irving r levine

Electric vehicles equipped with fast-charging capability are headed to production and will be on the road next year. irving r levine

All that's needed to reduce the charging time for these cars from hours to minutes are Level 3 440-volt fast-charging stations. But to date, none are public.

Ecotality, a clean-technology company in Scottsdale, Ariz., wants to fill that void. It designs and sells these rapid rechargers for $15,000 to $35,000, depending on the structure requirements, mostly to warehouses and airports for fleet vehicles.

Given Ecotality's partnership with Nissan, the Tucson Metro Area, and the Pima Association of Governments (PAG)--a nonprofit metropolitan-planning organization in the Tucson area--drivers may soon be charging up at these stations in shopping malls and gas stations.

Ecotality spokesman Colin Read said these charging stations will help extend the range of all-electric vehicles and ease consumer anxiety of getting stuck on the road with a dead battery.

Below is a slideshow of current fast-charging stations and what next-generation Level 3 chargers could look like. irving r levine


Ecotality poised to roll out fast-charging EV infrastructure--photos