The Beautiful Earth solar-powered electric charging station.

SOURCE: Inhabit.com

Beautiful Earth Group, a New York-based sustainable energy company, has unveiled its solar-powered electric vehicle (EV) charging station in Red Hook, Brooklyn, reports Inhabit.Com. The station is the first ever solar-charged EV charging station in New York City, according to Inhabit.Com.

Located on an industrial lot near the Beautiful Earth’s headquarters overlooking downtown Manhattan, the off-grid, modular station is made from recycled steel shipping containers and powered solely by 235 watt photovoltaic panels. The car currently being charged at the station is a 100-percent electric BMW MINI E. The vehicle has a range of just over 100 miles and takes about 3 hours to charge.

BE’s station isn’t just for charging automobiles. It can also produce enough energy to power a small home, and has a battery bank that can store electricity 24/7 for on-demand usage.

There's nothing quite like the feeling driving a car on sun, said BE president and CEO Lex Heslin.

"It never ceases to amaze me, when I get behind the wheel of this 95 mph sports car, that it doesn’t use a single drop of gasoline, and that all of its power comes from the solar energy we collect right here on the Brooklyn waterfront.”

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http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/12/15/new-york-gets-its-first-ever-electric-vehicle-charging-station/

(SolarChargedDriving.Com Newswire summary posted 12-16-09)