SolarCity has partnered with ClipperCreek to provide electric vehicle (EV) chargers compatible with all new EVs. SolarCity will initially install EV chargers through its 24 operations centres nationwide, making it the largest single provider of EV, solar and energy efficiency services in the USA.
Electric vehicles produce zero emissions at the exhaust pipe, but more often than not there are emissions at the power plant. The only way to have a truly zero-emissions EV is to have it powered up from a renewable source like the sun.
"Electric cars are already among the cleanest-running vehicles on the road - charging them on solar makes them that much better. Tens of thousands of electric cars will be delivered over the next year alone, with hundreds of thousands expected over the next five years. We're making it easier to power them with carbon-free electricity for zero emissions, and to dramatically reduce the cost of driving," said Lyndon Rive, CEO of SolarCity.
Powering an EV with electricity generated from a home solar system can be 77% less expensive than powering a car with gas.
ClipperCreek pioneered EV charger safety features in the mid-1990s that have become the industry standard. Its UL-listed chargers are designed for use with the Chevy Volt, Ford Transit Connect, Nissan Leaf, Tesla Roadster and all SAE-compatible plug-In vehicles that are soon to be released from major and most new car companies.
"We are pleased to partner with SolarCity to help increase the number of homes and businesses that can run electric cars on renewable energy," said Dave Packard, President of ClipperCreek, Inc. "Roughly 40% of residential EV owners have solar and we expect these environmental and economic benefits to expand with the coming proliferation of electric cars and increasing use of solar power."
SolarCity installed the world's first solar-powered enhanced electric car charging corridor, between Los Angeles and San Francisco, in 2009.