The sight of electric cars plugged in at two public charging stations in the San Jose Convention Center Garage may soon be a common one around the Bay Area.
ChargePoint America plans to install 1,600 charging stations at a cost of $37 million.
“We have collaboration with Oakland and San Francisco as part of a Bay Area effort to be the electric vehicle capital of the country,” said San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed, on hand to plug in the first car. Click here to listen.
Chevy and other electric car makers offer to install a home charging station for free with the purchase. The long-term success of models like the Volt depends on the reliability of charging stations at motorists’ destinations and along the way.
“We’re early adopters. This is where the hybrid has done best. The plug-in hybrid, the electric vehicle are going to do great but we need the infrastructure in place,” Reed said.
One of those early adopters, Silicon Valley Leadership Group CEO Carl Guardino arrived in a plug-in Prius that gets 71 miles to the gallon.
“Some people call me cheap. I prefer frugal,” he said.
