Ecotality, a developer of electric transportation and storage technologies, has reached an agreement with BP Products North America, a partner in Ecotality’s EV Project, to install its Blink electric vehicle (EV) DC Fast Chargers at 45 BP and ARCO locations.
In partnership with BP, Ecotality will determine the suitable locations for DC Fast Charger stations using its Micro-Climate process that chooses locations based upon population density and transportation corridors in each project region.
The DC Fast Chargers are anticipated to be located at select BP and ARCO locations in and around the major pilot markets of The EV Project, including Phoenix, Tucson, San Diego, Los Angeles, Portland, Eugene, Salem, Corvallis, Seattle, Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga.
As an EV Project participant, BP will test and evaluate the Blink DC Fast Chargers that are expected to be available to the public at BP and ARCO locations by March of 2011.
Ecotality’s $230m EV Project will oversee the installation of 15,000 commercial and residential charging stations in 16 cities and major metropolitan areas in six states and will provide an EV infrastructure to support the deployment of 8,300 EVs.
Ecotality CEO Jonathan Read said that when people think of refueling their cars, they think of gas stations, and the company is excited to work with BP to demonstrate a new way of fueling cars to the American driver.
“We designed our Blink DC fast chargers to meet the needs of both retailers and consumers and make electric vehicles a reality,” Read said.