wheego | electric cars | EV » EV charging

Cayman Automotive striving for a greener future

susan — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:40:58 +0000

from the CayCompass, January 23, 2012

Cayman Automotive is leading the way in introducing eco-conscious personal transportation to the Cayman Islands and the entire Caribbean. Thanks to new legislation, electric vehicles from Cayman Automotive will soon be zipping up and down the Islands’ roadways.

The company strives for a more environmentally responsible future, committing to the use of alternative, renewable energy sources and less dependence on fossil fuels.

Specialising in sales and leasing of new and pre-owned US-manufactured vehicles, Cayman Automotive was the first company in the Caribbean to introduce electric vehicles, bringing the Chevrolet Volt, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle to the Cayman Islands in 2011.

In October, the company received its first Wheego fully electric vehicle. With a maximum speed of 85 mph and a range of 100 miles, the Wheego will be available at around half the cost of the Chevrolet Volt, Cayman Automotive president John Felder says.

Alongside importing electric-powered vehicles, Mr. Felder has been working with a team of energy management experts to establish a network of charging stations for electric vehicles throughout Grand Cayman.

Cayman Automotive has been developing plans in collaboration with experts from Corporate Electric, U-Go-Station-Cayman and the US-based Eaton corporation to ensure the underlying infrastructure is in place so that as soon as laws are finalised, charging stations can be installed and customers will be able to use their electric vehicles, safe in the knowledge that they will not run out of power.

In June, Mr. Felder unveiled the first solar panel charging station for electric vehicles at Governors Square. It will be the first such charging station, not only in the Cayman Islands, but in the Caribbean.

The first charging station will have two parking spaces and uses a modular design with solar panels built as a canopy above the parking spaces.

When not being used to charge vehicles, power generated by the solar panels will be fed back into the CUC grid, and when there is insufficient sunlight to charge batteries, additional power can be drawn from the grid.

Charging time at the Level 2 charging station will take four to six hours, significantly less than a level 1 domestic charger, which would take 10 to 12 hours to fully charge an electric car.

A network of 14 such stations are planned for Grand Cayman, strategically located in areas with retail stores and businesses such as Camana Bay, Foster’s West Bay and the Strand, and Hurley’s.

Further east, charging stations are planned for the Reef Resort and Kaibo. Some of these locations will use the level three charger which will reduce charge time to 20 to 30 minutes.

Vehicle owners will be able to shop, go to work, dine out or even enjoy the beach while their vehicle is being charged, as well as never being out of range of a charging station. At the same time it is hoped that the location of the stations will help boost trade for local businesses.

Some of the charge stations will be free while some will be fee based

Mr. Felder has been working for the past six years to bring electric vehicles to the Cayman Islands. Early electric vehicles were not commercially viable due to their slow speeds and short ranges.

Improved technology means that these problems are in large part being overcome and all the 100 per cent electric vehicles now being offered have passed the U.S. Safety and Crash Tests standards.

Mr Felder is offering customers a free level 2 charger, including installation, when they purchase a Chevrolet Volt or any electric vehicles being offered..

The introduction of the first solar-powered charging station in the Caribbean is the result of a collaboration between various Caymanian and U.S. businesses (Cayman Automotive, Corporate Electric, U-Go Stations, Inc.) and the US based Eaton, all of whom have contributed their expertise to help move the Cayman Islands towards a greener tomorrow.

Even with the vehicles on hand and charging stations installed, changes to legislation were still necessary to allow all-electric vehicles to operate on Cayman’s roads.

In December, Governor Duncan Taylor signed the revised Cayman Islands Traffic Law, which included provisions to legalise the use of all-electric vehicles, such as the Wheego.

Provisions for both neighbourhood electric vehicles and electric-powered cars that can be driven on Cayman Islands roads alongside gas-powered cars were included in the Traffic Bill.

Neighbourhood electric vehicles are lower-powered cars generally driven on side streets and parking lots, but which cannot be driven on main thoroughfares. Larger, faster brands of electric-powered vehicles will be allowed to be registered for use on local roads.

Right now, most electric-powered vehicles can’t be registered in the Cayman Islands because they can’t go fast enough and some only travel up to 40 to 50 miles on a charge.

However, vehicles currently being imported by Cayman Automotive can travel at speeds of 65 to 85 miles per hour and can drive up to 100 miles on a charge.

