Electric vehicles (EVs) are great, but better if you are not charging them from coal-powered electricity. Solar-powered charging stations are beginning to pop up now to address this situation. Dell headquarters in Texas planted some “solar trees” recently to charge their employees’ EVs, Chicago got its first solar-powered EV charging station in April, and now, New York just got its first one as well thanks to sustainable energy company Beautiful Earth Group.
There may be more on the horizon as well. EVs are looking to boom across the world.
In addition to using solar photovoltaic panels, the charging station is built of “recycled, decommissioned steel shipping containers.”
Beautiful Earth’s president and chief executive Lex Heslin, delighted with these technologies of the future, says, “It never ceases to amaze me, when I get behind the wheel of this 95 mph sports car, that it doesn’t use a single drop of gasoline, and that all of its power comes from the solar energy we collect right here on the Brooklyn waterfront.”
According to Beautiful Earth, the charging station has a capacity of about 6 kilowatts and should be able to produce enough power for a small house as well. An integrated battery bank ensure that the station can provide power at any time of the day, all 24 hours.
Just the other day, 14 of the world’s largest cities committed to using EVs. London, taking the first big step, committed to installing 25,000 charging points across London by 2015! Hopefully, these cities will all look to implement solar-powered charging stations as well.
Related Stories:
- Chicago Gets First Solar Powered EV Charging Station
- Dell Builds Solar Trees for Parking Lot
- In Copenhagen, 14 of World’s Biggest Cities Commit to EVs
- More Than Half of Londoners Could Have Their Groceries Delivered by EV in 2010
Images via ShellyS and Tattooed JJ
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