Google is installing more than 300 charging stations for electric vehicles at its headquarters in Mountain View, California, more than at any other workplace in the country.
EV charging company Coulomb Technologies has installed over 70 charging stations, and plans call for another 250 stations on campus. Google says the ultimate goal is to make 5% of its parking EV-ready.
Google manages its charging stations via Coulomb’s ChargePoint Network. The network uses smartcards for identifying customers at charging stations, and an online portal gives customers remote access to charging information and electricity costs.
The network also provides 24/7 driver telephone assistance, e-mail or text message alerts for "charging session interruption" or "charging completed", and individual driver portals to track energy usage and greenhouse gas savings.
The charging stations are used by employee-owned electric vehicles, as well as the company’s growing car sharing program for Googlers (GFleet), which includes Chevrolet Volts and Nissan LEAFs.
"Our EVs and charging stations are part of our broader green transportation system that includes biodiesel shuttles that Googlers use to commute to work instead of driving their own cars," says Rolf Schreiber technical program manager, Electric Transportation, at Google. "But we’re only one company among many, so we hope our green transportation initiatives serve as a model for other companies to incorporate sustainability programs into their own workplaces."
Google posted a video on their Green Blog detailing their green transportation initiatives:
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