Jun 25 2014
Car Charging Group, Inc., the largest owner, operator, and provider of electric vehicle (EV) charging services, announced that it has finalized its partnership with the City of Knoxville, Tennessee for the operation and maintenance of the Blink EV charging stations.
The stations were originally deployed in association with the Department of Energy's EV Project, for which ECOtality, the former owner of the Blink related assets, served as Project Manager.
As a part of the agreement, CarCharging will own and operate 14 of the City's Blink EV charging stations located at Caswell Park, Ijams Nature Center, Sequoyah Park, State Street Garage, Victor Ashe Park, West Hills Park, and Jackson Avenue parking lot. Beginning July 1, 2014, Blink's current standard charging fees of $1.00 per hour for Blink members and $2.00 per hour for Blink guests will also be applied to these stations.
"We are excited to work with CarCharging to ensure the continued operation and maintenance of the Blink electric car charging stations," said Erin Gill, Director of Sustainability, City of Knoxville. "We believe that these stations are the critical infrastructure necessary to support use of vehicles that consume less energy and produce fewer emissions."
"We are proud to continue the partnerships with the Blink hosts that participated in the EV Project, such as the City of Knoxville," said Michael D. Farkas, CarCharging's Founder and Chief Executive Officer. "With the various new business models that we have available and the enhancements made to the Blink Network, we are confident that we can provide Blink hosts and members with exceptional service."
The City of Knoxville's Blink Level II EV charging stations quickly recharge an electric vehicle's battery. EV drivers can easily request Blink's InCard at www.BlinkNetwork.com to initiate use and payment at these locations. Blink's InCard also allows drivers to use charging locations on the Blink Network, the software that operates, monitors, and tracks the Blink stations and all of its charging data. CarCharging's EV charging stations also accept direct payment via credit card.