Supermarket chain H-E-B and restaurant Denny's are among the companies that will host over 100 electric vehicle charging stations in Austin, Texas.
Utility Austin Energy yesterday announced the locations of the 103 plug-in charging stations (pdf) in its Plug-In EVerywhere network, fulfilling its commitment to the ChargePoint America initiative. The program, backed by federal stimulus grants, selected the Texan capital as one of nine participating metropolitan regions.
The level two, or 220/240 volt, charging stations are located at restaurants, hotels, medical facilities, educational institutions, retail stores, libraries and recreation centers and at other public, private and non-profit partners. Chargers will be located at three H-E-B stores, three Denny's restaurants, three Walmarts and two Sam's Club locations.
The locations are geographically distributed throughout Austin, according to the energy company.
Austin Energy offered rebates of up to $2,500 per charging station to the private, public and non-profit sectors to help defray the costs of installing the free charging stations offered by the company through the ChargePoint America program.
Charging stations are available for use by everyone with an electric vehicle. Austin Energy offers a $25 six-month subscription swipe card for unlimited charging at any network location. Otherwise, a credit card can be used for $2 per hour of charging.
The company says that the Plug-In EVerywhere network will enable it to gather data about when the charging stations are used and how much energy is used and will help the utility research and plan for how plug-in electric vehicles will help shape the electric and transportation sectors in the years to come.
