Electric car infrastructure

Imagine how long it took for there to be as many gas stations around the country as there are today. It didn't just happen overnight and unfortunately neither can electric charging stations for electric powered cars. Being able to effectively charge your car is probably the primary concern for consumers when looking at possibly purchasing an electric car, and the concern is very warranted. Today we are lacking in both number of charging stations, and the technology to allow us to quickly charge our cars. In an article from the BBC titled “Can electric cars attract the attention of drivers?” (found here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/click_online/8395971.stm ), they discuss these challenges and point to some initiatives that the Japanese government, and their auto manufacturers, are taking to build up both the number of charging stations and the cars that will use them. One thing I found interesting was a new technology that allows for short distance wireless charging, similar to that used by an electric toothbrush. I imagine a good place to implement this would be at company parking lots, where they could install them in a few spaces for employees who drive electric cars. There is also an initiative promoted by Nissan to get over ten thousand charging stations installed on the west coast, including 2,000 in Oregon. This is part of the EV Project which Nissan is using to introduce and test their electric car in the market. If you're interested in participating you can go here:http://www.theevproject.com/When you go to buy a new car, an electric car should be something you consider. The infrastructure is certainly growing and within several years there could be hundreds of pumping stations in every major city, and you can also get one installed in your own home!

-Damen