California Adding Five New EV Charging Stations Across LA Transit Spots To Spur Combined Use

The LA Metro Authority has just installed five new electric vehicle charging stations across its transit rail system as part of a pilot program designed to encourage electric vehicle owners to combine driving with public transportation.

Los Angeles electric vehicle charging station. Photo courtesy of Luskin Center for Innovation

The transportation authority hopes that EV drivers will see the stations as a convenience that allows them to “be able to charge their vehicles while using the Metro to run errands, go to events” or commute to work.

This is the first time that the transportation authority has directly incorporated EV charging stations into the transit system. The new charging stations are located in: Union Station, Sierra Madre Villa Station, Willow Station, El Segundo Station, and Universal City Station.

The transportation authority said the locations were selected because of their proximity to major transportation hubs and busy traffic arteries. In addition, they were selected to encourage the use of the transit system – and its Park and Ride lots – from different regions headed to and from Downtown LA.

The charging stations all incorporate the SAE J1772 (North American Automotive Industry Standard) plug. These locations consist of 208/240V 30amp Level 2 charging spots capable of providing up to 7.2KW of power to each vehicle.

All of the newer model electric cars – including the Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt, Ford Focus Electric, Toyota Prius Plug-in, and Mitsubishi iMiEV – will be able to plug into the Level 2 charge spots.

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Nissan LEAF Pilot Program Taxi Cabs Expected To Appear On New York City Streets Next Month

As part of New York City’s Taxi of Tomorrow program, next month Nissan will be working with the city and taxi owners on a pilot program to study the use of electric vehicles as taxis.

Nissan LEAF NYC Taxi Cab. Photo courtesy of auto.sanook.com.

Nissan will provide six fully-electric LEAFs and charging stations at no cost to taxi owners or the city to test the electrified taxi fleet.

These cars will be put into normal taxi service (with existing taxicab medallions) and allow Nissan, the city, the taxi industry, and riders to see how electric vehicles work as taxis.

Each fleet participant will receive two LEAF vehicles to use with one medallion. Each LEAF will only be used during a single shift, so while one vehicle is in service, the other will be charging to maintain fleet operating time.

Nissan told participants at the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission that the distance they drive on a single charge will depend on several factors including: weather, accessories, and driving habits.

Nissan told drivers, “This means that you will need to stop mid-shift to recharge the battery, and depending on the charging station this can take anywhere from fifteen to several hours.”

Depending on conditions, the LEAF can have a driving range of between 62 to 138 miles on a single charge.

To find a charging station, Nissan said that every LEAF comes equipped with a technology called CARWINGS, which is an in-car telematics system that will show information including the battery power and charging stations. It will also allow the driver to download a charge point app that will show nationwide charging stations.

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Nissan’s LEAF Zero Emission Car Goes on Tour

Stock photo.

For anyone curious about what it would be like to drive a ‘zero-emission’ all-electric car without having to buy one, you might be able to get your chance on Nissan’s North American tour of its newly developed LEAF five-door hatchback.

Nissan has just begun its LEAF tour which will stop in a total of 22 cities in 11 states, the District of Columbia, and Vancouver, Canada. The automaker is going all-out to showcase the hatchback, which is expected to rollout in mass production in late 2010.

While Nissan is in full-swing marketing mode, they’re also providing some hard facts about the LEAF, which is designed with a lithium ion chassis. For those unfamiliar with automotive terminology, the chassis generally refers to the frame of a vehicle, including components such as the engine, transmission, and suspension.

The LEAF has a laminated lithium ion rechargeable battery with a capacity of 24kWh (kilowatt hours) and a power of over 90kW (kilowatts), built by the Automotive Energy Supply Corporation.

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