Legislators also have passed the Motor Vehicle Insurance (Third Party Risk) Amendment Bill 2011 to enable electric vehicles travelling on public roads to be insured.

For more info
T: (345) 749-0900
W: www.caymanautomotive.com

Wheego Participates in PEV Display at Georgia State Capitol

susan — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:31:15 +0000

January 13, 2012, Atlanta, Georgia

Les Seagraves, Wheego VP-Product Development, represented Wheego Electric Cars in a Plug-in Electric Vehicle display for the Georgia General Assembly’s Committee on Energy, Utility and Telecommunications. The event showcased the latest technology in Plug-In Electric vehicles and charging stations at the Georgia State Capitol building on January 12, 2012.

ClipperCreek Announces Direct-to-Grid(TM) Integration with Silver Spring Networks Enabled Charging Station

susan — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 15:00:20 +0000

AUBURN, Calif., Sep 27, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Autovation: National Harbor, MD – ClipperCreek announced today the introduction of its flagship CS-40 electric vehicle charge station enabled with Silver Spring Direct-to-Grid(TM) communications technology.

The solution, which pairs the grid-connected CS-40 with Silver Spring UtilityIQ back-office software, will allow utilities to measure EV charging consumption and ensure grid reliability by managing the load during peak demand times.

“We feel strongly that utilities need to have insight into the EV charging load,” said Dave Packard, ClipperCreek President. “The combined ClipperCreek and Silver Spring solution will allow utilities to seamlessly manage their load at the granularity necessary to ensure reliability of the grid.”

This new capability will allow utilities to deploy two-way connectivity to load-control devices, leveraging the utilities robust communications. Software enhancements to Silver Spring’s open, unified Smart Energy Platform will include expanded support for electric vehicle charge management to reduce the risk of new peak loads and encourage customer participation in Demand Response programs.

For more details, go to: http://www.silverspringnet.com/solutions/demand-response.html

ClipperCreek charging stations are approved for use for all plug-in vehicles including The Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt, Ford Transit Connect and Ford Focus Electric, Tesla Roadster, Mitsubishi iMiEV, smart fortwo electric and Wheego.

About ClipperCreek, Inc.

ClipperCreek brings product leadership to the electric vehicle charging infrastructure marketplace with reliable, safe and flexible, software-driven products that have been proven through 12 years of development and field experience. ClipperCreek has shipped over 6,000 charge stations and is the exclusive provider of EVSE chargers for BMW’s Mini-E and for Tesla Motors’ Level 2 EVSE charging stations. ClipperCreek also provides chargers to power GM, Mitsubishi, Mercedes and Nissan vehicles.

About Silver Spring Networks

Silver Spring Networks provides a leading networking platform and solutions that enable utilities to transform the power grid infrastructure into the smart grid, helping utilities to achieve operational efficiencies, reduce carbon emissions and empower their customers with new ways to monitor and manage their energy consumption. Silver Spring provides the hardware, software and services that allow utilities to deploy and run multiple smart grid solutions, including Advanced Metering, Distribution Automation and Demand Side Management, over a single, unified network. Silver Spring’s Smart Energy Platform is based on open, Internet Protocol (IPv6) standards, allowing continuous, two-way communication between the utility and devices on the grid. Silver Spring has numerous deployments with leading utilities around the world, including Baltimore Gas & Electric, CitiPower & Powercor, Florida Power & Light, Jemena Electricity Networks Limited, Pacific Gas & Electric, Pepco Holdings, Inc., and United Energy Distribution, among others. For additional information, please visit www.silverspringnet.com .

SOURCE: ClipperCreek, Inc.

Electric car charging station unveiled at Atlantic Station

susan — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 14:21:55 +0000

by Jeremiah McWilliams for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Sept. 2, 2011

Atlanta is streamlining its tough permitting procedures to encourage apartment owners, families and businesses to install charging stations for electric cars.

Mayor Kasim Reed, auto dealers and owners of electric cars were on hand Wednesday morning for the opening of the city’s first public solar-powered charging station for electric vehicles at Atlantic Station. Wheego, Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf models competed for space in a grassy parking area as onlookers gawked at low-slung Tesla electric sports cars. Reed pulled up at 10 a.m. in a cream-colored Volt and made his way to the microphones set up for a news conference.

“We just have to find a way to do more,” he said. “We should be leading. We have to get more stations like this open.”

City officials said two parking management companies are in the process of selecting sites for charging stations in Atlanta.

