Here at EV Authority we’ve done our best to promote the adoption of new cleaner technologies in the transportation industry, specifically Electric Vehicles. We’ve done this through company bios, product reviews and even an EV charging locations map which is potentially the most up to date and accurate resource available anywhere online. As more and more people actually purchase or make their own plugins, transition to electric bikes and motorcycles or make the jump to a Segway or Tesla Roadster there is one important factor that still seems to be lagging behind, charging stations! As you can see from our map, there are still a lot of blank spots in the US and abroad.
All that’s about to change however, and we’re betting on one company to lead the charge – ChargePoint. We’ve done stories and press coverage for these guys in the past, but more than ever things are getting real. Coulomb Technologies, the parent company of the ChargePoint system, is making headway in a space that few people thought was mature enough to invest in as recently as six months ago. Well, not only do they have a working prototype and mockups, they have actual working units deployed all across the US that are being used on a daily basis by real life customers! Utilities and private owners are actually monitoring their use realtime on the ChargePoint Network and a legitimate smart grid is starting to form.
What’s more impressive, their business model actually works… To date, the company hasn’t even received stimulus funding. That’s not slowing them down though, and as early as next month they could be adding grant money to what has already become a huge success story. Last week their founder Richard Lowenthal was even awarded 2009 Citizen of the Year by the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce.
An insider at Coulomb has kept us up to date on company progress as we’ve updated our map, and word has it they will be announcing a sizable new batch of customers very soon. Furthermore, they are expected to announce the deployment of European units later this year, more than doubling their current functional stations in the US! This will be the first time ChargePoints units are installed abroad. That’s not all, earlier this year they announced their first commercial ev charger installation at the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico California and are expected to announce several more commercial outlets in the coming week. This is amazing news for a company that has relied on government fleet installments to get their start. There are also rumors that beyond private enterprize and city installations their may also be a public utility company coming onboard.
We’re betting big on Coulomb and are very excited about their recent successes. Thier strategic partners at home and abroad have made huge progress and it seems like the gamble has paid off for early investors. Speaking of which, there is another rumor that the next big commercial installation for ChargePoint may be a casino! Stay tuned…
