Which do you
think is the top electric-car
city in the US… LA? New York? San Francisco? Or Portland?
Not one of
those cities but the city of about 800,000 people — Indianapolis, the capital
city of Indiana, USA. The city is interested in having all of its fleet of cars
replaced with electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV). Once that
happens, it could become the #1 electric-car city in the US.
After the
announcement was made, Paul Mitchell, CEO of Energy Systems Network, got the idea of putting into motion a plan
to procure 500 US-built electric vehicles — possibly the Nissan Leaf or Ford Focus — and also to build charging
stations as support facilities.
Energy
Systems Network collaborated with Bollore, an electric car manufacturer for
Europe, and with the mayor for the plan. Bollore plans to launch the program
next year and has invested $35 million in the program. It will buy the 500
electric vehicles and kiosks required for check-in.
The city
plans to set up 1,200 level-2 charging stations (more stations than cars) in
200 sites. Level-2 charging stations can recharge vehicles at 240 volts for a
range of 10 to 20 miles range for each hour of charging time. These stations
are the second-fastest chargers at present.
“This
program is a great boon for downtown workers, residents and visitors to drive
around town without owning a car,” Mayor Ballard announced. “This service lets
anyone — public or private individual — to pay only for a car when he or she
needs and wants it. You do not pay for fuel, insurance, maintenance and parking
costs when you do not use the vehicle.”
Pretty
awesome – don’t you think so? Indeed it is a great step toward claiming the
title as the USA’s Top Electric-Car City.
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