“San Diego has been a terrific project market for ECOtality, and its high levels of consumer and stakeholder interest make it an excellent proving ground for electric vehicles,” said Jonathan Read, CEO of ECOtality. “The Blink charging stations installed at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center and at the San Diego Air & Space Museum—as well as the commercial Blink charging stations appearing in EV Project markets nationwide—underscores our commitment to smart EV deployment and placing charging stations at locations that fit the lifestyle of EV drivers."
“A well-planned charging network tears down a significant barrier to adopting electric vehicles,” Mayor Jerry Sanders said. “I’m proud San Diego will be one of the first cities in the nation to encourage residents to purchase EVs, and that we’ll serve as a model for other cities as they look to deploy their charging infrastructures.”
ECOtality began installations of its Blink Level 2 Residential charging stations in EV Project regions nationwide in December 2010, and since then has completed more than 1,400 installations. Over the last few months, ECOtality has been actively installing Blink Pedestal chargers at public and commercial sites. The company aims to have approximately 1,000 Level 2 public and commercial charging stations installed in the San Diego metropolitan area by the end of the year, as well as 30 publicly available Blink DC Fast Chargers.
At Balboa Park, ECOtality has installed three Blink Pedestal chargers in the parking lot outside of the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center and seven charging stations outside the San Diego Air & Space Museum adjacent to the San Diego Municipal Gym.
“The installation of electric vehicle charging stations outside of the Fleet presents an exciting opportunity to highlight the importance of environmental stewardship to our visitors,” said Dr. Jeffrey Kirsch, Executive Director of the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center. “In conjunction with two current exhibitions focused on sustainability, ‘So WATT: An Illuminating Look at Energy,’ and ‘San Diego’s Water: From Source to Tap,’ we hope to add an exhibit component within the science center where visitors will be able to learn more about electric vehicles and make real-life connections to the outside charging stations.”
The event marks the culmination of nearly a year and a half of planning. Locations for the publicly available charging stations were selected using ECOtality’s Micro-Climate™ planning process, which utilized input from regional partners and took into account a variety of factors including traffic patterns and the locations of employment centers, regional attractions and retail hubs, as well as the input from regional partners.
“This electric vehicle project signifies the State’s commitment to diversify how California uses cleaner vehicles and fuels to transport people and goods on our state’s roads and highways. Ten years from now we will look back and remember these early charger installations as the first steps in getting one million electric vehicles on the road,” said California Energy Commission Vice Chair James Boyd.
“This is another example of how San Diego is leading the way when it comes to energy innovation,” said U.S. Rep. Susan Davis. “Electric vehicles provide a lower cost, cleaner alternative to transportation powered with expensive oil. Made possible by the economic stimulus bill, these federal investments in deploying public charging infrastructure—such as The EV Project—benefit all electric vehicle owners and manufacturers while enhancing our energy security and creating jobs for all Americans.”
ECOtality is currently in discussions with public and private property owners for installations of public charging stations, and has partnered with national retailers including Sears, Fred Meyer, Macy’s, BP/Arco, Cracker Barrel and Best Buy, as well as leading commercial real estate company Jones Lang LaSalle. The company is also working with other EV Project stakeholders, including SDG&E, to help select site locations for charging stations and improve installation logistics.
“San Diego Gas & Electric looks forward to working with ECOtality, the City of San Diego, the California Energy Commission, SANDAG and other community leaders to make San Diego America’s Finest Plug In City,” said James P. Avery, SDG&E senior vice president, power supply.
The Blink Pedestal Chargers provide intelligent, user-friendly features that intuitively and safely charge EVs. They include an interactive seven-inch color touch screen and web-based delivery via the Blink Network.
“Vehicles like my all-electric Nissan Leaf, and the availability of charging stations across the county, will help move America away from its dependence on foreign oil, give San Diegans an exhaust-pipe free way to get around, and help to achieve the goals of our Regional Transportation Plan by reducing per capita greenhouse gas emissions,” said Encinitas Deputy Mayor Jerome Stocks, chair of the SANDAG Board of Directors.
Businesses in the greater San Diego area that are interested in hosting Blink charging stations should contact Andy Hoskinson, San Diego Area Manager at ECOtality, at [email protected], or by calling 619.559.2118.
ECOtality is the project manager of The EV Project and will oversee the installation of approximately 14,000 commercial and residential charging stations in 18 major cities and metropolitan areas in six states and the District of Columbia. The project will provide an EV infrastructure to support the deployment of 8,300 EVs. The project is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy through a federal stimulus grant, made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
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.
