Coulomb Technologies Announces Largest Electric Vehicle Workplace Charging Installation at Google, Inc.

Press Release Source: Coulomb Technologies On Thursday June 9, 2011, 1:15 pm EDT

CAMPBELL, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Coulomb Technologies today announced that Google, Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG - News) has deployed more than 70 electric vehicle charging stations managed by the ChargePointR Network at its worldwide headquarters in Mountain View, CA. The charging stations are used by employee-owned electric vehicles, as well as the company’s growing car sharing program for Googlers (GFleet), which includes Chevrolet Volts and Nissan LEAFs. With plans for 250 more charging stations on its campus, and a goal to make 5 percent of its campus parking EV-ready, Google’s installation is the largest workplace charging installation for electric vehicles in the country. Google has created a video on their Green Blog detailing their green transportation initiatives.

“By investing in new, green transportation technologies, Google is making a significant contribution to reducing our own greenhouse gas emissions,” said Rolf Schreiber technical program manager, Electric Transportation, at Google. “Our EVs and charging stations are part of our broader green transportation system that includes biodiesel shuttles that Googlers use to commute to work instead of driving their own cars. But we’re only one company among many, so we hope our green transportation initiatives serve as a model for other companies to incorporate sustainability programs into their own workplaces.”

Google manages its charging stations via the ChargePoint Network, the world’s largest network of charging stations and EV charging applications. The following workplace charging features are available through Coulomb’s ChargePoint Network:

Controlled access: Via an online portal and smartcards, customers can control who accesses their charging stations (employees or guests), to control costs, eliminate electricity theft, and optimize station use. Measuring performance of green initiatives: Online station management provides tracking and reporting of energy usage, greenhouse gas and gasoline savings data. Reports are displayed by graphs that can be filtered by day, week, month, station attributes and energy usage/GHG range. Customers can also export their station data and combine the data with other system for further corporate sustainability analysis. Network Operations: The ChargePoint Network provides 24/7 station network monitoring to ensure network services are always available, Over the Air (OTA) station software upgrades to accommodate future advancements without onsite service, and the ability to tie into energy, building and other business management systems. Driver Services: Customers have access to the ChargePoint Network’s 24/7 driver telephone assistance, e-mail or text message driver notification alerts for charging session interruption or charging completed, and individual driver portals to customize notifications, track their energy usage and greenhouse gas savings, view charging history, and have access to the largest network of public charging stations in the world at www.mychargepoint.net. Cost-saving utility programs and incentives: Charging stations contain utility-grade meters and the ability to communicate with other smart grid systems, enabling demand response, time-of-use pricing, and other smart grid programs provided by local utilities.

“Google continues to drive innovation and leadership in the workplace. The results of their clean transportation efforts are remarkable, taking the equivalent of over 2000 cars off the road every day,” said Bret Sewell, Coulomb Executive Vice President. “We are proud that the ChargePoint Network plays a key role in this success by providing Google a complete electric vehicle charging solution.”

The company has been working over the last several years to deploy and experiment with new green transportation technologies.

In 2007, Google launched RechargeIT, an initiative aimed at accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles. Google’s biodiesel campus shuttles use the latest clean diesel technology, reducing emissions 80 percent over engines from just a few years ago. Placing solar panels on buses to provide pre-cooling without having to run the engines. More than 3,000 Googlers ride a shuttle bus to the company’s Mountain View headquarters every day. Google’s ChargePoint workplace charging system encourages more and more employees to commute using electric transportation.

About Coulomb Technologies, Inc.

Coulomb Technologies is the leader in electric vehicle charging solutions, with charging systems and application services delivered by the ChargePoint Network. The ChargePoint Network provides web-based portals for Hosts, Fleet Managers, Drivers, and Utilities. The open-system driver network went live in January 2009 and now operates in 14 countries with Network Operations Centers in the U.S., UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany and Hong Kong. Coulomb’s ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations range from 120 to 240 VAC charging up to 500 Volt DC fast charging with more than 4000 stations shipped worldwide. For more information go to: www.coulombtech.com. Follow Coulomb on Twitter: twitter.com/coulombevi. Download the ChargePoint iPhone App. Download the ChargePoint Blackberry App.

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Google To Map Electric Vehicle Charging Stations: 2011 Earth Day

Just the Facts: Just in time for 2011 Earth Day, Google and 80 other partners are working with the U.S. Department of Energy to map electric vehicle charging stations nationwide.It is part of the Obama Administration's efforts to get 1 million electric and advanced-technology vehicles on the road by 2015.The government has made $5 million available to local communities to jumpstart the electric-vehicle infrastructure in the U.S.

