ChargePoint America today revealed its very first networked electric vehicle charging station in Michigan at the NextEnergy headquarters in midtown Detroit.
Present to speak to the attendees about electric vehicles and clean energy were U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, NextEnergy CEO Ronald J. Gardhouse, Coulomb Technologies CEO Richard Lowenthal and Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth Director Andy Levin.
The $37 million ChargePoint America program is sponsored by Coulomb Technologies and is made possible by a $15 million grant funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Because ChargePoint America is able to exist, it is going to offer hundreds of free charging stations for public and home charging to individuals and businesses throughout Michigan.
“Thanks to strong private-public partnerships, Michigan companies are creating jobs and leading the country in the development of electric vehicles and the advanced batteries that power them,” Stabenow said in a recent press release.
Stabenow also noted that the charging stations will make it much easier for drivers to charge their electric vehicles as more electric vehicles are being made in Michigan.
ChargePoint America will ultimately provide almost 5,000 charging stations in nine regions across the country. The features of the stations include:
- Charging status via SMS text or email
- Locations of unoccupied charging stations via smart phones
- ChargePoint iPhone Application
- Authenticated access, which will eliminate energy theft
- Authorized energizing for safety
- Billing system for station owners who want drivers to pay for charging
- Smart Grid integration for utility load management with future V2G capabilities
Businesses interested in receiving free public charging stations should visit www.chargepointamerica.com and sign up by completing the application form. Individuals interested in purchasing an electric vehicle can sign up to receive information about qualifying for a free home charging station.
Source: GreeningDetroit.com
Author: Jennifer Griffin