Now on Google Maps: Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
One of the biggest challenges faced by the electric car industry is range anxiety — the fear of running out of juice far from a charging station. There’s an app for that, called PlugShare, released earlier this month. There’s also a map for that, writes Wired Autopia, because Google Maps now reflects the Department of Energy’s master list of 600-plus charging stations across the country:
While the information is readily available on the DOE site, it’s easier for many users to get it from Google Maps, which they’re likely already using. For instance, if you’re going on a trip in your Volt and want to plug in near your hotel, you can now search for a hotel with positive reviews and then search nearby for a public plug.
Meanwhile both cities and suburbs are experimenting with solar-powered charging stations, writes the New York Times Wheels blog. The Beautiful Earth Group installed one such station at Brooklyn Bridge Park, capable of charging the park staff’s small service fleet or four or five electrics. According to the Beautiful Earth website, the station will save the park $200,000 in gas costs, and the atmosphere 530 tons of carbon emissions, over the 25-year life of the project. A similar effort is being developed in suburban Connecticut, where Westport Solar Consultants plans to build a solar array that can charge ten spots in the parking lot of the Westport train station.
Lex Heslin, head of Beautiful Earth, tells Wheels that solar-powered charging stations embrace the spirit of electric vehicles:
“What’s the point of having E.V.’s charge from a coal plant that blows smoke into the atmosphere 24 hours a day?”
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