DTE Energy Deploys Michigan's First ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations for Plug-in Vehicles in Detroit and Ann Arbor
Detroit January 13, 2010 – Coulomb Technologies, the leader in electric vehicle charging station infrastructure and Shocking Solutions, the Midwest's leader in electric vehicle charging station infrastructure deployment, today announced the first networked charging stations for electric vehicles in Michigan are now available. Six ChargePoint® Networked Charging Stations have been deployed by DTE Energy at their Detroit headquarters and at an Ann Arbor facility to support a study on the effects of vehicle charging on the electrical grid. The study is funded under a grant from the Michigan Public Service Commission. The ChargePoint Stations will be utilized to charge vehicles by a standard extension cord connected to the vehicle (Level I) and at a higher voltage for a faster charge by the industry standard SAE J1772™ connector (Level II).
"We are extremely pleased to be working with a premier utility company like DTE Energy," said Richard Lowenthal CEO of Coulomb Technologies. "Michigan has positioned itself as an industry leader in supporting the development and adoption of Plug-in Vehicles and the necessary supply chain. Our ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations are a perfect complement to these efforts. We are diligently working across the country with our distribution partners laying the groundwork for the necessary infrastructure to welcome plug-in vehicles to the market this year".
The ChargePoint® Network 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 Smart Card. Other future payment options include using any smart (RFID) credit/debit card to authorize a session or using a standard credit or debit card at a remote payment station (RPS) to pay for charging sessions. To locate available charging stations, visit www.mychargepoint.net and click "Find Stations".
"DTE Energy is one of the country's most progressive utilities and it has been a pleasure working with their team on this project," said John Auld, CEO of Shocking Solutions. "We are diligently working throughout the Midwest with utilities, municipalities, business, and private sector educating them on the needs of Plug-in Vehicles. The ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations are the industry's only viable infrastructure option for public deployment in our opinion, and the products have been well received by our customers. We look forward to the launch of several critical Plug-in-Vehicles this year and we will continue working on the necessary infrastructure to support their drivers."
About Shocking Solutions
Shocking Solutions is a leader in Plug-in Vehicle infrastructure solutions and consulting. As the Midwest's exclusive distribution partner for Coulomb Technologies ChargePoint® Networked Charging Stations, we are able to offer our customers the industry's most advanced infrastructure products. For more information on Shocking Solutions visit www.ShockingSolutions.com. Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/GetPluggedIn.
About Coulomb Technologies, Inc.
Coulomb Technologies is the leader in electric vehicle charging station infrastructure with networked charging stations installed in municipalities and organizations worldwide. Coulomb provides a vehicle-charging infrastructure, with an open system driver network: ChargePoint provides multiple web-based portals for Hosts, Fleet managers, Drivers, and Utilities at www.mychargepoint.net, and ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations ranging in capability from 120 Volt to 240 Volt AC charging to future 500 Volt DC charging. For more information, please visit www.coulombtech.com and follow Coulomb on Twitter at twitter.com/coulombevi.
