Firm to deploy 15,0000 electric-car chargers in 13 cities, including District (Stimulus $$$)

[jpak]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/04/AR2010070403814.html

Dave and Barbara Goldstein are in the market for a new car. Like a growing number of drivers, the Gaithersburg pair are considering the crop of electric vehicles, particularly the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt.

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Many of the nearly 200,000 electric hybrids on U.S. roads use internal generators to create power, but a fraction of these cars are plug-in hybrids, the market's fastest growing segment. Yet, there are only 465 public electric refueling stations across the country.

Enter Ecotality, a Tempe, Ariz.-based electric-transportation company deploying 15,000 free electric-car chargers this fall in 13 cities, including the District. The initiative, called the EV Project, launched in October with $99.8 million in stimulus funds. The grant covered the installation of home charging stations -- which cost about $2,200 each -- for 4,700 buyers of the Leaf and a handful of public stations.

Ecotality was awarded another grant of $15 million a few weeks ago to add new locations, 1,000 more chargers for Leaf owners and 2,600 refueling units for Volt buyers. The rollout of the chargers will coincide with the fourth-quarter debut of Nissan and Chevy's new models.

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[msongs]

1. uh oh, tempe arizona - looks like DUers can't use em lol nt