SAN DIEGO, Aug. 5, 2009 – To help the San Diego region be “plug-in ready” for significant numbers of electric vehicles, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) today announced it will test and evaluate a mobile smart charging device for plug-in electric vehicles developed by Juice Technologies LLC of Columbus, Ohio.

        The device is being developed to provide customers with a convenient, cost-effective method to charge their vehicle during off-peak hours to take advantage of reduced electric rates. Together with technologies being developed by SDG&E, the Juice Technologies Plug Smart intelligent charger could allow customers to charge their vehicle anywhere in SDG&E’s service territory and charge the usage to their SDG&E account.

        The announcement comes as the U.S. Department of Energy today awarded a $99.8 million grant to Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation (eTec), a subsidiary of ECOtality of Scottsdale, Ariz., to install public and private charging systems in San Diego and four other regions to support the rollout of Nissan Motor Co.’s LEAF zero-emission electric vehicle next year.  

        In March, SDG&E announced it would collaborate with Nissan to help develop the market for zero-emission electric vehicles and charging infrastructure in the San Diego region.  SDG&E is serving as the local San Diego coordinator to help assemble a critical mass of regional electric vehicle fleets that municipalities, universities, the military, the port, private fleets and others use daily.

        “SDG&E is working to further evaluate and fine-tune the charging infrastructure, which is a critical link to making electric vehicles commercially viable,” said Hal D. Snyder, vice president of customer solutions for SDG&E.  “Mobile smart-charging communication devices, such as Plug Smart, ultimately will allow customers to charge their electric vehicles and track their energy usage and carbon footprint through the Web or a cellular phone, when used in conjunction with a utility smart meter.”

        “Our Plug Smart business is looking forward to working with such a progressive company as SDG&E to demonstrate our intelligent charging technology,” said Rich Housh, president and chief executive officer of Juice Technologies.  “Our smart charging system has been developed over the past two years in collaboration with numerous utility companies at Ohio State University’s Center for Automotive Research.  We believe we will become the technology leaders in developing what will be in standard use worldwide for charging electric vehicles.”

        SDG&E and Juice Technologies will present a prototype of the Juice Technologies Plug Smart intelligent charging device at the Plug-In 2009 Conference in Long Beach, Calif., Aug. 10-13.

        SDG&E is a regulated public utility that provides safe and reliable energy service to 3.4 million consumers through 1.4 million electric meters and more than 840,000 natural gas meters in San Diego and southern Orange counties.  The utility’s area spans 4,100 square miles.  Exceptional customer service is a priority of SDG&E as it seeks to enhance the region’s quality of life.  SDG&E is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), a Fortune 500 energy services holding company based in San Diego.

        Juice Technologies LLC is a leading provider of products and technologies that enable the intelligent charging of electric and plug in hybrid electric vehicles and assist homes and businesses to optimize energy use.   The Company’s products are sold under the banner brand Plug Smart, and are distributed worldwide through electric utilities and the consumer electronics channel. 

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