Whole Foods Offers Electric-Vehicle Charging Station

AUSTIN, Texas — Whole Foods Market has installed its first electric-vehicle charging station at its flagship store here.

Part of the ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations for Electric Vehicles, from Coulomb Technologies, Campbell, Calif., the Whole Foods charging station was unveiled in a ceremony Monday.

"It is our hope that by offering electric-vehicle charging, we can support alternative transportation and help Austin residents decrease their environmental impact," said Mark Dixon of Whole Foods Market, in a statement.

The ChargePoint Network is open to all drivers of plug-in vehicles and provides authentication, management and real-time control for the networked electric vehicle charging stations.

ChargePoint Network features include: Charging status by SMS text or email notification; location of unoccupied charging stations via smart phones; authenticated access to eliminate energy theft; authorized energizing for safety; Smart Grid integration for utility load management with future V2G capabilities; and an iPhone application.

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