The city’s Bureau of Buildings is tooling with its processes to ease the installation of charging stations. The bureau, which enforces Atlanta’s construction and demolition codes, now aims to get charging stations approved as soon as the same day if all necessary documents are presented, said Aaron Bastian of the city’s Division of Sustainability. Atlanta is not giving grants or other financial incentives beyond the permitting changes.

The Atlantic Station charging station is located across 17th Street from the Millennium Gate. It is partially powered by overhead solar panels and will be available to motorists with electric-powered, zero-emissions vehicles 24 hours a day beginning Thursday. The three parking spots at the charging stations will be free to use until January and then will cost users $3 per hour. To charge a Volt or a Leaf, it will take three to seven hours.

Atlantic Station was built on the site of an abandoned steel mill and was one of the largest and most extensive brown-field reclamation projects in the U.S. when it opened in 2005.

Todd Frye, a Los Angeles-based principal at CB Richard Ellis Investors, said the real estate company is investing millions in an effort to freshen up Atlantic Station. CB Richard Ellis took over majority ownership earlier this year and is spending $2.5 million to paint and brighten the underground parking garage. Food trucks and weeknight movies have also appeared at Atlantic Station.

“You asked for some of these changes,” Frye said at the news conference, “and we’re giving them to you.”

Atlanta Unveils New Public Charging Stations at Atlantic Station

susan — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 20:05:03 +0000

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed checks out a Wheego at Atlantic Station

Atlantic Station in Atlanta, Georgia unveiled three public EV charging stations at their “Charging Spot” on August 31. The stations are free to the public through 2011. View the gallery of pictures by photographer J Gilman. CBS covered the event:

by Mandi Milligan for CBS Atlanta

A new electric vehicle charging station opened Thursday at Atlantic Station.

The charging station is located at 271 17th Street across from the Millennium Gate.

The multi-outlet charging station will be powered by overhead solar panels and will be available to motorists with electric powered, zero-emissions vehicles 24 hours a day.

The charging station is the latest environmental innovation at Atlantic Station.

Atlantic Station was one of the largest and most extensive brown-field reclamation projects in the U.S. when it opened in 2005.

The Atlantic Station charging station will be able to fully charge any of the currently available U.S. electric vehicles in three to seven hours vs. the standard charging time of 11 to 25 hours, depending on the type of electric vehicle.

The first charging station in the metro Atlanta area was installed at Cole Technology Inc. at 3980 Martin Luther King Jr Drive in Dec. 2010.

Cole Technology is the local GE partner for the sales and installation of the complete line of GE electric vehicle charge stations.

Can Electric Cars Put a Charge in Bay Area Drivers?

susan — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 13:52:03 +0000

June 30, 2011

Tampa, Florida Wheego Dealer Richard Nimphie shows a LiFe to the Bay News 9 news team.

Watch the video here.

ClipperCreek Introduces Its Low Cost LCS-25 for Residential Charging

susan — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 17:45:13 +0000

Business Wire, June 14, 2011

AUBURN, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–ClipperCreek, Inc. announced today the introduction of its LCS-25 – a compact, high power, residential charge station priced at just $995. The LCS-25 sets a new standard for small size and even smaller installation cost.

“We have made great strides in reducing the footprint and the burden on the customer’s pocket book.” said Jason France, ClipperCreek’s CEO. “The LCS-25 should install in just an hour or two and eliminates the overly complicated installations we have been seeing in the market.”

The LCS-25 is delivered with a flexible conduit that is easily wired into an existing junction box. The tough but small enclosure is mounted with just four screws. The LCS-25 measures in at 11” x 4” x 3” and incorporates a cable hanger making this model the industry’s most discreet and attractive option.

The LCS-25 is built with no compromise in safety or reliability. The LCS-25 is safety listed, meets the new SAE standard and is approved for use by all electric vehicles coming to market including the Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf, and the Wheego LiFe

About ClipperCreek, Inc.

ClipperCreek brings product leadership to the electric vehicle charging infrastructure marketplace with reliable, safe and flexible software-driven products that have been proven through years of development and continued field experience. ClipperCreek is the exclusive provider of charging stations for BMW’s Mini-E and Tesla Motors’ Roadster. ClipperCreek products also power the Chevy Volt, Mitsubishi I MiEV Nissan Leaf, THINK City, smart fortwo electric and Wheego LiFe vehicles.


