The power station is currently set up to charge exclusively BMW's new electric Mini E cars.
NEW YORK—A sustainable energy company, Beautiful Earth, announced that it has built the first New York solar electrical vehicle (EV) charging station on Wednesday.
A California solar power firm recently opened five EV charging stations along Highway 101 spanning from Los Angeles to the San Francisco Bay Area.
The charging station, which is located in Red Hook, Brooklyn, is meant to only charge BMW's Mini E, which uses entirely electric power, states a press release. Allotted charging time takes approximately three hours for the Mini E.
Recycled steel shipping containers were used in the construction of the station, which does not pull power from the electrical grid and uses 235 watt solar panels to generate energy to charge the vehicles.
Capacity for the charging station amounts to about six kilowatts and its battery constantly stores charged solar energy for on-demand usage. The Mini E is able to travel approximately 150 miles under ideal conditions on a full charge.
The release states that this solar powered charging station is a “tangible example” of how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Even though the station is only used by one type of car, Beautiful Earth says that this is a step in the right direction because it marks a “shift from carbon-emitting fuels to sustainable energy,” says Lex Helsin, the CEO of Beautiful Earth.
According to PlaNYC, New York City is aiming to reduce the 2005 carbon emissions levels by 30 percent in 2030.
source: ET
