Electric Vehicle Charging Station

Plug-in electric vehicles are any motor vehicle that is powered by an external source of electricity. These vehicles must use charging stations to recharge their battery packs. Depending on the type of charging station, a plug-in electric vehicle may take anywhere from 20 minutes to 8 hours to recharge.

An electric vehicle charging station can be as simple as a household socket and extension cord, or as advanced as a direct current public charging station powered by renewable energy. Some charging stations use grid electricity, while others generate their electricity from on-site solar PV panels or other forms of renewable energy - lessening the environmental impact of electric vehicles even further.

The Future of the EV Market

A December 8, 2011 report from Pike Research estimated that by the year 2017, the hybrid and plug-in electric vehicles will represent 5.1 percent of auto sales in the United States and 3.1 percent of sales worldwide. That represents an annual growth rate of nearly 20 percent from current levels for green vehicles, said the report.

One of the roadblocks to electric vehicle adoption in the U.S. is the lack of charging stations. Drivers may be concerned that their vehicle will run out of charge before reaching their destination. The expansion of the electric vehicle charging station network could resolve this issue.

However, a separate December 13th report from the research firm estimated that the number of charging stations for electric vehicles (EV) will reach 1.5 million in the U.S. and 7.7 globally by 2017 to support the rising use of electric cars.

This projected growth in the EV market suggests that there will also be growth in the electric car charging sector, which will likely see new technologies and entrants into the market.

The following three companies have already seized this potential opportunity, offering EV charging stations and networks.

1. Chargepoint Network: Public Charging Stations

An example of a network of public charging stations is the Chargepoint Network, brought to us by Coulomb Technologies, a leader in EV charging systems. The Chargepoint Network first went live in 2009, operates in 14 countries and is currently the largest network of charging stations in the world. It's open to everyone and provides network profiles and multiple web-based portals for hosts, fleet managers, drivers and utilities. Charging stations range in capability from 120 to 240-Volt AC and up to 500-Volt AC charging.

According to Coulomb’s founder and CTO, Richard Lowenthal, “We are seeing more than 20 thousand vehicle charging sessions a month on the ChargePoint Network and, on average, drivers remain plugged in for an average of eight hours a session”.

Unlike charging an electric vehicle at home, Chargepoint stations are located publicly. You can find stations in the ChargePoint Network here. Since the network data is constantly changing, ChargePoint mobile apps for Blackberry, iPhone and Androids provide an easy way to access the network and find stations, get directions, check availability, start and stop charging sessions, get notifications and more.

Though the EV charging station owner has the option of charging a fee for EV charging services, many ChargePoint stations are currently free.

2. Solar Charger

Envision Solar, founded in 2006 by LEED AP Robert Nobel, is a San Diego-based company that offers high-quality solar shade structures.

Envision Solar's Solar Tree Array shades six parking spots while producing enough solar energy to fully charge six electric vehicles per day.

The Solar Tree, which can be shipped worldwide, is tilted at 15 degrees to maximize power production and shading. The system features an integrated wire management system and can support a variety of vehicles.

The Solar Tree not only produces clean, renewable energy for powering electric vehicles, but shades the parking spaces, which reduces heat island effect.

Many reputable companies and organizations have installed solar trees at their sites, including General Motors, NREL, and Dell.

3. Juice Bar

The Juice Bar, which was selected as one of Sustainable Industries' Top 10 Green Building Products of 2011, is an electric vehicle charging station made by Connecticut-based Green Garage Associates.

Designed by BMW Group DesignWorks USA, the product is available in two-plug units (for charging two vehicles) or four-plug double sized units (for four vehicles). The Juice Bar is also available in three levels of charging. The higher the level, the higher the voltage and the shorter the car charging time.

The Juice Bar is available for immediate delivery across North America, and retails for about $1000-$1500.

How to Install a Charging Station

If you plan to install a public or private electric vehicle charging station, it’s important to know which type of electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) you will want or need. The different types vary based on whether they supply AC power (which must be converted to DC to charge the vehicle) or DC power, time to charge the vehicle, and cost.

The following are the types of EVSE, along with how long it will take to charge a plug-in EV:

• Level 1 (AC): 2-5 miles of range per hour
• Level 2 (AC): 10-20 miles of range per hour (about $1,000-7,000 for equipment)
• DC Fast Charging: 60-80 miles of range per 20 minutes (about $20,000-50,000 for equipment)

Of course, the total cost of the EV charging station will include electricity costs, minus any incentives. Plus, you can choose to charge customers for the charging, which will offset the costs.

Level 1 chargers are typically used for residential charging, while Level 2 can be used for charging private fleets. DC chargers are the best for public or heavy traffic stations.

Typically, the provider of your EVSE will have a list of recommended installers for your area. However, you can also find qualified installers from the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure
Training Program (EVITP.org).

Electric Vehicle Chargers and LEED

According to the LEED for New Construction 2009 rating system, electric vehicle chargers could contribute to the following LEED credit:

• Sustainable Sites (SS) Credit 4.3, Alternative Transportation - Low Emitting and Fuel Efficient Vehicles: One option for this credit is to provide alternative fuel fueling stations for 3% of the total full-time equivalent occupants. EV chargers may be considered an alternative fuel fueling station since it provides electricity for electric vehicles.