Midwest?s Largest Craft Brewer Provides Electric Vehicles with First ChargePoint Charging Station

Coulomb Technologies, Inc. the leader in electric vehicle charging systems and application services, today announced that Boulevard Brewing Company, the Midwest’s largest craft brewer, is the latest business to join the ChargePoint® Network. Boulevard’s ChargePoint charging station, installed at its Kansas City, Mo., headquarters, is available to employees and visitors, and is a key part of the brewery’s sustainability efforts toward achieving a cleaner community. Sale of the ChargePoint charging station was completed by LilyPad EV via Coulomb’s Midwest/Chicago distributor Carbon Day Automotive.

“Boulevard has a strong commitment to sustainability and the environment with our recycling, packaging, water conservation and transportation initiatives,” said John McDonald, founder and president of Boulevard Brewing Company. “Doing what we can to preserve the environment has always been important to us. When we consider new projects, sustainability is a critical factor. We like to embrace and promote new technologies that further our environmental goals, so it was natural for us to become part of the ChargePoint Network and give our EV-driving employees and customers the unique services these stations offer.”

The ChargePoint Network expansion into Kansas City brings EV drivers easy-to-use unique services including real-time status and location of unoccupied charging stations, tracking and reporting of greenhouse gas and gasoline savings, and charging status notification, all by SMS, email or smart phone (iPhone and Blackberry) applications. Coulomb’s ChargePoint Network is open to all drivers of plug-in vehicles and all manufacturers of electric vehicle charging stations.

The ChargePoint Network enables Boulevard Brewing Company to provide a distinctive new service and generate new revenues from EV charging. Charging station owners can set their own prices for charging as a function of the time of day or calendar date – much like a parking meter. Stations can also be configured to provide free access to EV drivers. Station owners can also:

Recover energy costs with PCI-compliant driver billing
Track and report energy usage and savings for greenhouse gas and fuel
Set multiple service plans for EV driver usage
Create flexible billing options for their customers without a subscription via contactless credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX, and Discover)
Access 24 X 7 station monitoring and driver support
Post custom advertising and greetings on the charging station display

The addition of the ChargePoint charging station is the latest example of conservation efforts by Boulevard Brewing Company.

In 2009, Boulevard formed a new company called Ripple Glass, which constructed a state-of-the-art recycled glass processing plant and created a metro-wide glass collection network. Ripple’s facility also processes container glass from throughout the region, helping other communities keep glass out of their landfills while giving it the new life it deserves.

Boulevard’s brewhouse and packaging building, built in 2007, features a green roof to reduce heating and air conditioning by increasing the insulation value where it is needed most. The surface also absorbs rainwater, thus reducing runoff while sustaining a variety of plant life. The plants, in turn, reduce the overall thermal footprint of the building, absorb CO2, and generate oxygen, all positively impacting the quality of life in the surrounding area.

The company has recently adopted a zero-landfill policy, with all solid “waste” being recycled, composted, or used as an alternative fuel source.

Boulevard Brewing Company has grown to be the largest specialty brewer in the Midwest, dedicated to the craft of producing fresh, flavorful beers using traditional ingredients and the best of both old and new brewing techniques. Boulevard’s portfolio of year-round and seasonal beers is available in 13 Midwestern states, with selected offerings distributed in an additional six states.

LilyPad EV is the Kansas and Missouri reseller for Coulomb Technologies. We sell, install, and maintain Coulomb Electric Vehicle Charging Stations under Midwest distributor Carbon Day Automotive in Chicago. LilyPad EV proudly partners with area Plug In Readiness Task Forces, and other interested parties, to actively help regions prepare for the arrival of plug in vehicles. LilyPad EV is a member of the Kansas City, St. Louis, Central Kansas, and Springfield, Missouri Plug in Readiness Task Forces. Our purpose is to ensure that people who purchase electric vehicles will be able to charge them as necessary…where they live, work, play, and shop. Our business model helps organizations move towards their sustainability goals while creating a new revenue streams.

Coulomb Technologies is the leader in electric car 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