ClipperCreek products are manufactured in Auburn, CA USA
Visit www.ClipperCreek.com for more information.

Press Release From Hawaii Auto Dealers Association

susan — Tue, 31 May 2011 12:50:31 +0000

Honolulu Mayor Peter B. Carlisle introduced the city’s new online registration system for electric vehicle charging stations at a press conference held 12 noon May 27, 2011 on the Honolulu Hale grounds. An Aerovironment electric vehicle charging station is shown in front of the electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle display surrounding Isamu Noguchi’s Skygate sculpture.

NEWS RELEASE—May 27, 2011 For immediate release

HADA joins the City and County of Honolulu, DBEDT and HECO for a press conference Lahaina Noon Friday, May 27, 2011, on Honolulu Hale grounds

Honolulu, HI. – The City and County of Honolulu rolled out the city’s new online permitting system for the installation of electric vehicle charging stations at a press conference held 12 noon, Friday, May 27, 2011 next to the Skygate sculpture on the Honolulu Hale grounds, 530 S. King St.

Note: The reason for the selection of the location of the news conference is that the “Lahaina Noon” circular shadow phenomenon occurs at the Skygate sculpture at exactly 12:28 p.m. May 27 and provides a metaphor about how government, customers, and businesses are collaboratively working together to achieve the Hawaii clean energy goals.

Ron Hansen, a representative from the Hawaii Automobile Dealers Association and an electric vehicle dealer, took the opportunity to provide an update on the introductions of electric vehicles in Hawaii. He reported on the activities of the following automakers:

- Nissan North America has designated Hawaii as one of its 7 U.S. rollout markets for the Nissan LEAF. In addition to Hawaii—Nissan selected Tennessee, Oregon, Washington, California, Arizona and Texas. There have been approximately 300 reservations for the vehicle so far in Hawaii and about 75 have been delivered.

- Mitsubishi has more pre-orders in Hawaii for its i MiEV electric vehicle than other U.S. market reports John Nakamoto, Manager for Business Development EV Operations Dept., Mitsubishi Motors North America. “We have 92 confirmed reservations from residents of the State of Hawaii. This represents the largest state in our preorder system, although California is right behind this number.”

- Wheego delivered its first highway-speed vehicle Wednesday—the first one in Hawaii.

- General Motors has designated Hawaii for the second phase of its roll out for the VOLT — August 2011.

- Chrysler Group LLC will provide Hawaii a test fleet of PHEV RAM 1500 pickup trucks. A total of 140 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles will be supplied to selected cities and states as part of a demonstration project which will log 6.5 million miles over a period of 3 years. There are no plans for production of the vehicle, though, at this time.
States selected are: North Dakota, Massachusetts, Hawaii and Arizona. Cities will include San Francisco and Sacramento, Calif.; Austin, Texas and Kansas City, Mo.

HADA notes that to meet the clean energy goals in the transportation sector it will take a portfolio of solutions, including not just electric vehicles, but plug-in electric hybrids, gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles, hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, alternative fuel vehicles and fuel-efficient gasoline vehicles. The most complete summary of mile per gallon ratings for vehicles can be found on the federal government’s website www.fueleconomy.gov.

The press conference also featured remarks from Maria Tome, the State of Hawaii Department of Business Economic Development and Tourism’s Renewable Energy Branch Manager and Scott Seu, Hawaiian Electric Company vice president for resource acquisition.

Contact: Dave Rolf, Exec. Dir., Hawaii Automobile Dealers Assoc. 808 593-0031/cell: 808 223-6015

ClipperCreek Ships Its 5,000(th) EV Charge Station

susan — Wed, 18 May 2011 20:19:51 +0000

Barron’s, May 18, 2011

Shipments can be made within 48 hours of order

AUBURN, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 18, 2011--

ClipperCreek, Inc. announced today that it shipped its 5,000(th) electric vehicle charging station, clearly maintaining its leadership position in the market. The company has seen a significant increase in shipments as new vehicles hit the market.

“The customer base is varied and broad-based,” said David Packard, President of ClipperCreek, Inc. “We see orders coming from every segment of the market, including utilities, municipalities, residential and private fleets.”

ClipperCreek’s flagship CS line is now prominent in many homes, as well as public installations. International shipments have also been increasing as the demand for quality charge stations is worldwide.

ClipperCreek charge stations meet the new SAE standards and are designed to operate with all Plug-In cars and trucks coming to market. ClipperCreek has a large family of products listed which operate from 120V to 240V and charge at rates of 12 to 75 Amps.

