13 major US corporations have agreed to install charging stations at their workplace for electric cars, as part of the Department of Energy’s Workplace Charging Challenge.
The idea is to make EV charging easily accessible to encourage people to buy these vehicles. Since cars are parked in employer parking lots much of the day, the ability to charge while at work can potentially double the driving range.
This untapped resource presents a significant opportunity to expand the country’s plug-in charging infrastructure.
The first companies to sign on are: Google, 3M, , GE, Siemens, Verizon, Duke Energy, Eli Lily, Chrysler Group, Ford, GM, Nissan, San Diego Gas & Electric, and Tesla.
The goal of the Workplace Charging Challenge is to increase the number of US employers that offer workplace charging tenfold in the next five years.
It’s part of DOE’s EV Everywhere program, announced by President Obama last year, to make plug-ins as affordable and convenient for the American family as gasoline-powered vehicles within the next 10 years.
Eight stakeholder organizations are also supporting the initiativ: California PEV Collaborative, CALSTART, Electric Drive Transportation Association, Electrification Coalition, International Parking Institute, NextEnergy, Plug In America, and Rocky Mountain Institute.