EV Charging Infrastructure Revs Up

200 EV charging stations will be installed in Tokyo in 2009 at a cost of $36,500 each, including construction expenses. Tokyo Electric Power Co. has developed a quick-charging system that allows an electric car to run 25 miles on a five-minute charge and 37 miles on a 10-minute charge. They will begin with 200 and ramp up to 1,000 by 2012. With both Mitsubishi's iMiEV and Subaru's R1e due out in 2009 in Japan, not a moment too soon.

San Jose is testing EV charging, partnering up with Coulomb Technologies to install 110-volt outlets on poles like streetlights in various public places.

An important element of charging stations is utility grid management – Coulomb also has that in the bag with their management technology, making the start-up company a sort of one-stop shop for EV charging infrastructure. San Jose, a city that loves its technology, will be able to take advantage of Coulomb’s wireless communication capabilities for charging stations, management of mesh networks to authenticate users, and management of energy flow and metering. The folks involved in using and working with the stations could access GPS-lined data online for super easy info linkage.

By the end of this summer, Portland General Electric plans to install 12 charging stations in Portland and Salem. Portland has the highest per capita ownership of hybrid cars in the country.

London is adding to their current EV charging stations.This map shows where Londoners can now catch a fast recharge on the go around town.

Of course they can always charge at home, but there's nothing like the security of being able to top-up if needed.

From greencarcongress, ecogeek
For MatterNetwork