BMW’s $100-million venture-capital fund has just made an investment in the Coulomb Technologies that operates the largest online global network of EV charging stations. This isn’t just a business deal, it is to “offer reliable access to public charging” for BMW customers, says Dr. Ulrich Quay, who heads up the fund. With only about 700 BMW ActiveE cars on the road, the move strengthens BMW’s position in advance of launching the carbon-fiber i3 city car, which is coming next year, in 2013.
The historic trend summary (1992–2010) shows a total of 541 electric charging locations by 2010 which had been still lower than the peak count of 873 charging locations in 2002. Up to October 2011 the total count of electric charge points had increased to 3394.
