SolarCity and Rabobank announce corridor of solar-powered electric vehicle charging stations

SolarCity and Rabobank announced today that they will partner together to build the world's first electric car charging corridor, which will allow electric vehicles to travel between San Francisco and Los Angeles, according to a press release.

The corridor will be the first of its kind, enabling people with electric vehicles to travel a substantial distance with four fast, reliable, solar power-enhanced charging stations along the way in Salinas, Atascadero, Santa Maria and Goleta. The corridor, built in cooperation with Tesla Motors, an electric vehicle manufacturer in the Bay Area, plans to cut charging time to one third the time of other charging stations.

“This charging station corridor demonstrates an important component of SolarCity’s vision for a carbon-free lifestyle. We’re combining clean, renewable solar power with all-electric transportation, allowing drivers to travel through California with zero emissions,” said SolarCity CEO Lyndon Rive.

While San Francisco, Los Angeles, and the state of California all support electric vehicle transportation it has been inconvenient in the past for long distance trips. As it becomes more convenient for electric vehicles to travel, hopefully their popularity will increase.

“We hope that this corridor of charging stations provides new travel opportunities for electric vehicle owners and gives further momentum to the renewable energy movement,” said Marco Krapels, co-chair of the bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility committee.

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Press release via BusinessWire.

Image via Flickr user MR38 under the Creative Commons license.