California-Based EV-Charging Station Maker AeroVironment Is Going to Carolina
By Scott Doggett June 4, 2010By Danny King, Contributor
South Carolina may not have been included in Coulomb Technologies' plans announced earlier this week to deploy 4,600 electric-vehicle charging stations across the U.S. over the next 18 months, but fear not, Palmetto State residents, you are covered.
AeroVironment Inc., the California-based company that earlier this year reached agreements with automakers Nissan and Think to deploy electric-vehicle charging stations, will work with the South Carolina state government and utilities at developing a network of EV-charging stations across the state.
AeroVironment will work with Plug-In Carolina, a nonprofit backed by state utilities such as South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. and Duke Energy, at deploying as many as 100 charging stations across the state by this December.
The program, which will receive about $480,000 in state-funded grants, will involve installing 220-volt, or so-called Level 2 charging stations in public areas like parking garages and retail centers, AeroVironment and Plug-In Carolina said in a statement yesterday.
Most of the stations will have two charging ports.
"With seven cities located across the state installing charging stations, this project is helping to establish not only EV ready cities but positioning South Carolina as the first EV ready state in the country," said James Poch, Plug-In Carolina executive director, in yesterday's statement.
South Carolina accounts for about 2 percent of the approximately 6,600 alternative fueling stations - including hydrogen, biodiesel and natural gas - across the country, but has no electric-vehicle charging stations, according to the U.S. Energy Department. The state accounts for about 1.5 percent of the registered motor vehicles in the U.S., according to the U.S. Transportation Dept.
AeroVironment and Bay Area-based Coulomb appear to be taking lead roles in developing EV-charging station networks to help support what's expected to be a surge in electric-vehicle sales in the U.S. that will spurred by the debut of the Leaf and the Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in electric vehicle later this year.
Coulomb earlier this week said it will receive $37 million from the U.S. Energy Dept. to deploy 4,600 electric-vehicle charging stations across the U.S. over the next 18 months through a partnership with automakers General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and Daimler. The stations will be rolled out in nine regions, including Los Angeles, New York, the San Francisco Bay Area, Detroit and Washington D.C.
AeroVironment, a publically traded company also known for defense-related products like unmanned aircraft, has been stepping up its presence in the EV-charging market this year. In January, the company said it would work with EV-maker Think on developing products that would use the company's cars to and so-called Level 3, or rapid chargers.
Widespread installation of the chargers - which can replenish a depleted EV battery pack in as little as 30 minutes and provide an 80 percent charge in just 15 minutes (battery charging rates slow down after the 80 percent level) - would be a boon to EV adoption as a rapid charging network would help eliminate concern over the relatively short driving range delivered by most electric vehicle battery packs.
Additionally, AeroVironment was also tapped by Nissan to supply home-based EV chargers for buyers of the Japanese automaker's all-electric Leaf, which goes on sale in the U.S. later this year. The Southern California company - which had a large role in developing the original EV1 for General Motors Corp. - will supply Leaf customers with a 220-volt station that will recharge a depleted Leaf battery packing eight hours.
Nissan in March estimated that the cost of the so-called charging dock, including installation, would be about $2,200, though would trigger a 50 percent federal tax credit.
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