We’ve got news on two big electric car charging projects from Europe this week.
Ecotricity and Nissan to Speed Up “Electric Motorway” in England
Battery electric vehicle users can now charge their electric cars in 30 minutes using three chargers that were set up along a route between London and Birmingham.
A half-hour charge can charge most electric car batteries up to 80% of their capacity, providing them with an additional 80 miles of range. This is much better than a 3-hour charge and will work for most people, except for the few that have to drive multiple stretches of hundreds of miles.
While news about the invention of technologies is good to hear, it is even more heartwarming to see actual progress being made outside of laboratories as well, such as the construction of charging stations and power plants for public use, rather than just for experimentation.
In order for people to adopt electric vehicles, they have to be able to charge them in public places, just in case their overnight charge at home is not enough for that extra-long trip to grandma in another state or region, for example.
Ford and Schneider Electric Offer Car Chargers Across Europe
Ford and Schneider Electric also just started offering car chargers across Europe, technology that can charge electric cars in as little as 3 hours. The charging stations are compatible with any vehicle that uses the J1772 plug, which is what most electric cars use.
The chargers are optimized for use with Ford vehicles, including the Focus Electric.
Focus electric customers will have the option to purchase their electricity from certified green energy providers, which will not be mentioned until the Focus Electric is released.
Ford has not affirmed how many charging stations will be set up, but a Ford spokeswoman said that Schneider will offer multi-chargers to fleet customers.
Image Credits: ecotricity & Ford
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