ECOtality, Inc. a leader in clean electric transportation and storage technologies, has announced its second expansion of The EV Project, culminating in a robust charging infrastructure network in sixteen cities located in six states—Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Tennessee and Texas, as well as the District of Columbia. Overall, The EV Project will include the manufacture and installation of more than 15,000 chargers in residential and public locations throughout the United States.
Purchasers of a Chevrolet Volt who qualify for EV Project participation in the Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston areas will receive a free home charger and credit toward the installation of the charger. The EV Project will gather and analyze data defining how these Volt purchasers utilize their vehicles and interface with their home charging infrastructure. “Data from Volt drivers in Texas will add another facet to The EV Project’s understanding of the interaction between electric vehicles and charging infrastructure,” said Don Karner, President of ECOtality North America and Project Manager of The EV Project.
“Texas has already been strategically engaged in preparing for the wide acceptance of electric vehicles,” said ECOtality President & CEO Jonathan Read. “We believe our presence in the state will accelerate that process.”
“Texas is a leader in alternative energy sources, making it an ideal market for electric vehicles,” said Tony DiSalle, Product and Marketing Director for the Chevrolet Volt. “As such, we recently announced Texas would be one of the first markets in the national launch for the Chevrolet Volt. The EV Project expansion to Texas markets will help make electric vehicles, like the Volt, a success in Texas and across the nation.”
The EV Project began last year, with grant funding through the U.S. Department of Energy from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. A $30 million extension of the grant funding was announced earlier this month. That Federal grant extension includes $15 million of ARRA funding, which will be matched with $15 million in private funds, to reach the total extension amount of $30 million. The total overall value of the project now stands at approximately $230 million.