WASHINGTON — Just in time for Earth Day 2011, Google and 80 other partners are working with the U.S. Department of Energy to help electric vehicle drivers easily find charging stations nationwide.

The collaboration will use Google Maps to create an up-to-date database of all U.S. charging stations and will serve as the primary data source for GPS and mapping services tracking electric vehicle charging locations, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu said in a statement this week.

Such high-tech mapping could also be tailored to help drivers find biodiesel, compressed natural gas, hydrogen, ethanol and liquefied natural gas stations.

Chu also announced the availability of $5 million in funding for cities to support the electric vehicle infrastructure. The money will improve the experience of electric vehicle users and help bring these energy-efficient vehicles to the marketplace, he said. The lack of an alt-energy infrastructure is widely viewed as a major stumbling block in the widespread adoption of electric vehicles such as the 2011 Nissan Leaf .

The initiative is part of the federal government's Clean Cities program, which encourages local governments to deploy clean technologies, including alternative fuels. Since it began in 1993, the program has saved nearly 3 billion gallons of gasoline, the DOE said. It is part of the Obama Administration's efforts to reduce U.S. oil imports by one-third by 2025 and to put 1 million advanced technology vehicles on the road by 2015.

Inside Line says: The government gets a charge out of Google. — Rene Wisely, Correspondent

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Google Teams Up with U.S. Government for Electric Vehicle Efforts

 
??(Source: media.tecca.com)The Obama administration will work with Google to put electric vehicle stations on Google Maps, and will also award $5 million for community-based efforts to expand electric vehicle adoption

Google has made several environmentally friendly commitments lately. For instance, the web giant?invested $168 million in the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System?in the Mojave Desert in California, and just invested another?$100 million in the Shepherds Flat Wind Farm?in Arlington, Oregon. Google has also played a role in the adoption of electric vehicles through programs like?RechargeIT.?

Early last month, Google even?added electric vehicle charging stations?to Google Maps in an effort to make electric vehicle ownership more convenient.?

Now, President Barack Obama is looking to put 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2015, and to cut oil imports by one-third by 2025. To reach this goal, the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory?is partnering with Google to provide "up-to-date information about electric vehicle charging stations in communities worldwide." This initiative will build upon the efforts that Google kicked off in March with Google Maps.?

“Through this collaboration, key players from the electric vehicle and online mapping industries are coming together to ensure a consistent source of charging station location data that will allow consumers to find every charging station throughout the country,” said NREL Project Manager Witt Sparks.

“Google is excited to be part of the GeoEVSE Forum and to share EVSE location data with users through Google Maps,” added Cynthia Yeung of Google’s Strategic Partnerships team. “We’re proud to help give drivers the power to plug in.”

The Obama administration's second effort is to award $5 million in funding for "community-based efforts" to expand electric vehicle charging stations and infrastructure. Local governments and private companies will join forces to apply for funding to push for increased installation of electric vehicle charging stations in order to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles.?

In addition, communities will create strategies and incentive programs to improve the electric vehicle experience.?

"Young lady, in this house we obey the laws of thermodynamics!" -- Homer Simpson
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Google to help U.S. find electric-vehicle charging stations

Last Updated: April 19. 2011 5:12PM

The Obama administration announced two efforts today to boost electric vehicles, including a partnership with search engine giant Google.

Energy Secretary Steven Chu said the department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory is joining with Google to provide consumers with consistent, up-to-date information about electric vehicle charging stations in communities nationwide.

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The effort will use Google Maps to coordinate an online network of all U.S. charging stations and will serve as the primary data source for GPS and mapping services tracking electric vehicle charging locations.

President Barack Obama has called for getting 1 million electric vehicles on the roads by 2015 and cutting oil imports by one-third by 2025.

Chu also today announced the agency is awarding $5 million in new funding for community-based efforts to deploy electric vehicle infrastructure and charging stations.

The effort "is bringing together local governments and industry to demonstrate the benefits of advanced technology vehicles and help communities use less oil and gasoline to power their vehicles," said Secretary Chu.

Under the $5 million in electric vehicle funding announced today, local governments and private companies will work together to apply for funding to help accelerate installation of electric vehicle charging stations and infrastructure.

Communities will work to develop plans and strategies for electric vehicle deployment, update their EV permitting processes, develop incentive programs or launch other local or regional initiatives that improve the experience of electric vehicle users.

Transporation Secretary Ray LaHood said the government is working closely with automakers to improve fuel efficiency.

