ECOtality has completed the installation of the first 1,000 Blink Electric Vehicle Level 2 residential charging stations for The EV Project.
Installations of the Blink residential charging stations began in early 2011, coinciding with the delivery of vehicles to EV Project participants. ECOtality also has begun initial installations of publicly accessible charging stations.
These commercial and public installations will increase significantly in the next few weeks as the EV Project seeks to install approximately 14,000 chargers by the end of 2011.
Blink residential chargers have been installed in every major EV Project market to support the roll out of the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan LEAF.
Recently, the company added Macy’s department stores to its list of commercial partners, which includes BP/Arco, Best Buy, Cracker Barrel and Fred Meyer. ECOtality also unveiled the Blink Mobile Application for smartphones and mobile devices that will enable users to find and reserve Blink chargers, utilize GPS navigation, and receive charge status notifications. The Blink Mobile Application is scheduled for release and available for download this summer.
The Blink Network of charging stations will provide all EV drivers the freedom to travel wherever they choose and charge at commercial locations conveniently identified along the way. EV drivers will be able to charge at any Blink station through a variety of options including interoperable RFID cards or fobs, smartphone applications, and mobile phone and credit card based payment options. Blink Network members will enjoy even greater advantages, such as discounted charging rates, reservation systems, and enhanced Blink Network capabilities.
