US DOE to award $5M for EV infrastructure; partnership with Google
19 April 2011
Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced the availability of $5 million in new funding (DE-FOA-0000451) for community-based efforts to deploy electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure and charging stations. He also outlined a partnership with Google Inc. and more than 80 EV stakeholders to help consumers find charging stations nationwide.
Under the $5 million in electric vehicle funding, local governments and private companies will partner to apply for funding to help accelerate installation of electric vehicle charging stations and infrastructure. Communities will work to develop plans and strategies for EV deployment, update their EV permitting processes, develop incentive programs, or launch other local or regional initiatives that improve the experience of EV users.
In a related effort, DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is joining with Google Inc. and various industry leaders to provide consumers with consistent, up-to-date information about the EV charging stations in communities nationwide. Drawing on Google Maps, this new collaboration will coordinate an online network of all US charging stations and will serve as the primary data source for GPS and mapping services tracking electric vehicle charging locations.
Google has EV charging tracking, but it needs help. It doesn't indicate useful things like: Accessibility (public or private), Capability (Level 1,2, or 3), Availability (empty or occupied), or Reservability. All things ChargePoint network does. However ChargePoint only tracks their own stations. Nobody yet aggregates everything, and I am hoping that is a point Google is aiming for.
Posted by: Eletruk | 19 April 2011 at 05:29 PM
This could promote a sense of community, I know that sounds odd in this day and age of go it alone, but it could. We all help with charging stations, more people use EVs, the air is cleaner and we import less oil. I could happen.
Posted by: SJC | 19 April 2011 at 07:15 PM