DOE-Backed Public EV Charging Program Expands to Washington, D.C.

The Department of Energy (DOE) unveiled the first public electric vehicle (EV) charging station in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 16. Installation under Coulomb Technologies' ChargePoint America program was supported in part by a $15 million DOE grant through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The program will install more than 500 charging stations in the District of Columbia area as part of nationwide effort that will add 4,600 charging stations during the next two years. According to a DOE newsletter, Coulomb Technologies is now installing 240V electric vehicle chargers for commercial and public use across the country. These Level II charging stations in nine regions will support the deployment of 2,600 electric vehicles, including vehicles by Ford, Chevrolet and smart USA. The nine pilot regions include Austin, Texas; Detroit; New York; Orlando, Fla.; Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Jose and San Francisco, Calif.; Bellevue and Redmond, Wash.; and Washington, D.C. As the public begins to use these devices, DOE will collect data on travel patterns and about how drivers use their electric vehicles, where and when people charge their cars and what impact the chargers might have on the grid.