Electric Car Charging Stations Installed In Baltimore

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POSTED: 4:03 pm EDT March 31, 2011
UPDATED: 9:36 am EDT April 1, 2011

BALTIMORE -- If you're thinking about buying an electric car, and you live or work in Baltimore, it just got a lot more convenient to recharge. One of the state's first public charging stations was unveiled Thursday in Mount Vernon. The two ChargePro stations are located inside the Fitzgerald parking garage. They were installed by SemaConnect. The charging stations are like gas pumps for cars with electric motors, according to 11 News reporter Sheldon Dutes. A universal connector can plug in to any electric car like the Chevy Volt or Toyota Prius. Although the Fitzgerald is a Mount Vernon apartment community, the charging stations are available to the general public. University of Baltimore students, Fitzgerald residents and the driving public can charge their electric cars with automatic payments. Most dealerships in the area don't yet carry electric cars, so the charging station is a little ahead of its time, Dutes reported. But eco-conscious Marylanders are hopeful for the potential effects. The charging stations use renewable energy and can recharge any new mass market-electric vehicle.

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International company to partner with KU for first electric vehicle charging station in Lawrence

Kansas University has forged a partnership with an international energy management company to bring the first electric vehicle charging station to Lawrence.

This spring, architectural students are building a facility that will house the Center for Design Research on KU’s West Campus at the Chamney Farm property. The facility will focus on developing innovative green technology, including solar energy, wind turbines and an electric vehicle charging station.

KU has decided to partner with Schneider Electric, a global specialist in energy management with operations in more than 100 countries, according to the company’s website.

“It is significant for the state and the electric-vehicle industry,” said Greg Thomas, a KU design professor with the Center for Design Research.

Before selecting Schneider, KU developed a matrix to evaluate companies in the energy-management industry. They were particularly impressed with the company’s electric charger, Thomas said.

The charging station, which will look like a gasoline pump, will have two cords so two vehicles will be charged at the same time. One of those chords will be able to fully power a car much faster than the eight hours it typically takes, Thomas said.

Along with boosting the electric-car market by providing a place for owners to charge vehicles, the charging station will allow for KU to research how to store energy and possibly sell it back to energy companies.

Schneider also will provide an energy management system that will integrate how much energy the wind turbines and solar panels are producing and how much energy is being used. The center will have someone from KU’s Information and Telecommunication Technology Center working to make sure all the different energy sources can communicate with one another.

The building will also be outfitted with Westar’s smart meter, which will connect to the smart grid and give detailed information on energy usage.

Thomas hopes that the partnership with Schneider will encourage other companies to team up with KU for green technology research.

“It’s nice to have them as a pace car,” Thomas said of Schneider.

Copyright 2011 The Lawrence Journal-World. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. We strive to uphold our values for every story published.

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Austin Energy offers electric vehicle incentive

As Austin grows and gas prices soar you may be looking for a cheaper and cleaner method of getting around town. Austin energy in conjunction with Central Texas Clean Cities has put together an electric vehicle incentive program.

They’re offering incentives between $100-500 for Austin energy customers who purchase a qualifying electric motorcycle, bike, scooter or a low speed electric vehicle from an approved dealer.

Charging stations are now being installed around the city by Austin energy making this a more realistic option for you.

More than $60,000 in incentives have been given out since this program began back in 2006. You can find a list of approved vehicles and dealers on the City of Austin’s website, just click on the link below.

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Assemblywoman seeks to ease rules for electric vehicle charging stations

A ruling by the California Public Utilities Commission regarding electric vehicle charging stations could be codified into law if officials approve legislation that was announced Thursday in San Francisco by state Assemblywoman Fiona Ma.

Ma, D-San Francisco, announced Assembly Bill 631, which would place into law a decision by the CPUC to not regulate the charging stations as utilities.

The legislation would encourage the expanded use of electric cars throughout the state by clarifying the regulatory status of charging stations, Ma spokesman Nick Hardeman said.

Without the bill, businesses that installed the stations could be classified as utilities, which would make CPUC officials responsible for regulating how much it cost a person to charge their electric vehicle, Hardeman said.

The uncertainty over charging station regulations has been “one of the big obstacles of getting charging stations placed,” he said.

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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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'Angkor' electric vehicle to hit road | Business | The Phnom Penh Post - Cambodia's Newspaper of Record

Tuesday, 22 March 2011 15:01 Sieam Bunthy  Women look at a domestically-produced electric car at NagaWorld in Phnom Penh yesterday. Photo by: Sovan Philong
DOMESTICALLY-produced electric cars may be brought to market early next year thanks to a new factory.

Cambodia’s Heng Development Co has signed an agreement with Hong Kong-based Chau Leong to build an eco-friendly vehicle called the “Angkor.”

The vehicle was developed by local inventor Nhean Phaloek – who once reportedly claimed that the doors to one of his prototype vehicles opened telepathically.

Nhean Phaloek said that construction on the plant started? on March 14 on 20 hectares in the Kandal Stoeng district of Kandal province.

Sien Chanheng, director general for Heng Development, said plant will aim to make between 500 and 1,000 cars a year, with the first appearing soon after the beginning of next year.

She also said the US$20 million deal will be split 80 percent/20 percent between her company and Nhean Phaloek, and Chau Leong, respectively. Nhean Phaloek will import machines and spare parts from China, as well as other technology from Germany, to make the Angkor.

He said the goal is to start with two- and four-chair cars sold for $5,000 and then move on to six- and 12-chaired vehicles.

He also expects high demand from visitors to the Kingdom.

“My guess is that 20 cars can be sold in one day because foreign tourists are already booked to buy,” he said.

Nhean Phaloek plans to expand to overseas markets as well, he said.

Ith Praing, secretary of state at the Ministry of Mines, Industry and Energy, who attended the signing ceremony yesterday morning at NagaWorld Phnom Penh, praised the car for its small carbon footprint.
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