Walmart, Daimler Announce EV Stations and Networks

Ecotality will install electric vehicle charging stations at over 10 Walmart stores in California, Oregon, and Washington, the two companies have announced.

The retailer will participate in Ecotality’s EV Project, which is overseeing the installation of about 14,000 commercial and residential charging stations in 18 major metropolitan areas. The project, funded in part through a federal stimulus grant, aims to support the deployment of 8,300 EVs.

The project is also collecting data which will help guide the implementation of future EV infrastructure, Ecotality says.

Ecotality will install two Blink Pedestal chargers per Walmart, with the exception of one site in Oregon which will have one Blink DC Fast Charger. EV drivers will be able to charge at any Blink station through a variety of options including interoperable RFID cards, smartphone applications, and mobile phone and credit card-based payment options.

In other EV news, Daimler subsidiary Car2go has launched what it calls North America’s first all-electric carsharing network, with 300 Smart ForTwo vehicles in San Diego (pictured).

Members can use Car2go with or without a reservation, for as long as they like, without having to commit to a return time or location. The cars are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Car2go also operates car-sharing networks in Austin, Texas; Vancouver, British Columbia; Hamburg, Germany; and Ulm, Germany. This month it also plans to launch an all-electric fleet in Amsterdam.