Coulomb Technologies announced that 3M has installed its first ChargePoint® networked charging station at its global headquarters in Minnesota. The ChargePoint station is the first of two that 3M will have on its campus to serve employees and their guests. The unit was unveiled today at 3M world headquarters located in the visitor’s parking lot at the center of its campus in Maplewood.
The second unit will be installed this spring at the company’s customer innovation center on the northwest side of the property. The ChargePoint charging station was sold and installed by Carbon Day Automotive, Coulomb’s Midwest and Chicago distributor.
The installation of electric vehicle charging stations at 3M Center represents the latest milestone for the company that has implemented dozens of programs over the years. 3M was the first company in the early 70’s to adopt a van pool program. In 1973, the company established an energy management department. In St. Paul, energy savings programs have resulted in the savings of nearly eight million KWH of electricity and 585,940 Therms of natural gas.
The ChargePoint® Network’s advanced features such as the ability to measure greenhouse gas savings and measure electricity usage will be a crucial tool for 3M to improve their sustainability efforts and further reduce 3M’s carbon footprint. Other workplace benefits provided by Coulomb’s ChargePoint Network include:
——Control access for employees: 3M can control who may access their charging stations (paid or free) to eliminate energy theft and to enhance safety.
——Measuring performance of green initiatives: Tracking energy, greenhouse gas and fuel savings is necessary when measuring and demonstrating the success of corporate sponsored green initiatives. ChargePoint stations provide the ability to track and report the benefits associated with EV charging.
——Cost saving utility programs and incentives: Utility-grade meters and the ability to communicate with other Smart Grid systems enable demand response, time-of-use pricing, and other Smart Grid programs provided by 3M’s local utility.
The ChargePoint networked EV charging stations are managed by the ChargePoint Network and provide EV drivers the ability to locate and navigate to charging stations from any smart phone and the ability to detect charging station availability from a smart phone or Google Maps. The ChargePoint Network also facilitates EV trip mapping, driver billing, 24/7 driver assistance, and greenhouse gas and energy savings (kWh) measurement.
The charging stations have dual outputs that deliver energy simultaneously: a 7.2 kW output delivering Level II (208/240 VAC @ 30 A) charging via the standard SAE J1772™ connector and fixed 18-foot cable, and a 2 kW output delivering Level I (120 VAC @ 16 A) charging via a standard NEMA 5-20 receptacle protected behind a locking door.