Frequently Asked Questions

In the U.S.:

In early adopter phase:

We anticipate the ratio to be closer to 1 to 1 and growing to 1.8 to 1 over time
Europe has a bigger problem in the early stages
NOTE: California Energy Commission believes that in order to get reasonable geographic coverage, you need a 3 to 1 charging station to vehicle ratio

EPRI estimates between 1.2 and 3 Metric Tons/year for PHEVs
Based on EPA nationwide blended model
About 3 Metric Tons/year saved in most cases
Depends on how much you charge versus using gas
Some utilities will be better than the EPA average because they have “cleaner” electric power (Typically states with heavy investment in nuclear, wind, hydro, etc.)
Some utilities will be worse than the EPA average because they have “dirtier” electric power (Typically those relying on coal)

Problems with outlets in public spaces:

Will always require physical GFI and circuit breaker reset (i.e. reset cannot be done remotely)
Always “energized” outlets can pose safety and increase liability issues
Always “energized” outlets can result in energy theft
Do not deal with cord theft issues
Cannot handle large number of mate/demate cycles – needing more frequent replacements. No auto detection capabilities
Do not provide for grid load management capabilities – causing concerns for utilities
Do not provide for circuit load management capabilities
Do not provide for a “pay for use” business model (i.e. no subscriber/driver management capabilities)
No way to determine where available (not in use) stations are before driving there
Low availability due to lack of monitoring, triggered GFCIs and triggered circuit breakers

The video below features Richard Lowenthal (CEO of Coulomb Technologies) explaining the
ChargePoint System.

For the 120V (Level 1) charging:

Driver has the cord
Uses Smart Card to authenticate
Door unlocks
Driver opens door, plugs in cord, and closes door
Door automatically locks
Outlet is now energized and current is flowing to the vehicle
To de-energize outlet, unlock door and retrieve cord, driver uses Smart Card to authenticate

For the 240V (Level 2) charging:

U.S. Tax Incentives and Grants Available

The Energy Policy Act (EP Act) of 2005 (Pub. L. No. 109-58, § 1342) provided an income tax credit equal to 30 percent of the cost of installing new alternative fuel vehicle refueling property at each location by the taxpayer but was limited to a maximum of $30,000 in the case of business property
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (H.R.1) passed on February 10, 2009, increases the credit from 30% (capped at $30,000) to 50% (capped at $50,000) for business property placed in service in 2009 and 2010
If the refueling property is acquired by a tax-exempt organization, governmental unit, or a foreign person or entity, and the use of that property is described in section 50(b)(3) or (4), the company that sold the fueling equipment can claim tax credit – but only if they provide the customer with written notification of the credit value

Up to $7,500 Federal Tax Credit for purchase of new electric cars – based on battery size
The U.S. stimulus package contains EV and infrastructure incentives