Patent ID: 8305032

Claim:
A method for enabling a utility company, which operates an electric power grid, to controllably provide power to recharge a plurality of vehicles, each vehicle including a propulsion system powered, at least in part, by electric power, at least some of which is stored onboard the vehicle in an electric power storage apparatus, comprising: uniquely identifying a determinable location at which each of a plurality of vehicles served by said electric power grid is presently connected to the electric power grid via a corresponding electric outlet; identifying at least a present electric power load presented by each of the plurality of vehicles to said electric power grid at said determined location; billing, in response to receipt of said determinable location identification and electric power load data from each vehicle, the owner of the vehicle for energy usage and also to credit the owner of the electric outlets associated with the determinable location for the energy usage billed to the owner of the vehicles; and controlling a subset of said plurality of vehicles to manage the flow of electric power said subset of vehicles draws from said electric power grid.