Reportedly, Ecotality worked with global innovation firm frog design to set a new precedent for electric vehicle chargers.
The company said that the chargers offer significant improvements over previous charging stations and are well positioned in a market that is expected to grow to $1.5bn by 2015, according to a recent Pike Research report on the electric vehicle equipment supply industry.
The first Blink charging stations will be installed in Fall 2010 as part of The EV Project. As project manager of The EV Project, Ecotality will deploy nearly 15,000 charging stations in 16 cities across six US states, as well as the District of Columbia.
The $230m public-private initiative is funded in part with a $114.8m grant from the US Department of Energy (DOE), funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
Jonathan Read, CEO of Ecotality, said: “Blink is more than a place to plug in a car-it is the fulcrum between the driver, car, home and utility. This high level of interactivity built into our system sets Blink chargers apart from anything else on the market and is key to driving consumer EV adoption.
“Never before has consumer demand been so high and the market potential so large for EVs. By introducing a charger that is simply smarter and really connected, Ecotality and our partners are setting a new industry standard.”
Paul Bradley, executive creative director for frog design, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Ecotality to design and bring to market the Blink family of EV chargers. Blink adds a human touch to complex technology.
“The design has a familiar graphic and functional simplicity that will help to integrate electric vehicles into consumers’ lives, and represents a new icon for a smart EV ecosystem.”
