Japanese carmaker Nissan Motor Corp. unveiled on Monday a prototype application for the popular iPhone that would allow users to access their electric vehicle’s battery level.
In a demonstration test at the company research facility in Yokosuka, Japan, Nissan executives said that the application works by linking the electric cars’ electronic and IT system to the iPhone, allowing users to check on the power level of its Lithium Ion batteries.
Electric vehicles use Lithium Ion batteries to power the car.
The application, through the iPhone interface, will help owners to monitor the charging of their car’s batteries even if they are away. Nissan executives said that it comes handy especially when the electric vehicles are parked in public stations.
Most owners, according to the company studies, want to make sure that their batteries are fully charged before going on a long trip home and other places.
Aside from the “basic” function of the application, users can view a more detailed data from the cars’ IT system, including time of charging and the costs that come with it.
Also, the temperature inside the electric car can be monitored as well as the air conditioning system.
Nissan said that energy efficiency is the most important thing in an electric car, which first raised questions on mileage and charging costs.
With the new application, drivers can now control the air temperature inside the car even before he drives away. The iPhone will act as the air conditioning unit’s remote control.
It is a typical problem to most electric vehicles since it relies solely on the battery supply. But with the remote function of the application, users can now do air temperature control without worrying that their batteries will be drained before they left home.
The new application will be released in time with the launching of Nissan’s electric vehicles in Japan and US on Sunday.
Related posts: