The biggest rollout of electric vehicle infrastructure in the world is about to begin in the United States.
 
Urban planners are now deciding the locations of more than 11,000 charging stations in 11 major cities.  Their goal is to have them up and running by the end of 2010, when Nissan and General Motors are expected to begin selling the first mass-market electric cars.  This could be good news for all electric vehicle owners.
 
Last year, the Department Of Energy awarded a $99.8 million contract to Electric Transportation Engineering Corp. (eTec), an electric transportation research and development firm, to build electric vehicle charging networks in five states.  Construction is due to begin soon and completion is expected to take about 36 months.
 
By this summer, charging infrastructure will be deployed in the following areas:  Phoenix, AZ; Tucson, AZ; San Diego, CA; Portland, OR; Eugene, OR; Corvallis, OR; Seattle, WA; Nashville, TN and Chattanooga, TN. 
 
The current plan is to offer Level 2 and Level 3 charging.  Level 2 charging systems recharge electric vehicles in 4-6 hours utilizing 220 volt power.  Typically, they are used for overnight charging at home or at a business that operates a fleet of electric vehicles.  Level 3 charging is often referred to as fast charging.  It allows electric vehicles to be recharged in minutes rather than hours.  Two hundred fifty Level 3 chargers will be deployed in high-density areas of each of the five launch markets and in major transportation corridors to allow electric vehicle users to commute between major cities.
 
A demonstration period of 2 years is planned, so that transportation officials can evaluate the program.  Hopefully, the results will be good enough to expand the charging station network to include more locations.
 
For more information on the EV Project, visit the website at http://www.theevproject.com.