SAN FRANCISCO and CHICAGO, Aug. 1, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ECOtality, Inc. (Nasdaq:ECTY), a leader in clean electric transportation and storage technologies, announced today it will offer its Blink® smart charging stations free to residents and commercial host sites of the greater metropolitan Chicago area as part of its expansion of The EV Project, a public-private partnership with the Department of Energy.
"Now residents and businesses in Northern Illinois interested in electric transportation in the Chicago region can join The EV Project and help us build a nationwide network of electric vehicle charging stations," said Don Karner, Chief Innovation Officer of ECOtality, Inc. "By signing up for a free charger, EV owners can take part in this massive research project that can help reduce our country's dependence on foreign oil. We are excited about bringing The EV Project to the greater Chicago region. With the expansion of this new market, The EV project is now in nine states and 21 major metropolitan areas throughout the country."
Qualified Chicago-area residents, who have taken ownership of either the Nissan LEAF or Chevy Volt, will receive a free residential Blink wall mount charger as well as an installation credit up to $400, subject to certain conditions. Residents and commercial hosts interested in participating can sign up at http://www.theevproject.com/sign-up.php or by emailing chicago@ecotality.com.
"ComEd is pleased to be a utility partner to the EV Project," said Michael McMahan, ComEd's vice president of Smart Grid and Technology. "The Chicago region is quickly becoming nationally recognized as a leader in the deployment of EV charging infrastructure. The EV Project complements the extensive work that ComEd has done to date in collaboration with other Illinois stakeholders to prepare the region for consumer adoption of EVs, and we look forward to supporting the EV Project."
To learn more about The EV Project opportunities in the Chicago area and meet with local EV experts, save the date for a Host Partners Forum on August 20th at the InterContinental at 10 am CT. Details on this event will be released through a media advisory and on Blink's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blinknetwork.
ECOtality is the project manager of The EV Project, a research initiative to help build America's future EV infrastructure. To date, The EV Project has gathered more than 33 million miles of EV driver data that will serve to support the deployment of EVs in key markets. The project is a public-private partnership, funded in part by the U.S. Department of Energy through a federal stimulus grant and made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). For more information about The EV Project, please visit www.theevproject.com
About ECOtality, Inc.
ECOtality, Inc. (Nasdaq:ECTY), headquartered in San Francisco, California, is a leader in clean electric transportation and storage technologies. Through innovation, acquisitions, and strategic partnerships, ECOtality accelerates the market applicability of advanced electric technologies to replace carbon-based fuels. For more information about ECOtality, Inc., please visit www.ecotality.com.
The ECOtality, Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=13434
About ComEd
Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd) is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NYSE:EXC), the nation's leading competitive energy provider, with approximately 6.6 million customers. ComEd provides service to approximately 3.8 million customers across northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state's population.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain as they are based on current expectations and assumptions concerning future events or future performance of the company. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are only predictions and speak only as of the date hereof. In evaluating such statements, prospective investors should review carefully various risks and uncertainties identified in this release and matters set in the company's SEC filings. These risks and uncertainties could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements.