Tennessee Blinks in Commercial Charging Stations

SAN FRANCISCO & NASHVILLE, TN--ECOtality, Inc. , a leader in clean electric transportation and storage technologies, today announced the commercial deployment of the company’s Blink® Electric Vehicle (EV) Pedestal charging stations in Tennessee. Politicians, local stakeholders, EV drivers and company representatives gathered outside the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel in Nashville today to dedicate the Blink Pedestal charging stations.

“After one hundred years of gas stations, the first electric car stations are coming. We need alternatives like this to foreign oil.”

“As the future home of the Nissan Leaf, Middle Tennessee is positioned to be a leader in the electric vehicle industry,” said Karl Dean, Mayor of Nashville. “We are proud to be one of a very select group of U.S. communities to have a critical mass of publicly accessible EV charging infrastructure. Metro Government is a partner in the EV Project, and I commend the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel for stepping up and being the first commercial partner in the city to install a charger.”

ECOtality began installations of its Blink Level 2 Wall Mount charging stations in EV Project regions nationwide last December, and has since installed more than 1,200 commercial and residential chargers. The company aims to deploy approximately 2,500 residential, commercial and DC fast charging stations in the state of Tennessee, by the end of the year.

Congressman Jim Cooper noted: "After one hundred years of gas stations, the first electric car stations are coming. We need alternatives like this to foreign oil."

“Tennessee is one of the original pilot launch markets for The EV Project and has the largest geographic footprint of any EV Project area,” said Jonathan Read, CEO of ECOtality. “We are on track to electrify more than 500 miles of EV freeway throughout Tennessee. With the addition of Memphis, Tennessee is well on its way to being a pioneer in successful electrification of corridors between major metro areas in the state.”

Locations for the publicly available charging stations were selected using ECOtality’s EV Micro-Climate planning process, which takes into account a variety of factors including traffic patterns and the locations of employment centers, regional attractions and retail hubs, as well as the input from many regional partners and stakeholders. In Tennessee the information has been used to lay the groundwork for a rich charging infrastructure in four major cities--Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga and Memphis--as well as the critical routes connecting them.

Located in the heart of downtown Nashville, the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel is one of 18 hotels in the United States and Canada that Loews Hotels owns and/or operates. Loews will have four public chargers on site to complement the Loews Hotels Green Program.

"Loews Vanderbilt Hotel and Office Complex is pleased to have the opportunity to join ECOtality and the EV Project partners in looking toward the future with the installation of our charging stations,” said Thomas Negri, Managing Director for the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel. “While playing a minor role, we are proud to be part of the new infrastructure, which will enable our guests and community members alike to be part of a greener future."

ECOtality worked closely with EV Project partners, including the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to map out a blueprint for electric transportation in Tennessee and determine which sites are best suited for charging stations. The company is currently in discussions with many public and private property owners for installations of public charging stations, and has partnered with national retailers including Sears, Fred Meyer, Macy’s, BP/Arco, and Best Buy. Cracker Barrel will install charging stations at 24 Tennessee locations as part of the Project.

“To ensure continued low-cost, reliable power, TVA is working with its local power distributors, communities, businesses and consumers to effectively integrate plug-in electric vehicle charging stations into the power grid,” said James Ellis, TVA senior manager for Transportation and Infrastructure. “Combining TVA electric generation with local delivery options is a key to fueling future transportation in the Tennessee Valley.”

The Blink Pedestal is a Level 2 EV charger (240V) that provides intelligent, user-friendly features to intuitively and safely charge EVs. They include an interactive seven-inch color touch screen and web-based delivery via the Blink Network.

Last year, the state of Tennessee announced a rebate of $2,500 for the first 1,000 Nissan LEAFs purchased in the State. EV Project participants in Tennessee also receive a free Blink Wall Mount charging station and an installation credit. Anyone will be able to charge at Blink charging stations utilizing a Blink InCard or by becoming Blink members. To obtain a Blink InCard, visit the Blink Network website at blinknetwork.com, or contact the Blink Customer Support Center at 888.998.BLINK (2546).

Businesses in the state of Tennessee that are interested in hosting Blink charging stations should contact Stephanie Cox, Tennessee Area Manager at ECOtality, at scox@ecotality.com, or by calling 615.504.4928.

About The EV Project

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 funded by the U.S. Department of Energy through a federal stimulus grant, made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

About ECOtality, Inc.

ECOtality, Inc. , 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