Illinois Governor Gets Himself a Charging Station

When you want the masses to follow you, as a leader, you must set an example. And this is exactly what Pat Quinn, the governor of the state of Illinois did this week, when he welcomed to his mansion a team of Coulomb Technologies engineers, who installed a residential ChargePoint at his home.

The governor has thus become an example not only for his loyal subjects, but for the other governor's as well. His mansion is the first among the many governors' residences across the US to install a networked residential charging station for electric vehicles.

For the moment, however, the governor has no use for it, as he owns, as far as we know, no electric vehicle. So why get one, you ask? Well, he didn't actually buy the thing. The station has been donated and installed by Carbon Day Automotive and WindFree, as a type of thank you for the governor's executive order EO11 2009, which calls for the reduction of the environmental impact of Illinois state government operations.

“As we work to increase green practices and the use of renewable energy throughout the state, it is only fitting that this movement should start here at the people’s house,” said Governor Pat Quinn. “I would like to thank Carbon Day Automotive and WindFree in Chicago for helping us drive smarter in Illinois.”

Separately, Coulomb, one of the biggest EV infrastructure companies in the US, has recently announced that it will deploy its first charging stations in Europe as well, in support of the Nissan Leaf.