ECOtality Inc. says electric-vehicle (EV) charging stations will be installed at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) as part of The EV Project.
The pilot rollout will involve the installation of more than 15,000 charging stations by June 2011 in 16 cities and metropolitan areas in six states and the District of Columbia. As project manager of The EV Project, ECOtality is overseeing the $230 million public-private initiative, which is funded with a $114.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
VUMC will receive six to 10 of ECOtality's Blink EV charging stations free of charge to be used in public parking areas. The majority will be Blink Level 240 V commercial charging stations. VUMC will also receive one or two 480 V Blink DC fast chargers. VUMC plans to install several charging stations in staff parking areas, and will monitor their use and add more stations as needed.
In addition, each station will have a LAN line so that ECOtality can collect and analyze EV Project data on charging-station use. The LAN connection will also allow access to the Blink Network, a system of connected charging stations through which consumers can access information about their charging use and receive benefits for using commercial charging stations in locations across the country. Integrated within this system is the Blink Network smart-phone application, providing charge-station locations and GPS navigation, charge status and notifications of interruption or completion of a charge.
The charging stations are expected to be installed in February 2011.
SOURCE: ECOtality Inc.
