Archives for June 30, 2014

Electric Vehicle (EV) drivers will soon be able to plug in and charge their cars while they shop or grab a bite at four of Orange County’s premier retail destinations. Simon, a global leader in the retail real estate industry, and NRG eVgo (ee-vee-go), a subsidiary of NRG Energy, Inc., announced today the installation of new electric car fast-charging Freedom Station® sites that can recharge shoppers’ vehicles in 30 minutes or less at four Orange County Simon shopping centers: The Shops at Mission Viejo, Brea Mall, Westminster Mall and The Outlets at Orange.

“Our growing network of state-of-the-art electric vehicle charging stations at our shopping centers shows our commitment to delivering a more sustainable shopping experience that is also convenient for our customers,” said Ron Hanson, Vice President of Operational Efficiency for Simon. “Adding charging stations to popular destinations such as The Shops at Mission Viejo, Brea Mall, Westminster Mall and The Outlets at Orange illustrates the many opportunities we have as a company to incorporate sustainable practices into our day-to-day operations.”

“The NRG eVgo Freedom Station sites at The Shops at Mission Viejo, Brea Mall, Westminster Mall and The Outlets at Orange have enabled NRG eVgo to become the largest fast charge network in Orange County, and we continue to grow our comprehensive charging network for electric car drivers in California,” said Terry O’Day, Vice President of NRG eVgo. “Partnering with Simon on these Freedom Station sites in Orange County also connects San Diego to Los Angeles and Ventura along the NRG eVgo network, making it even easier for Californians to choose an electric car for their next purchase.”

The Shops at Mission Viejo’s Freedom Station is now open, and is located in the parking lot between Forever 21 and P.F. Chang’s China Bistro.

Brea Mall is looking to open its Freedom Station in early June, and will be located in the parking lot near California Pizza Kitchen, on the south side of the newly renovated center.

The Freedom Station at Westminster Mall is expected to open in mid-June, and will be located in the parking lot near DSW, between Sears and JCPenney, on the northeast side of the mall.

The Outlets at Orange’s Freedom Station opened in April, and is located in the parking lot near Neiman Marcus Last Call and Burke William’s Day Spa.

Simon is a long-time real estate leader in energy management and sustainability practices, including initiatives to measure and reduce overall energy consumption, water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Supporting the needs of energy conscious consumers is also part of Simon’s sustainability strategy. Shoppers can plug in to 126 electric vehicle charging stations located at 65 of Simon’s shopping destinations in 16 states. That includes the first of its kind public EV charging station in the country to support all EV models, which was installed at Simon’s Fashion Valley Mall in San Diego last fall.

The eVgo Freedom Station sites at Simon’s Orange County shopping centers are designed to support both current and future charging technology, by serving southern California EV drivers’ on-the-go charging needs regardless of what kind of electric vehicle they drive. The stations currently support CHAdeMO direct current (DC) fast charging, as well as standard alternating current (AC) J1772 Level 2 EV charging and can be upgraded with an SAE Combo charger as more EVs with that charging standard become available.

eVgo is building electric vehicle charging networks across the San Francisco Bay Area, San Joaquin Valley, Los Angeles Basin and San Diego area. As more Freedom Station sites are built and the network is established, EV drivers will have access to hundreds of public fast-charging sites along with Level 2 charging stations at homes, offices, multi-family communities, schools and hospitals across California.

For more information, visit simon.com or nrgeVgo.com.