Hillsboro, Oregon Goes Live with Level 2 EV Charging Stations
05 October 2010
The City of Hillsboro is the first in the State of Oregon to install Coulomb Technologies’ Level II ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations for plug-in and electric vehicles. The thirteen Level II charging stations are now installed in downtown Hillsboro at their new green intermodal transit facility.
Additionally, one Level II station has been installed at the Hillsboro Civic Center, with two more to be completed by the end of October, 2010. The charging stations are available for public use and located 15 miles outside of Portland. Coulomb’s Level I and Level II CT2100 family of charging stations are dual output stations designed for public outdoor applications for the North American marketplace. Coulomb’s northwest distributor Charge Northwest installed and maintains the stations.
The 7.2 kW output delivers Level II (208/240 V @ 30 A) charging via the standard SAE J1772 connector and fixed 18-foot cable. The 2 kW output delivers Level I (120 V @ 16 A) charging via a standard NEMA 5-20 receptacle protected behind a locking door. Both outputs can deliver energy simultaneously.
Well, this IS the home of Intel. And other high tech outfits. So it makes sense they will have charge stations for Level II charging.
However it is not going to make a Chevrolet Volt charge faster than 3.3 kW - due to internal power controls. This means a two hour charge time even with the 3rd party Level II charger.
Volt will charge at the same rate with a home 220V 30A, circuit as with a Coulomb Level II charger. This could change in later revs if GM is satisfied the higher wattage charging (7.2kW) causes no damage or safety issues. The fast charge would then become 45 minutes. A very reasonable time for shoppers and errand runners.
Posted by: Reel$$ | 05 October 2010 at 12:28 PM
I hope they catch on this time around. Chargers put in during the 90s for the EV1s are now monuments to what could have been. History might show that we did what was right in the 90s and then two oil guys came into power and it was all scrapped only to be brought back when sanity was restored.
Posted by: SJC | 05 October 2010 at 12:46 PM