Coulomb Technologies Expands ChargePoint Network for Electric Vehicles into European Markets

Coulomb and Nissan Europe Complete Compatibility Testing for New European ChargePoint Station and LEAF Interoperability. Coulomb Technologies, the leading electric car (EV) charging solutions provider, announced the expansion of the ChargePoint® Network with advanced networking features specifically designed for the European market.

The ChargePoint Network now supports the popular MIFARE-based transportation card that facilitates interoperability amongst different European energy supplier charging networks, making driver roaming possible. The family of ChargePoint Network compatible charging stations also now includes the ChargePoint CT2500, one of the first Mode3/Type 2 electric vehicle charging stations awarded the KEMA-KEUR safety certification mark for compliance with IEC 61851.

Coulomb’s ChargePoint Network is the world’s largest charging network supporting thousands of charging stations and EV drivers. The ChargePoint Network comprises stations installed throughout Europe including Ireland, England and the Netherlands, with more than 100 stations currently in use in the City of Amsterdam. Station owners, including energy suppliers and municipal governments, can now offer drivers: faster charging, flexible billing, email and text message alerts, 24/7 driver assistance, and compatibility with all new electric vehicles.

Additionally, Coulomb announced it has completed compatibility testing with the electric car Nissan LEAF at the Nissan Technical Centre in England. The Nissan LEAF is expected to be on the streets of Portugal, Ireland, UK and The Netherlands in early 2011 and will be able to charge at any ChargePoint charging station in Europe. Coulomb’s CT2500 was one of the first public Mode 3/Type 2 charging stations to successfully test charging compatibility with the Nissan LEAF at the Nissan Technical Center in November 2010.

“We are proud to expand ChargePoint Network’s reach further into the European market,” said Bret Sewell, Executive Vice President at Coulomb. “The introduction of these new stations helps support EV adoption in Europe, and the ChargePoint Network enables energy suppliers to deliver EV charging services to drivers, bill customers, and provide driver support, while cost effectively and remotely managing their charging infrastructure.”

Coulomb’s ChargePoint Network is open to all drivers of plug-in electric vehicles and all manufacturers of plug-in vehicle charging stations. ChargePoint Network’s unique features include:

Smart Grid ready with built in Utility Grade Capable Metering, Time of Use (TOU) pricing and Demand Response (DR) control

The ability for station owners to set fees for station use (including free charging)

Compatible with management, billing, demand response and other third party software applications

The lowest operating cost possible due to real-time operational monitoring, alerts, diagnosis, and control of stations

24/7 driver assistance, station location, station availability, trip mapping, driver consolidated/flexible billing, and driver notification services

Smart Phone applications (iPhone and Blackberry) to find unoccupied stations and navigate to them

The ChargePoint CT2500 charging station specifications feature:

IEC 61851-1 Mode 3 charging standard
Single output 7.4 kW
Single phase (230 VAC @ 32 A)
IEC 62196-2 e-mobility Type-2 connector
Internal breaker
KEMA-KEUR safety certified
Integrated mounting bracket provides mounting for an optional single-phase DIN 43 857 universal utility meter
Integrated ISO 15693 and ISO 14443 RFID reader that accepts ChargePass™ and the MIFARE-based transportation card

Coulomb Technologies is the leader in electric vehicle charging systems and application services, with the ChargePoint Network now operating in 14 countries, and Network Operations Centers in the U.S., London, and Hong Kong. The ChargePoint Network first went live in January of 2009. Coulomb provides a vehicle-charging infrastructure, with an open system driver network: the ChargePoint Network provides multiple web-based portals for Hosts, Fleet Managers, Drivers, and Utilities, and ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations ranging in capability from 120 Volt to 240 Volt AC charging and up to 500 Volt DC charging.

www.mychargepoint.net/request-station.php