Ricardo and PEP Stations LLC unveiled its credit card-friendly electric vehicle charging station at the 2010 New York Auto Show‘s EV Pavilion.
The PEP Station – the PEP stands for “plug-in electric power” – is the exclusive recharging station at the Green Car Journal EV Pavilion, a high-profile showcase of electric vehicles and green technologies, which will feature an indoor ride-and-drive test track.
Two PEP Stations, which allow drivers of electric vehicles to access electricity via an access card or credit card just like today’s conventional fuel pumps, have been installed at the test track and will be used to charge the many electric vehicles being actively demonstrated. PEP Station team members will man three additional units, which will be available for display and demonstration purposes.
Although electric-vehicle owners can charge at home, in order for the driver to roam with total confidence, an infrastructure for out-of-home charging must be developed to make charging easy. The earliest adopters of the PEP station likely will be companies that offer access as an incentive for their employees to drive green vehicles. Longer term, commercial recharging will become common.
“As the electric-vehicle market begins to flourish, consumers will need a convenient, reliable and easily accessible way to charge their vehicle outside of the home. It’s that simple,” says PEP Stations President James Blain. “The PEP Station does just that in a safe, reliable, user-friendly, 220V charging station that can easily be installed at commercial destinations such as office buildings, restaurants, retail outlets, health clubs and more.”
The new PEP Stations, which allow two vehicles to be charged simultaneously, are aimed at building a solid charging infrastructure as the electric-vehicle market begins to grow. Each one features a reinforced concrete base, a touch-screen interface and a built-in point-of-sale terminal, which makes it the most durable and user-friendly charge station available. The units are engineered with auto-grade components, its dual connectors are SAE J1772 compliant and they will come with UL approval.
All stations will be centrally monitored and have communication capabilities to allow for diagnostic reporting, software updates and custom advertising/graphic display updates via the LCD screen. All of this is aesthetically captured in a highly identifiable design.
