SM BLVD — If you’ve got an electric vehicle — or you’re thinking about getting one — take note: There’s a new place in town to drop in for a free charge.
Toyota of Santa Monica, located at Eighth Street and Santa Monica Boulevard, on Friday unveiled a pair of new “phase two” charging stations that will be free to use for owners of both Toyota and non-Toyota electric cars manufactured in 2010 or later.
“We’re installing an infrastructure where you could come with a [Nissan] Leaf, or a [Chevrolet] Volt or a Tesla and stay for an hour, go shopping and use our stations,” Mike Sullivan, who owns Toyota of Santa Monica and the rest of the L.A. Car Guy family of dealerships, said.
It’s part of a plan he hopes will make it easier to drive environmentally-friendly cars.
Aside from the all-inclusive policy, there’s another benefit, Sullivan said: The stations, manufactured by the company Clipper Creek, can charge vehicles in half the time it would take at most home-installed versions.
“We are not only the first to have them installed but also the first to have them open to the public,” he said.
The Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce and a representative from State Sen. Fran Pavley’s office were on hand to mark the occasion Friday morning with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
“You continue to lead the way in sustainability and we thank you,” Laurel Rosen, president and CEO of the chamber, told Sullivan and Bill Rinker, Toyota of Santa Monica’s vice president and general manager.
nickt@www.smdp.com