"We believe the carmakers have been good partners with us," LaHood said.

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Google to provide map to electric-car charging stations - Sun, 24 Apr 2011 PST

Julie Wernau The Spokesman-Review

CHICAGO — Soon electric vehicle owners looking for somewhere to charge up will need little more than?Google.

The U.S. Department of Energy said Tuesday that a new partnership will draw on Google Maps to create an online network of all the charging stations in the country and will serve as a primary data source for GPS and mapping services to track electric vehicle charging?locations.

The effort includes 80?partners.

Coloumb Technologies and 350Green LLC, which is leading an effort to install 280 public charging stations in the Chicago area, said they are among the companies that will be included in Google?searches.

“We will work closely with Google to ensure their database has the most current list of 350Green charging stations in our markets across the country. While we strive to make our stations highly visible and highly convenient, an application like Google, combined with a mobile device and in-vehicle GPS, will make it even easier for EV drivers to plug in at our stations,” said Mariana Gerzanych, co-founder and CEO of?350Green.

Brian Levin, vice president of Carbon Day Automotive, the exclusive distributor for Coulomb equipment for the Midwest, said, “They will show our stations on Google, which is great. And something we have worked to?happen.”

He said Google is not seen as a competitor to the ChargePoint network because Coulomb provides services Google does not, such as billing, smartphone applications, interaction with the driver via text message or email, customer support and a reservation?system.

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Google, DOE building definitive electric-car map

 (Credit: U.S. Department of Energy)

Google and more than 80 other companies are collaborating with the Department of Energy to make it simple for drivers of electric vehicles to find parts and charging sites.

Via a partnership called the GeoEVSE Forum, the organizations are pooling their data to build a definitive database of all available EV charging stations in the U.S. regardless of the manufacturer or network, the DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory said yesterday.

The GPS and mapping system database will also include all available electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) stations.

While the data will be organized using Google mapping tools, it will be kept and managed by the DOE Clean Cities Initiative and National Renewable Energy Laboratory. It will be open to the public via the DOE's online Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center.

The online center, which already lists 600 stations, is available to the public as a database via the Alternative Fueling Station Locator tool, as well as to third parties looking to download the data source for use in other systems. The tool includes a way to find other alternative fuel stations like compressed natural gas or hydrogen, as well as electric-vehicle charging stations broken out by charging speed. One can use the Google mapping tool, or look up total station counts for a given fuel source by state.

Electronics retailer Best Buy will offer charging stations at some Texas locations via the eVgo Network.

(Credit: eVgo)

Partners on the project include charging station manufacturers like Coulomb and retailers like Best Buy, which now host stations in some of its parking lots.

"This goal of this new collaboration is to establish a primary data source for GPS and mapping services tracking electric vehicle supply equipment locations--or charging stations," the National Renewable Energy Laboratory said in a statement.

While the map seems like a logical step in the evolution of the electric-vehicle industry in the U.S., it may also serve to boost public trust in such vehicles as a reliable mode of transportation.

A comprehensive cross-cultural study of electric-vehicle pilot programs released by Accenture in February found that public charging stations around the world have not yet been getting enough use to pay for themselves.

The study surmised that this could simply be a case of governments and industry leaders managing to get infrastructure in place before demand. But it warned of several issues if people become attached to home charging. Mass home-charging at night could put a strain on the electric grid. Companies might stop investing in charging stations if they think they're underused and thus create a shortage of available public stations as electric-vehicle adoption increases.

Finally, if people believe they must always charge at home, it could inhibit the adoption of electric cars. The general public might see them as insufficient for their needs, particularly if they're unaware that public charging stations exist in sufficient number to supply them for an extended car trip or take them beyond their home range.

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Google works on electric vehicle charging, invests $100 million in wind farm

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Google works on electric vehicle charging, invests $100 million in wind farm() April 19, 2011?|? 5:43pm

 Google is making big moves into clean tech, first by plunging $100 million into the world’s biggest wind farm and then announcing plans to work on electric vehicle infrastructure.

On Tuesday, the Energy Department?said it was teaming up? with the Internet giant and others to help drivers find charging stations around the country.

Google will partner with the federal National Renewable Energy Laboratory to use Google Maps as a foundation to create an online database of all charging stations, to be used as a data source for GPS and mapping services.

The day before, Google said it had invested $100 million in the 845-megawatt Shepherds Flat Wind Farm under construction near Arlington, Ore.

The installation, developed by Caithness Energy with General Electric turbines, is set to finish in 2012.?The power produced there will be sold to Southern California Edison.

