SAN FRANCISCO & HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ECOtality, Inc. (NASDAQ:ECTY), a leader in clean electric transportation and storage technologies, today announced the launch of the Blink® commercial network for charging electric vehicles (EVs) in Houston. Through The EV Project, the largest rollout of EVs and EV charging infrastructure in history, ECOtality will install approximately 200 Blink charging stations in the greater Houston area over the next several months.
Today, Houston city officials will host a press conference and tour to unveil “Houston Drives Electric,” the city’s comprehensive electric vehicle program. Mayor Annise Parker, Greg Fioriti, senior vice-president of On Road Operations for ECOtality North America, and other EV partners will highlight new additions to the City’s electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid fleet as well as new infrastructure to support EV drivers.
The press conference will be held at the H-E-B on Buffalo Speedway at 11:00 a.m. CT. Following the conference, the City and its partners will be offering tours of the newly installed charging stations. The first stop of the EV tour is the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center at 4501 Woodway Drive in Memorial Park where two Blink commercial charging stations are currently installed.
“The City of Houston is proud of its vision and ongoing leadership in electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid technology,” said Mayor Annise Parker. “This innovative technology is part of our alternative transportation future, helping the City save money by reducing gasoline costs while also reducing in-city tailpipe emissions. Due to the significant support from the City’s partners, Houstonians can feel confident about charging their cars anywhere.”
With today’s announcement, Houston officially launches its EV infrastructure which was developed through a year-long planning program. In 2010, ECOtality and the City of Houston partnered, in collaboration with Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) which is now a fully integrated partner with the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40), to facilitate a comprehensive discourse between city partners and stakeholders in preparation for the consumer adoption of electric transportation. Based on that extensive discussion, ECOtality developed an EV Micro-Climate™ Plan that summarizes plans for Houston’s deployment of EV charging infrastructure with detailed deployment guidelines, a long range planning (10+ years) strategy, a short term blue print and a step-by-step action plan.
“Houston’s partnership with ECOtality on the EV Micro-Climate Program is significant because only through public/private collaboration will cities make electric vehicles a viable option for every driver,” said Jay Carson, Chief Executive Officer, C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group. “In this case, Houston, a C40 City, can quickly and confidently roll out a reliable electric vehicle infrastructure that is convenient and cost-effective for electric vehicle drivers. It will also give those considering purchasing an electric vehicle the confidence that charging facilities are more accessible than ever before.”
“We introduced the EV Micro-Climate program as a way to leverage our experience for local governments, like Houston, so they could implement custom charging infrastructures as efficiently and cost effectively as possible,” said Don Karner, president and CEO of ECOtality North America. “Houston’s entrepreneurial effort to build a healthy EVSE marketplace is what we hoped to see when we created the program. By being prepared for the growth of the market, Houston can strategically build a robust portfolio of EV charging solutions to fit the lifestyle of any EV driver.”
The Blink Network is a system of charging stations available to the public, giving EV drivers the freedom to travel as they choose and charge at any Blink commercial location along the way. EV drivers will be able to charge at any Blink station through a variety of options including interoperable RFID cards, smart phone applications, and mobile phone and credit card based payment options. By becoming Blink Members, consumers may also yield even greater advantages of the Blink Network, such as discounted charging rates, reservation systems, and enhanced Blink Network capabilities.
ECOtality is the project manager of The EV Project and will oversee the installation of approximately 14,000 commercial and residential charging stations in 18 major cities and metropolitan areas in six states and the District of Columbia. The project will provide an EV infrastructure to support the deployment of 8,300 EVs. The project is a public-private partnership, funded in part by the U.S. Department of Energy through a federal stimulus grant and made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). For more information about The EV Project, please visit www.theevproject.com.
Businesses in the greater Houston and Dallas areas that are interested in hosting Blink charging stations should contact Dave Aasheim, Texas Area Manager at ECOtality, at daasheim@ecotality.com, or by calling 214-551-4014.
About ECOtality, Inc.
ECOtality, Inc. (NASDAQ:ECTY), headquartered in San Francisco, California, is a leader in clean electric transportation and storage technologies. Through innovation, acquisitions, and strategic partnerships, ECOtality accelerates the market applicability of advanced electric technologies to replace carbon-based fuels. For more information about ECOtality, Inc., please visit www.ecotality.com.
About the CCI and C40
The C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40) is an organization of large and engaged cities from around the world committed to implementing meaningful and sustainable climate-related policies locally that will help address climate change concerns globally. The current Chair is New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. In 2006, the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI), a program of the William J. Clinton Foundation, was invited to become the delivery partner of the C40. At the invitation of city governments, CCI places city directors in participating C40 cities to help cities deliver programs in close collaboration with its program teams and expert partners. In April 2011, the C40 and CCI’s Cities announced an expanded alliance between the two organizations. The C40/CCI Cities alliance brings significant resources and infrastructure that bolsters both the CCI and C40 organizations, making it one of the preeminent climate change action organizations in the world. Please visit: live.c40cities.org; Twitter: @C40cities; and Facebook: C40 Cities
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain as they are based on current expectations and assumptions concerning future events or future performance of the company. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are only predictions and speak only as of the date hereof. In evaluating such statements, prospective investors should review carefully various risks and uncertainties identified in this release and matters set in the company's SEC filings. These risks and uncertainties could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements.
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