City Green Lights Six Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

The City Council voted unanimously to negotiate a contract with Coulomb Technologies to install six electric vehicle charging stations in city lots. The installation, funded by Recovery Act funds, will cost the city nothing beyond manhours. Nor — as part of a pilot program — will Coulomb charge Santa Barbara any fees until the end of 2013 at which point the city will decide if it wishes to continue the program. Users of Coulomb’s ChargePoint Network stations will be able to track their electricity usage, find open charging stations, and reserve them online via smart phone. The stations will also allow Public Works to collect and analyze data as it considers a charging infrastructure.