It seems like new plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEV) are being announced every day. If Coulomb Technologies has its way, you’ll be powering your next PHEV with the help of “Smartlet Charging Stations”— curbside plug-in charging machines that activate with “ChargePoint Smart Cards”.
The company is in direct competition with Better Place, which also has plans to install PHEV charging stations in public areas. But while Better Place is focusing on stations that offer both charging and battery-swapping, Coulomb is speeding up its roll-out by only focusing on charging.
While fewer than 300 PHEVs are on the road today in the US, Coulomb wants to install 40 Smartlet Stations along California highways and at fueling stations by the end of this business quarter. Demonstration charging stations are already in place in downtown San Jose, California.
The company is also working on software to manage electricity flow between PHEVs and power grids.
Photo Credit: Coulomb
Ariel Schwartz was formerly the editor of CleanTechnica and is a contributor at Fast Company, Inhabitat, Triple Pundit, SF Weekly, and NBC Bay Area Online. A graduate of Vassar College, she has previously worked in publishing, organic farming, documentary film, and newspaper journalism. Her interests include permaculture, hiking, skiing, music, relocalization, and cob (the building material). She currently resides in San Francisco, CA.
