Electric Charging Stations On the Way

Posted on: July 22nd, 2008 by Amy

With electric cars quickly becoming the new white bread, many people are left asking questions. Since the drive time is projected to be around 150 miles before a recharge is needed, how will people go about their day to day lives? While on one hand it might get people out of some family reunions if the trip is too far, it will also keep people from doing fun things, like going to bars out of town.

A new startup called Coulomb is planning on offering the solution to this problem, so people everywhere can hit all of the bars they want when electric cars come into the mainstream. Coulomb is creating recharging stations for electric cars. The stations are going to be tested in San Jose, California.

These stations will be able to put around town. They feel that the charging stations will be of great use to the many people who do not have a home garage to park their vehicles. They will be able to charge up from the different stations, which can be mounted on street lights and other structures that are already in place.

Because of the utility grid management technology that Coulomb has, they feel they will be able to service a large amount of people, from San Jose and beyond. They are hoping to take their technology to the national level.

The company is already speaking to other states about the technology that they can provide. There is expected to be a need for such technology within the next several years, as electric vehicles make their way onto the streets.

They will be able to set up a wireless network, and even use a subscription service for those who tap into the grid. Each station will cost around $1000 to $2000 to install, which is incredibly affordable for the service it will provide.

Stations such as these can help ease the fears that some have about plug in vehicles. Recharging the batteries has been one of the main concerns, and by allowing people to charge in public, electric vehicles will be much more practical.