As the number of electric cars on the roads increase, so does the demand for convenient charging. 350Green is helping to meet that demand by rolling out a national network of EV charging stations at major retail and commercial locations.

The need for convenient, public charging is growing fast as most major automakers are already producing electric cars, or will be in the near future. The early focus on EV infrastructure has been on installing charging equipment in homes and municipal garages. However, many urban residents don’t have access to home or garage units, and all EV drivers need to have the confidence they can find a charge if their battery runs low while they are on the road.

SemaConnect and 350Green’s partnership aims to give all drivers a chance to participate in the EV revolution by increasing the number of EV charging stations located conveniently near where people live and work. Now, drivers can charge their electric cars while they shop, dine, or entertain themselves in a variety of commercial and retail locations in major metropolitan areas. 350Green’s network is helping to make EV ownership a realistic option for thousands more residents.

Specifically designed for commercial-grade applications, SemaConnect’s ChargePro Charging Station is a sleek, compact charging unit that is easily installed and integrated into developing and existing facilities at multifamily, office, retail, fleet and municipal parking locations.

This intelligent, network-based EV charging system features:

•  Smart card authentication – for open or restricted access.
•  Smart Grid Integration – for easy energy metering and demand response.
•  Automatic billing/payment system – for easy revenue generation.
•  Easy Installation – use our turnkey solution or your own contractor.

The charging stations will be located in the Boston metropolitan area, primarily within the Route 495 Beltway.

Drivers of the BMW ActiveE will be able to conveniently and safely recharge their electric vehicle at any ChargePoint Network-enabled electric vehicle charging station in the US. Drivers have access to the ChargePoint Network’s 24/7 driver support and mobile phone applications, which include station location and real-time availability, turn-by-turn navigation, and charging status.

The BMW ActiveE is the BMW Group’s next step towards an emission-free, mass-produced electric vehicle. Within the framework of project i, the BMW Group has been carrying out research and development work on the development of electrically powered vehicles. The ultimate goal is the concept of a Megacity Vehicle, the BMW i3 that meets the demands of a sustainable mobility solution for congested urban areas. For this reason, the drive components and battery technology that will be used in the i3 are being tested in the BMW ActiveE.

Ongoing field tests involving more than 600 MINI E cars, including 450 in the US, have already provided vital knowledge about the demands on future electrically powered production vehicles. A fleet of over 1000 BMW ActiveE vehicles will provide further valuable insights into the everyday use of the vehicle. The findings will serve to deepen the knowledge already gained on the everyday use of electric vehicles and to learn more about customer requirements. The feedback from customers testing the MINI E and the BMW ActiveE will be fed directly into series production of the i3, which is scheduled to launching under the i Brand in 2013.

Lowe’s will introduce the GE WattStation at five stores in California in August then increase availability to 60 total stores in September. The GE WattStation will also be available to consumers nationwide on Lowes.com in September.

Lowe’s installed a GE DuraStation EV Charging Station for use at its headquarters in Mooresville, N.C., and will also install commercial GE WattStations at select stores for public use. The GE WattStation is manufactured at a GE facility in Mebane, N.C.

The GE WattStation, a Level 2 charger, fully charges an electric car in just four to eight hours compared with standard overnight charging that can take as much as 12 to 14 hours. The wall-mount unit can be installed in an EV user’s garage or outdoors, operates on a 208-240VAC circuit and is designed to work within the EV ecosystem. The sleek, robust design of the GE WattStation is NEMA 3R rated to resist rain, sleet and even ice.

The compact wall-mounted GE WattStation measures 24 inches tall, 16 inches wide and 6 inches deep. It can be installed in new or existing construction, and can either be hardwired for more permanent installations or plugged into a NEMA 6-50 receptacle for simple removal.

The advanced solar chargers, which will be operational for use by Nissan employees and visitors by July 1, are designed to charge the Nissan LEAF.

The Nissan LEAF debuted globally in December 2010, with Tennessee as a key launch market. Nissan soon will build the Nissan LEAF and the batteries that power it at its Smyrna manufacturing complex.

Nissan says that construction of the battery plant in Smyrna is 75-percent complete with an expected operational date of late next year.

The 30 chargers at the two Tennessee facilities mark the latest in a long line of dedicated investments totaling $3.5 billion over the course of Nissan’s statewide, 30-year presence.

“Tennessee is Nissan’s home in the Americas region. These solar-assisted charging stations demonstrate our dedication to a zero-emissions society, and our dedication to bringing innovation to our home in Tennessee,” said Carlos Tavares, chairman, Nissan Americas.

Focus Electric owners will be able to purchase the stations through 1,200 Best Buy stores across the U.S. or through the Best Buy website, then the retailer will offer complete consultation and installation services through its Geek Squad subsidiary and third-party licensed electrical contractors.

Ford Focus Electric comes with a 120-volt charging cord, but Ford said most owners will want to buy an optional 240-volt charging system, because it will take 16 to 20 hours to fully recharge the car with the 120-volt cord.

It will take three to four hours to charge the Focus Electric with 240-volt charging system, or about half the time as the Nissan LEAF, according to Ford.

Best Buy will sell the 240-volt charging stations for $1,499, or 30% less than competing systems. The retailer will also handle warranty and repair claims for the unit. By comparison, Nissan estimates the entire cost for installing its charger is $2,200, while GM’s Voltec charging station will cost $1,965, installed.

Under the terms of the agreement, Blink EV charging stations will be installed at 12 select Best Buy stores in Tucson, Ariz., Phoenix, Ariz., Los Angeles, Calif., San Diego, Calif., and Seattle, Wash.

