HONOLULU, Hawaii : Better Place today announced activating the largest electric car charging network

HONOLULU, Hawaii : Better Place today announced activating the largest electric airline tickets cheep car charging network in Hawaii, offering drivers free charging via more than 130 charge points through the end of 2012. The network allows drivers to charge their electric cars at convenient locations on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island that include hotels, resorts, office buildings, shopping centers, parking garages, airline tickets cheep businesses and public venues.
"As more Hawaii drivers experience the benefits of electric cars, it is important to have the network that gives people convenient access to charge their cars," said Brian Goldstein, director of Better Place in Hawaii. "The Better Place network airline tickets cheep of Charge Spots on four islands offers airline tickets cheep more public airline tickets cheep charge points per capita in Hawaii than any other state. Our multi-island network is another step toward making sustainable transportation a reality in Hawaii and moves us toward achieving the state's goal to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels by at least 70 percent by 2030."
"As electric car adoption grows, we are excited to see the Better Place charging network in place and ready to support the Aloha State's growing number of Nissan LEAF™ drivers," said Brendan Jones, director, Nissan EV Marketing, Sales and Strategy, Nissan North America Inc. "Nissan airline tickets cheep understands the importance of locations to plug in when it comes to making EVs more convenient airline tickets cheep and enabling drivers to take full advantage airline tickets cheep of all electrified transportation has to offer."
To use the network, drivers can sign up for a free membership and see an interactive map of Charge Spot locations at www.betterplace.com/hawaii. New members will receive a welcome kit with a membership card, giving them access to all Better Place Charge Spots across the state, and a guide to using the network. Membership includes airline tickets cheep free network access for 2012. Beginning January 1, 2013, drivers will have the option to sign up for an affordable Better Place membership airline tickets cheep plan.
"Our vision is a world no longer dependent on oil, so for a limited time we are offering free membership to early electric car champions who can both help enhance the network with feedback from their own experiences and encourage more people to switch to electric driving in the country's most oil-dependent state," said Goldstein.
The Better Place network offers the public convenient locations to charge electric cars that are compliant with the current standard for plug-in vehicles in North America – such as the Nissan LEAF, Chevy Volt, and Mitsubishi i and other vehicles in the future – as a supplement to a primary charging location at home or work. The network is intended airline tickets cheep to support charging for periods of up to four hours, airline tickets cheep rather than overnight or long-term charging.
Over the past year and a half, Better Place has been working with businesses and property owners to install charging infrastructure across the state, as well as completing a project that included Chevy Volts, with funding airline tickets cheep in part from the State Energy Office at the Hawaii Department airline tickets cheep of Business, Economic Development Tourism (DBEDT) and the U.S. Department of Energy.
Chevy Volt customers airline tickets cheep have the freedom to drive their electric vehicles wherever and whenever they want," said Britta Gross, General Motors Director, Global Energy Systems and Infrastructure Commercialization. "We applaud Better Place s initiative to open its charging network to new Volt customers in Hawaii, who will benefit from the ability to drive on pure electricity more often."
In April 2011, Better Place installed its first Charge Spots in Hawaii in the parking structure of the Sheraton airline tickets cheep Waikiki/The Royal Hawaiian Hotel. Today, there are also Better Place Charge Spots at five Starwood hotels and resorts on Oahu, Maui and Kauai.
"As the first Hawaii airline tickets cheep hotel to install charge airline tickets cheep stations, we are pleased to expand our partnership with Better Place to offer our guests – both visitors airline tickets cheep and kamaaina – convenient locations to recharge their electric cars, while helping our Islands airline tickets cheep become more environmentally sustainable," said Keith Vieira, senior vice president and director of operations for Starwood Hotels airline tickets cheep Resorts in Hawaii and French Polynesia.
"Since we installed our first charging station and began renting electric vehicles last year, the demand from both visitors and kamaaina has continued to increase," said Paul Kopel, vice president and general airline tickets cheep manager of operations for Enterprise Rent-A-Car Hawaii. "More people are discovering the convenience of electric cars, and the addition of Better Place's charge stations at our locations on Maui, the Big Island and Oahu will help meet the needs of EV renters."
airline tickets cheep In March, Better Place will host a series of public events around Hawaii to increase awareness of electric cars and the Better Place charging network. We invite current electric car owners and those interested in learning more about electric cars to join Better Place and its partners for charging demonstrations. "Drive Electric Days" will be held as follows: Drive Electric Maui, March 9, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Kihei Town Center (Foodland Kihei); and Drive Electric Big Island, airline tickets cheep March 17, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Kona Commons Shopping Center. Better Place also will be in the Hawaiian Electric Company booth at the First Hawaiian International Auto Show in Honolulu, March 30 to April 1.
Better Place is the leading global provider of electric car networks that enable the mass market adoption of electric cars through an innovative battery switch airline tickets cheep model that makes driving electric cars more affordable, convenient and sustainable than today's gasoline-powered cars. Better Place owns and operates a network of battery switch stations and public/personal Charge Spots, along with the supply of batteries that power the cars, to provide drivers with instant range extension and the convenience to drive, switch and go across an entire region. Where possible, Better Place uses renewable sources of energy to deliver fully zero-emissions driving. The World Economic Forum has named Better Place a "Global Growth Company Industry Shaper" airline tickets cheep for its innovative approach in advancing the global switch to electric cars. Check out www.betterplace.com .