Coulomb Technologies electric vehicle charging station opens in Galveston Island
The Galveston Historical Foundation has installed the first of 12 publicly accessible ChargePoint® Networked Charging Stations for electric vehicles (EVs), according to Coulomb Technologies.
The 1861 Custom House ChargePoint charging station installation is the first of more than a dozen planned installations by Positive Energy Resources, a Texas Renewable & Sustainable Resource Systems Integration company based in Houston and Galveston Island over the next few months. The charging stations were sold through Verdek-EV, Coulomb’s exclusive southwest distributor.
Galveston Island residents and Mardi Gras visitors can see a “Sneak Peek” of the 2010 Tazzari Zero electric sports car on display at Hotel Galvez from Feb. 5-7, and at the unveiling of the Galveston Historical Foundation ChargePoint charging station installation Feb. 6.
The city of Houston recently purchased and installed several ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations and has nearly 50 EVs and PHEVs in service today. The installation of the ChargePoint charging stations in Galveston will serve to promote inter-city travel by Houston businesses and residents who own and drive plug-in vehicles and who travel to Galveston.
“The ChargePoint Networked Charging Station is an aesthetically pleasing and effective method of encouraging a practical, viable, renewable and sustainable resources program within our city,” says Matthew Pelz, Galveston Historical Foundation special projects coordinator. “The ChargePoint charging stations allow for the use of an emerging clean fuel technology that can be easily integrated in the Historic Downtown District. We are in the process of rebuilding our community since Hurricane Ike swept through. We are embracing sustainable transportation and renewable energy solutions and these charging stations are a welcome addition.”
The networked charging station is part of the ChargePoint® Network which is open to all drivers of plug-in vehicles and provides authentication, management, and real-time control for the networked electric vehicle charging stations through multiple web-based portals for Hosts, Fleet Managers, Drivers, and Utilities.
ChargePoint Network unique features include:
Charging status by SMS text or email notification
Location of unoccupied charging stations via smart phones
Authenticated access to eliminate energy theft
Authorized energizing for safety
Smart Grid integration for utility load management with future V2G capabilities
The network of electric vehicle charging stations is accessible to all plug-in drivers by making a toll free call to the 24/7 number on each charging station, or signing up for a ChargePoint Network monthly access plan and obtaining a ChargePass™ smart card. Other future payment options include using any smart (RFID) credit/debit card to authorize. To locate available charging stations, visit www.mychargepoint.net and click “Find Stations”.
“The ChargePoint Network provides Texas with proven technology that is available for consumers throughout the Houston area,” says Richard Lowenthal, CEO Coulomb Technologies. “The Galveston network of stations combined with the existing Houston network gives Southern Texas one of the largest installations of networked charging stations in the U.S. The demographic considerations for Galveston are near-perfect; the number of people who live and work on the Island, the close proximity to the Houston Metro area, an international tourism base with a mind-set that is supportive of recreational EV use.”
Many neighborhood and low-speed electric vehicles are already in use on Galveston Island and more are on the way. The city of Galveston recently placed two new e-buses into service, and an electric taxi company, along with a shuttle service using 12-passenger EV’s, are soon to be in operation. Electric bicycles, scooters and motorcycle rentals are soon to be available and will compliment a sustainable transportation initiative that has been well received by the public. The plans and projects underway are designed to make Galveston Island a national leader in clean-fuel sustainable transportation and renewable energy development programs.