The Blink chargers are designed for upcoming EVs such as the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf. Each Blink charging station works at 240 volts, has a touch-screen display, and connects to the Internet to give drivers statistics, such as charge status and driving history.

ECOtality estimates that charge times will fall between two and six hours.

Charging stations at these stores, within pilot markets of The EV Project, will be installed by March 2011.

General Motors and its partners are teaming up to help give Chevrolet Volt buyers more options for charging their vehicles.

GM will install 345 fast chargers for Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicles at its Michigan facilities. GM-installed charging stations for use by its employees in Michigan will include 34 at the Detroit-Hamtramck assembly center where the Chevrolet Volt is built and 140 in the homes of employees driving early-build models for quality evaluation.

Many of the stations at GM facilities will be powered by renewable solar energy. The Detroit-Hamtramck assembly center already has 10 stations in place powered by photovoltaic systems from SunLogics Inc. Envision Solar International will provide its innovative Solar Tree with EnvisionTrak™ system  for use at the Warren Technical Center and Milford Proving Ground.

In addition, more than 1,500 Chevrolet dealers across the U.S. plan to install charging stations for use by customers. This number includes nearly 650 dealers that will soon begin selling the Chevrolet Volt in retail launch markets and approximately 900 others across the country that are authorized to provide service.

DTE Energy will install 2,500 240V home charging stations for plug-in vehicles, and Consumers Energy is matching that pledge. The utilities will cover up to $2,500 of the cost of the charging station and installation. GM’s Voltec 240 V home charging station is priced at just $490 plus an estimated $1,475 for installation.

Most of these stations will be placed in consumers’ garages, carports and driveways.  A few will be strategically located, such as the two GM placed in front of its headquarters at the Renaissance Center at the building’s entrance off of Jefferson Ave in Detroit.  A total of 18 charging stations will be operational in and around the Renaissance Center within the next week.

GM plans a limited introduction of the Chevrolet Volt initially in Michigan, California, Texas, Washington D.C. and New York. It has been priced at $41,000 before federal and state tax incentives.

The automaker is working with 50 utilities in its seven initial launch markets and hopes to get similar fast-charger pledges from them.

Under the agreement, 50 E Leclerc centers will have charging stations by next year; 150 by the end of 2010; and 500 by 2015.

The Alliance and E Leclerc will work together to select the type of charging installation, for example a standard charge of 3 kW, a quick charge of 45 kW, or both.

Renault estimates that electric vehicles will represent around 10% of automobile sales in France by 2020.

Patrick Pélata, COO of Renault, said, “I am delighted to partner with the E.Leclerc Centers which will allow us to grow the network of charging spots in France, with their 500 stores across the country.”

The CT500 charging station is a 7.2 kw single output station designed for residential and light commercial applications. The station delivers Level II (208/240 V @ 30 A) charging and is compatible with plug-in electric cars that comply with the SAE J1772 plug-in electric car-charging standard.

The station’s small size and flexible network interfaces make it an ideal solution for utilities, homeowners, fleet managers, and auto manufacturers. The CT500 is compatible with Leviton’s recently announced Evr-Green EVSE installation system. This industry-first prewire mounting system provides for simple plug-in installation for new chargingstations.

Coulomb’s ChargePoint Network is open to all drivers of plug-in cars and provides authentication, management, and real-time control for the networked electric car chargingstations. The network of electric car charging stations is accessible to all plug-in drivers by making a toll free call to the 24/7 number on each charging station, or signing up for a ChargePoint Network monthly access plan and obtaining a ChargePoint ChargePass smart card.

The announcement expands Coulomb’s spectrum of products for EVs from home to Level III fast charging stations. CT500 charging stations will be sold through Coulomb’s OEM and distribution channels. The ChargePoint Network is based on an open interface, standards-based architecture that provides station owners with a complete set of business applications to market and bill for electric transportation fueling services, and provides drivers with EV charging applications to make fueling easy. The CT500 stations will be on display at the Plug-In 2010 Conference and Exposition in San Jose, California on 26-29 July.

[soource: Coulomb Technologies]

Elektromotive, which is Europe’s leading EV infrastructure provider, is expected to supply the first 200 of its Elektrobay recharging posts to the regional development agency One North East during August.

The company’s simple-to-operate Elektrobay was first introduced in Westminster, London in 2006, and currently more than 135 units are installed across the UK capital.  A further 165 Elektrobays operate in cities and shopping centres around Britain, including 40 that have already been installed in North East England.

Elektromotive was selected as one of the North East’s preferred suppliers thanks to the Elektrobay’s future-proof technical platform – providing, for example, the option of remote billing and fast charging – and its stylish, compact design.

Dozens of businesses and organisations have already signed up to the Plugged-In Places scheme in the North East, and the new posts will be installed soon at locations from Berwick to Teesside, including the Angel of the North, Gateshead; Claremont Road, Newcastle; Belmont Park & Ride, Durham; Hadrian’s Wall, Northumberland; Park Lane Interchange, Sunderland; Cobalt Business Park, North Tyneside; Souter Lighthouse, South Tyneside; Hartlepool Transport Interchange and Teesside University, Middlesbrough.

The fund which offers North East companies and organisations match-funding for charging points remains open – effectively enabling them to buy and install charging points for half the standard cost (around £2,500 instead of around £5,000), plus connection costs.

The Elektrobay EV recharging station is compatible with all pure electric and plug-in hybrid electric cars, and can be specifically adapted to suit the requirements of the installation site and the user.