The giant Ford Motor Co has announced that it will install electric vehicle (EV) charging points at more than 50 of its US and Canadian offices and plants so that employees can recharge their electric vehicle batteries at work. The installation programme will commence in November and continue through 2014. It will include nearly every Ford facility in the US and Canada and will allow employees to drive their electric vehicles nearly all the time.
“We know that a growing electrified vehicle infrastructure is key to making plug-in vehicles a viable option for more consumers” said Mike Tinskey, Ford’s global director of vehicle electrification and infrastructure. “We're trying to be on the leading edge of a trend to offer employees the ability to have a second charge so they would charge at night (at home) and then charge at work.”
The first four hours of charging will be free and will be enough to top up a depleted battery on any Ford vehicle. The total cost of fully charging a vehicle is likely to be around 50 cents and will save up to $2 of gasoline per day. Manufacturers generally are installing charging points in order to counter fears concerning driving range and also because developing the technology is seen as a primary driver in helping to meet the requirements for fuel efficiency. The number of charging points in the US and Canada has grown to more than 20,000 from 3,000 in 2009 but the ability to charge vehicles at work is key to reducing costs. Ford already has more than 1,700 charging stations at dealerships and facilities in North America and its EV range includes the all-electric Focus Electric alongside two plug-in hybrids, the Fusion Energi and C-Max Energi.
General Motors Co has 795 charging stations at its US facilities around 395 of which are available to the general public, with another 4,300 at its dealerships. Nissan has more than 160 Level 2 chargers and 10 quick charging units at 12 of its facilities and more than 3,100 located at dealerships. It also helps to invest with other organisations in order to install charging points at company premises and in communities. Tesla has 30 superchargers in the US and Europe.
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