Two electric vehicle (EV) charging stations
from ChargePoint Inc. were recently installed on
the Glens Falls Hospital campus, under the state’s
Charge NY program, through a partnership between
NYSERDA, ChargePoint, and National Grid.
The two EV charging stations are located at
29 Mohican St. and 126 South St. in Glens Falls
– both in areas where the public is able to access
at any time.
The new stations enable EV owners to charge
their vehicles easily. They simply tap their Charge-
Point card on the contact pad and the station
unlocks and is ready to charge, officials said.
There is no cost associated with vehicle charging
at either of these stations.
Through Charge NY, the stations are part of the state’s efforts to create an electric vehicle charging infrastructure throughout New York. The state has seen the use of electric vehicles triple just within the past year. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has called for $50 million to be invested over a five-year period to establish 3,000 public and workplace charging stations by 2018, as well as promote the growth of electric vehicle ownership.
As part of the effort, the partnership between NYSERDA, ChargePoint, and National Grid anticipates installing 67 stations across New York state including the two stations at Glens Falls Hospital, officials said.
The hospital will fund the cost of energy consumed by each car charge. To date, through the partnership has installed 25 stations across upstate New York.
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to be a part of this initiative,” said Ron Zimmerman, Glens Falls Hospital vice president for plant operations and support services. “We recognize the importance of ‘green’ initiatives within our organization. Over the past two years, we have even developed a team of leaders from a variety of clinical and non-clinical areas – the Green Team – who lead the way in doing our part in resource and environment conservation. Providing a free and easy-to-use service for those who own energyefficient vehicles is an example of the projects we are committed to accomplishing.”
“With these electric vehicle charging stations, Glens Falls Hospital is continuing its commitment to investing in energy-saving technology and supporting Gov. Cuomo’s Charge NY initiative to build an electric vehicle infrastructure for motorists throughout New York,” said Francis J. Murray Jr., President and CEO, NYSERDA. “Continued investment in EV charging stations will encourage greater use of electric vehicles in New York, helping to reduce fossil fuel usage and create a cleaner, healthier environment.”
Bill Flaherty, regional executive of National Grid’s Eastern New York division, and member of the Glens Falls Hospital Foundation Board of Trustees, is also pleased with upstate New York’s most recent station additions.
“Plug-in electric vehicles are more than just a new way to get around,” he said. “They’re a major part of a cleaner, more efficient transportation future. At National Grid, we’re committed to making this new technology more viable and cost-effective for ourselves and our customers, and pleased to help make it happen across New York state in collaboration with our partners.”
According to state officials, ChargePoint is the largest online network of independently-owned EV charging stations in the world – operating in more than a dozen countries with more than 12,000 charging locations. Every 15 seconds someone connects their vehicle to a ChargePoint station.
ChargePoint’s hardware, as well as hardware from other manufacturers, is connected to ChargePoint’s cloud-based software. Officials said this platform provides charging station owners with the control and data they need and want to optimize their charging operations, including billing, access control, and remote driver support. Station owners can monitor and track charging station usage and costs, create pricing structures for charging services, and reward driver loyalty.
ChargePoint provides a free mobile application with real-time data that allows drivers to locate and navigate to unoccupied charging stations. Drivers can also track their charging status and usage, as well as their greenhouse gas and fuel savings.
Over 60 percent of all publicly-accessible networked EV charging stations are ChargePoint stations or run on the ChargePoint network, and nearly 40 percent of all EV drivers are ChargePoint members, according to National Grid. By initiating 2.5 million charging sessions, ChargePoint consumers have saved three million gallons of gasoline and avoided 46 million pounds of CO2 emissions.
For more information about ChargePoint, visit www.chargepoint.com.