So far, Google has invested more than $350 million in clean energy projects, including in a German photovoltaic plant as well as the BrightSource Ivanpah solar installation on the eastern edge of San Bernardino County.

RELATED:

Google backs offshore wind power project

-- Tiffany Hsu

Photo:?A sign at Google Inc.'s headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. Credit: Tony Avelar / Bloomberg

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Find Electric Vehicle Charging Stations on Google Maps

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Electric vehicle charging stations now on Google Maps

Mar. 30 2011 - 4:26 pm | 294 views | 1 recommendation | Image via Wikipedia

Written by Melissa Hincha-Ownby

One of the biggest concerns about all electric vehicles is driving range. Known as range anxiety, drivers fear that the 100-mile driving range on an electric vehicle like the Nissan Leaf just isn’t enough to drive around town for a day. Google is now jumping in to help alleviate this range anxiety by including electric vehicle charging station locations on its Google Maps program.

Google announced this new feature in a recent blog post:

“As consumers embrace electric vehicles, we’ve also been adding information to Google Maps over the past few months to help users find charging stations. Just search on Google Maps for “ev charging station” plus the appropriate area, for example, “ev charging station near mountain view ca.”

Google is obtaining the EV charging station location information from various sources including the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the general public through the GeoEVSE Forum. Automakers, electric vehicle enthusiasts, charging station installers and others are invited to join the GeoEVSE forum to help expand the EV charging station database; crowdsourcing at its finest.

Now, range anxious EV drivers can pull up Google Maps before leaving the house and plot their daily course around the location of charging stations even though a 100-mile range is more than sufficient for the average driver.

Melissa Hincha-Ownby blogs for the Mother Nature Network.

More from the Mother Nature Network:

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Google begins wireless EV charging trial

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Google Maps adds locations of electric vehicle charging stations

 

Electric vehicles are the future of personal transportation. That can’t be denied. The problem is, it’s hard to make EVs the present. For one thing, a lot of the benefits to owning an electric vehicle when it comes to emissions are obviated by the fact that much of the United States still depends upon coal-based electricity. Leaving aside that fact, though, there’s a more practical problem with replacing your old gas guzzler with an electric vehicle: while gas stations are pretty much ubiquitous across the country, electric vehicle charging stations are not. In fact, not only are they pretty dang rare, but it’s almost impossible to know where the nearest charging station is to you, even if there is one in the area.

Well, until now. Google has just rolled out a nifty new Google Maps feature that will help you find electric vehicle charging stations in your area, before your car runs out of juice.

Here’s how it works. If you want to find the closest electric vehicle charging stations to where you are or where you will be, just search Google Maps by preceding your search term with “EV charging stations near.” For example, if you were near Times Square in New York City, you’d search for “EV Charging stations near Times Square, New York.”

Of course, there’s a catch, and that’s information: not all of the charging stations in the country are listed yet. As the service becomes used more, though, owners of EV charging stations will hopefully start reporting themselves to Google, and Google also says that the US DOE NREL is working to make data on public charging stations moree available, and Google will mirror that database accordingly.

Most of us, we probably won’t use this, but this is just another small step towards more widescale EV acceptance.

Read more at Google

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Evatran™ Installs Plugless Power™ Electric Vehicle Charging Unit at Google Headquarters

March 21, 2011 08:00 AM?Eastern Daylight Time?Plugless Power’s “hands-free” charging technology provides Google with a convenient option for recharging its electric vehicles

WYTHEVILLE, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Using technology similar to that available in an electric toothbrush, Google is trialing a Plugless Power? charging station for electric vehicles at its Mountain View, Calif. headquarters. Plugless Power is the first electric vehicle (EV) charging system on the market to offer consumers a simple way to charge their EVs with the ease of hands-free, automatic technology.

“The interest shown by Google and the cooperation we’ve received to retrofit their EV provides evidence that a simple, convenient charging process is needed for the widespread adoption of electric vehicles.”

Developed by Evatran?, LLC, Plugless Power is based on inductive technology, which has been used in electrical transformers for more than 100 years, and streamlines the charging of electric vehicles and extended-range hybrids by eliminating the nuisance of the cord and the plug.

“We are thrilled to have our first public release of the Plugless Power technology installed at Google’s headquarters,” said Tom Hough, co-founder and CEO of Plugless Power. “The interest shown by Google and the cooperation we’ve received to retrofit their EV provides evidence that a simple, convenient charging process is needed for the widespread adoption of electric vehicles.”

