Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation (eTec), a subsidiary of ECOtality, Inc. (ECOtality), has received an estimated $8 million from the California Energy Commission to support the deployment of charge infrastructure and electric vehicles (EVs) in the San Diego region. This contract is part of its American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Cost Share: Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program.
“As eTec’s proposed project to the U.S. Department of Energy is anticipated to deploy up to 2,550 charging stations in the San Diego area, this additional funding from the California Energy Commission will allow for a substantial increase in the amount of charge infrastructure deployed in the region,” said Don Karner, president, eTec. “We’d like to thank the California Energy Commission and the State of California for their support of the largest transportation electrification project ever and commend their strategic foresight in positioning California as a leader in electric transportation.”
The California Energy Commission awarded funds to projects that received federal funds from the U.S. Department of Energy’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) Transportation Electrification Funding Opportunity Announcement. On August 5, 2009 ECOtality’s eTec was awarded $99.8 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to implement the deployment of electric vehicles (EVs) and charging infrastructure in US history.
In eTec’s proposed project to the U.S. Department of Energy, eTec is partnering with Nissan North America to deploy up to 5,000 Nissan LEAF EVs and about 12,750 charging stations throughout five states: Arizona, California, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington. The project will collect and analyze data characterizing vehicle use and charging patterns in diverse topographies and climate conditions, evaluate the effectiveness of charge infrastructure, and conduct trials of various revenue systems for public charge infrastructure. By testing and analyzing electric vehicle usage and charging patterns in a simulated mature charging environment, this project will foster the expansion of EV infrastructure that will be available for widespread EV use throughout the country.
“The California Energy Commission award affirms the position of the State of California at the forefront of the electric transportation evolution and ensures that the San Diego region will have one of the most advanced EV charging infrastructures in the world,” said Jonathan Read, president and chief executive officer, ECOtality. “As the eTec project undertakes to make America EV ready, stimulate job creation and enhance our energy independence, this additional funding will help us achieve these important objectives.”
Regional project partner, San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E), will play an important role in the eTec project by evaluating demand and energy impacts of EVs on the electric grid, potential electric vehicle rate structures, smart grid interconnection requirements, distribution grid impacts of EV charging demand and provide consumer education in the San Diego area.
“As a strategic partner on the eTec project, we’d like to thank the California Energy Commission for its funding award to the transportation electrification project,” said Debra L. Reed, president and chief executive officer of SDG&E. “With this award, we now have the resources available to make the San Diego region first in the nation when it comes to truly being plug-in ready for electric transportation.”
In the San Diego region, partners for eTec’s proposed project include SDG&E, San Diego Associations of Governments (SANDAG), San Diego Clean Fuels Coalition, San Diego Miramar College, Center for Sustainable Energy and American Lung Association (CA).
ECOtality is a US-based provider of clean electric transportation and storage technologies.