In other news, ClipperCreek will begin upgrading the existing infrastructure in California in June under a program with the California Energy Commission. This program will increase the number of public charge stations in California by at least 500 units. Details to be released soon.

About ClipperCreek, Inc.

ClipperCreek brings product leadership to the electric vehicle charging infrastructure marketplace with reliable, safe and flexible, software-driven products that have been proven through years of development and continued field experience. ClipperCreek is the exclusive provider of charging stations for BMW’s Mini-E and Tesla Motors’ Roadster. ClipperCreek products also power the Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf, THINK City, smart fortwo electric and Wheego LiFe vehicles.

ClipperCreek Products are manufactured in Auburn, CA USA
Visit www.ClipperCreek.com
CONTACT: ClipperCreek, Inc.

Dave Packard, 530-217-3112

Your Ultimate Guide To Electric Car Charging Etiquette

susan — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 17:06:41 +0000

by Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield for All Cars Electric, October 13, 2010

The end of 2010 is fast approaching and that means in a few short months we’ll see the launch of several different plug-in vehicles. But as the 2011 Nissan Leaf, 2011 Coda Sedan, 2011 Chevrolet Volt, 2011 Wheego Whip LiFE and others hit the roads of the U.S., hundreds of new electric car and plug-in vehicle owners will discover that there’s an unwritten set of rules regarding what you should and should not do when recharging your EV.

So here’s our ultimate guide to ensure that you never commit an electric car related faux pas the next time you plug your car in.

Rule Number 1: Share And Share Alike

There’s nothing quite like the thrill of finding an empty electric vehicle charging station just waiting to be used. But before you plug in and leave your car charging ask yourself if you really need the extra charge the point will provide. Especially true if there’s only one charger, tying up the charging point when your car has more charge than it needs does no one any favors.

Project EViE's Matt Vance at an EV Charging Station in Paris

Rule Number 2: Pure Electric Before Plug In Hybrids/Range Extended EVs

Driving a Plug-in Prius, or a 2011 Chevy Volt? Remember that while you may really want to make use of the electric charging points available to minimize your use of gasoline, not everyone has a gasoline engine to fall back on.

If you’re a plug-in hybrid or range extended electric car driver, try to only plug in when there are plenty of public chargers available. It avoids arguments.

Rule Number 3: Charge Up – Move On

If you’ve just arrived at the mall after a 60 mile trek on the freeway and really do need to charge your 2011 Nissan Leaf up so you can get home, make sure you move your car to a regular parking space when you have enough charge.

Turning up to do a day’s shopping and leaving your car plugged in long after it’s fully charged is seriously uncool.

Cars like the 2011 Nissan Leaf let you know when they’re full. If your car texts you to say “I’m done!” then free up the parking bay/charger for someone else.

Rule Number 4: Safety First

Charging Cables are hazardous to everyone. While the charging cables that come with most charging stations we’ve seen are brightly colored, retract back into the base station and are designed to not get in the way it is still possible to trip someone up with them.

When you park up to charge make sure you park in such a way that the charging cable has a safe and uninterrupted route to your car – and that where possible, no one can trip or catch on the cable.

Rule Number 5: Charging Is A Privilege, Not A Right

While you may be helping to kick-start a whole new industry while lowing the nation’s consumption of fossil fuels by driving electric, remember that owning and driving an electric car is a choice.

As a consequence, any charging points installed are there for your convenience, especially ones that are offered free of charge.

Be courteous to those who have provided it, look after the charger and report any issues to the relevant party. And try to remain calm if your favourite free charger isn’t available.

Lastly, if you are bumming a charge from somewhere remote without a dedicated charging station, don’t assume it’s free. Offer to pay for it, or at least give an extra tip.

Rule Number 6: Register With A Charging Network.

If you run a local business or live in a less-than-supported area and have charging available you don’t mind sharing, why not register with a charging network. It helps others to find places to charge and gives you access to a great database of places to plug in.

Rule Number 7. Early Adopters Are Ambassadors

If you’re an early electric car owner you’re an ambassador for a gas-free future. If you can, spend time talking to folks who ask questions, be nice, and don’t forget to help spread the word about electric cars.

In Conclusion:

EV charging will rise over the next few years, but so will the number of electric cars. Follow our guide and there will hopefully always be somewhere to plug in.