Google has multiple low-speed electric vehicles for short-range travel around its campus and includes plug-in vehicles in its on-campus employee car-sharing program. The company will initially use the Plugless Power station to charge a retrofitted short-range electric vehicle. Google showed interest in testing the Plugless Power technology and understanding how its features could simplify the charging process for its plug-in EV fleet vehicles.

According to Hough, this first public installation is an important step in bringing the technology to commercial customers, and Evatran is actively seeking other fleet trial opportunities with corporations and municipalities to experience the Plugless Power technology in the third quarter of 2011. Most EV models are eligible for Plugless Power through a simple retrofit process. In addition to fleet distribution, Evatran is currently working with automotive manufacturers to integrate the Plugless Power technology into mass-market EVs by 2012.

For more information about Plugless Power’s unique technology, visit www.pluglesspower.com.

About Plugless Power

Plugless Power? (www.pluglesspower.com), manufactured by Evatran?, is the first electric vehicle (EV) charging system on the market to offer customers a simple way to charge their EVs with the ease of hands-free, automatic technology. Utilizing inductive technology, which has been used in electrical transformers for more than 100 years, Plugless Power streamlines the charging of electric vehicles and extended-range hybrids by eliminating the nuisance of the cord and the plug. For more information, visit www.pluglesspower.com.

Permalink: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110321005240/en/Evatran%E2%84%A2-Installs-Plugless-Power%E2%84%A2-Electric-Vehicle-Charging

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Google Headquarters Tests Wireless Electric Vehicle Charging

 

As if you needed another reason to check out Google headquarters in Mountain View, California, electric vehicle technology startup Evatran announced this week that it has installed a Plugless Power charging station at Google HQ. This is the first public installation of Evatran's wireless EV charger, which uses something called "proximity charging" to juice up Googlers' Nissan Leafs and Tesla Roadsters.

The charging station is made up of a parking block, a control tower that keeps track of whether a car is charging, and an adapter mounted to the vehicle. When an adapter-equipped car pulls up to the parking space, the block adjusts to align with the adapter and starts charging. There is no flow of electricity between the adapter and the parking block--instead, the charger uses electrical induction, which generates power from the connection of two magnetic coils. In this case, the coils are housed inside the parking block and the adapter.

There is a disadvantage compared to the plug and cord variety of EV charger: the Plugless Power stations lose a little bit of energy in the transfer from coil to coil. Evatran plays off the problem on its website, explaining that "although Plugless Power does anticipate a small efficiency loss (less than 10%), this does not translate to an increased charging time. The capacity of an EV’s battery to accept charge is not affected by the efficiency loss. The battery will continue to accept the same amount of power at one time, but the charger will draw additional watts from the electrical outlet to compensate for the small efficiency loss."

Evatran doesn't plan on making its vehicle adapter available to everyone on Google's campus. The company will, however, test the technology using a retrofitted short-range EV owned by Google (there are many short-range EVs puttering around the campus). Evatran is working with automakers to integrate its adapter technology into mass-market EVs by next year. No word yet on a sale price for the parking block.

Follow Fast Company on Twitter. Ariel Schwartz can be reached by email.

Read More: Most Innovative Companies: Google

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Google Maps adds locations of electric vehicle charging stations

Electric vehicles are the future of personal transportation. That can’t be denied. The problem is, it’s hard to make EVs the present. For one thing, a lot of the benefits to owning an electric vehicle when it comes to emissions are obviated by the fact that much of the United States still depends upon coal-based electricity. Leaving aside that fact, though, there’s a more practical problem with replacing your old gas guzzler with an electric vehicle: while gas stations are pretty much ubiquitous across the country, electric vehicle charging stations are not. In fact, not only are they pretty dang rare, but it’s almost impossible to know where the nearest charging station is to you, even if there is one in the area.

Well, until now. Google has just rolled out a nifty new Google Maps feature that will help you find electric vehicle charging stations in your area, before your car runs out of juice.

Here’s how it works. If you want to find the closest electric vehicle charging stations to where you are or where you will be, just search Google Maps by preceding your search term with “EV charging stations near.” For example, if you were near Times Square in New York City, you’d search for “EV Charging stations near Times Square, New York.”

Of course, there’s a catch, and that’s information: not all of the charging stations in the country are listed yet. As the service becomes used more, though, owners of EV charging stations will hopefully start reporting themselves to Google, and Google also says that the US DOE NREL is working to make data on public charging stations moree available, and Google will mirror that database accordingly.

Most of us, we probably won’t use this, but this is just another small step towards more widescale EV acceptance.

Read more at Google

View the original article here