Published July 18, 2012
By Philippe Crowe
Yesterday ECOtality announced the first Blink DC Fast Charger in the San Francisco Bay Area has been installed at Volkswagen Group of America’s Electronics Research Laboratory (ERL) in Belmont, Calif.
The Blink DC Fast Charger is capable of providing an 80-percent charge in under 30 minutes for most electric vehicles (EVs).
“Installing the first publicly accessible Blink DC Fast Charger in Northern California is essential for connecting the San Jose to San Francisco corridor and serves as a cornerstone for growing our EV charge infrastructure,” stated Jonathan Read, CEO of ECOtality. “This installation symbolizes Volkswagen’s commitment to electric transportation and we look forward to working with them.”
Collaborating closely with the local utility, the installation of the DC Fast Charger will be open for public charging, and is the first deployed in California within The EV Project.
Located just off Highway 101, the Volkswagen Group Electronics Research Laboratory was chosen using criteria developed through the EV Micro-Climate process, which takes into account a variety of factors including traffic patterns, regional attractions, and retail hubs, as well as input from many regional partners.
“We are excited to partner with ECOtality to bring the first publicly available Blink DC Fast Charger to Northern California, reinforcing Volkswagen’s ongoing commitment to sustainable mobility and clean, efficient transportation,” said Dr. Peter Oel, executive director, Volkswagen Group Electronics Research Laboratory. “This collaboration underscores Volkswagen Group’s Think Blue environmental strategy and supports our goal of offering a competitive suite of market viable technologies that will significantly reduce or eliminate CO2 emissions for our customers today and into the future.”
The Blink DC Fast Charger is rated at 60 kw (200-450 VDC, up to 200A) and provides a quick, safe method of charging EVs. Ideally suited for high-traffic commercial locations and major transportation corridors, the dual-port charger features two EV fast charging connectors and provides an intuitive connector dock for storage and protection. The charger features two interactive touch screens and a 42-inch color display for media and messaging.
ECOtality is the project manager of The EV Project, a research initiative to help build America’s future EV infrastructure. The project will provide an EV infrastructure to support the deployment of EVs in key markets. The project is a public-private partnership, funded in part by the U.S. Department of Energy through a federal stimulus grant and made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
