"Electric vehicles are a central strategy for breaking America’s addiction to foreign oil, and I’m thrilled that Oregon is pioneering their deployment,” said U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley. "I’m working hard at the federal level to promote their strategy. I look forward to the day in the near future where I can drive all across Oregon in an electric vehicle."
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden states, "I believe that these new charging stations will help reinforce Oregon’s standing as a place where new ideas become game-changing new products."
Today’s event comes on the heels of the first Blink installations in San Diego and Los Angeles, and lays the groundwork for the deployment and installation of Blink commercial charging stations, including the Blink Level 2 Pedestal Charger and Blink DC Fast Charger. In September 2010 ECOtality revealed potential locations for more than 1,100 publicly available chargers in Portland, Salem, Corvallis and Eugene and also announced plans to place stations in Medford, Ore., and Ashland, Ore., thus creating a framework of electric vehicle charging stations throughout the length of I-5.
"The infrastructure that supports the expansion of electric vehicle use in Oregon continues to develop," said Oregon State Representative Tobias Read and co-chair of the House Transportation and Economic Development Committee. “I will continue to advocate for policies that promote electric vehicles and help seize opportunities they present in Oregon. After all, electric cars may be quiet on the road but they will make a lot of noise in Oregon’s economic future."
ECOtality also recently announced the start of mass manufacturing of the Company’s Blink Charging Stations at the Roush Manufacturing facility outside of Detroit. Blink Home Charging Stations are available now to EV drivers and are free of charge to EV Project participants. The smart Blink Home Charger allows for increased cost-savings through improved power management and boasts an intuitive set of features, including a 7-inch color touch-screen control panel, and a stylish, easily configurable design. The units can be installed inside or outdoors at commercial locations, with both hardwire and plug-in versions available. For more information, including product spec sheets, please visit www.blinknetwork.com.
“The first installations of Blink home charging stations mark the start of a new age for EVs, and we are excited to continue to drive consumer EV adoption not only in Oregon but across the country,” said Jonathan Read, CEO of ECOtality. “Today we move from planning to implementation, and we thank our project partners in Oregon for their efforts in bringing charging stations to the places where Oregonians live, work, eat and play. This Blink charging station is the first of many, and we look forward to installing our smart Blink EV charging solutions as more EVs hit the road.”
As part of The EV Project, the largest rollout of EV infrastructure in history, ECOtality will monitor the energy usage and output of charging stations to determine a viable method for mass adoption of electric vehicles and empower the smart grid. Portland General Electric, a participant in The EV Project, is helping lead regional efforts in electric transportation.
“We expect most of our customers to charge up their electric vehicles at home so today’s residential charging station installation marks a major milestone in putting in the necessary infrastructure to support our EV-driving customers,” said Joe Barra, Director of Business Model and Program Development at PGE. “We’d like to thank ECOtality, the state of Oregon, and all our partners who are collaborating to make EVs a reality for our customers.”
ECOtality, as project manager of The EV Project, will oversee the installation of commercial and residential charging stations in 18 cities and major metropolitan areas throughout six states and the District of Columbia. The project, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy through a federal stimulus grant of $114.8 million made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), will provide an EV infrastructure to support the deployment of 8,300 EVs. The grants are matched by private investment, bringing the total value of the project to approximately $230 million.
ECOtality, Inc. (NASDAQ:ECTY), headquartered in San Francisco, California, is a leader in clean electric transportation and storage technologies. Through innovation, acquisitions, and strategic partnerships, ECOtality accelerates the market applicability of advanced electric technologies to replace carbon-based fuels.
