Launched in 2009, the EV Project aims to deploy an electric vehicle charge infrastructure across the USA and collect data to prepare for the next generation of EVs. With the Nissan LEAF onboard as a partner, the project has today collected nearly 90 million miles (145 million kilometres) of data from participants. That's equivalent to driving six times around the world every day!
Back in 2009, the U.S. Department of Energy awarded a grant to electric transportation and technology company ECOtotality and asked them to launch the project. EV chargers were deployed in major cities and metropolitan areas across the United States. And with the Nissan LEAF and Chevrolet Volt joining the project as partners, owners of these two vehicles qualified for a free residential charger.
If they decided to participate, Nissan LEAF owners benefited from the installation of a free Blink wall mount charger in their homes. In exchange, they would allow the EV Project to collect and use data about their vehicle and charging habits.
The information collected from EV drivers includes energy usage, time and duration of charging, etc. Thanks to this data, the EV Project is constantly learning more about consumer habits and is able to evaluate the effectiveness of the current charge infrastructure. The ultimate aim is to prepare for the next generation of EVs.
In less than four years, the project has already reached its goal for residential charging units. While applications are no longer being accepted for free home chargers, EV drivers can still sign up for Blink Membership, entitling them to charge their vehicles at any of the 3,000-plus public chargers.