a kickoff webinar on May 17.

Join EVSP
To join the EVSP and participate in the development of the standardization roadmap, please return the participation response form identifying your organization's intention to join, and the names of your representatives and the working groups that they wish to participate in. If your organization wishes to take a leadership role by seeking nomination to serve on the Steering Committee or as a working group co-chair, you may indicate that as well. Return the participation form and a related copyright form to [email protected].

Attend EVSP Plenary Meeting
The June 20-21, 2011, plenary meeting of the EVSP will be held at the Atheneum Suites Hotel in Detroit. Interested parties wishing to attend are requested to RSVP to [email protected]. The draft agenda is available here. Accommodations can be reserved online  or by contacting the hotel directly at (313) 962-2323.

About EVSP
The ANSI Electric Vehicles Standards Panel (EVSP) is a cross-sector coordinating body whose objective is to foster coordination and collaboration on standardization matters among public and private sector stakeholders to enable the safe, mass deployment of electric vehicles and associated infrastructure in the United States with international coordination, adaptability, and engagement. For more information on the work of the EVSP, visit www.ansi.org/evsp.

About ANSI
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a private non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance U.S. global competitiveness and the American quality of life by promoting, facilitating, and safeguarding the integrity of the voluntary standardization and conformity assessment system. Its membership is comprised of businesses, professional societies and trade associations, standards developers, government agencies, and consumer and labor organizations. The Institute represents the diverse interests of more than 125,000 companies and organizations and 3.5 million professionals worldwide.

The Institute is the official U.S. representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and, via the U.S. National Committee, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and is a U.S. representative to the International Accreditation Forum (IAF).

SOURCE American National Standards Institute