BMW, Real Goods Solar Team Up on PV+EV
SolarChargedDriving.com
Yet another car maker has partnered with a solar company to actively promote the electric vehicle-home solar synergy.
BMW of North America is working with Real Goods Solar to offer BMW ActiveE drivers the potential to get all the energy to charge their EV at home from sustainable solar energy. Real Goods Solar will install solar panels on the homes of ActiveE drivers, known as Electronauts, at a substantial savings of approximately 35 percent.
Nissan, Ford, Mitsubishi EV + PV partnerships
The BMW-Real Goods Solar partnership is the fourth major partnership between auto makers and solar companies and/or solar installers that SolarChargedDriving.Com knows about. Both Ford and Nissan have partnered with SunPower in the United States and SolarCity has partnered with Mitsubishi in New Zealand to help EV buyers install their own home solar “gas” stations to power their electric vehicles.
The Real Goods Solar – ActiveE residential system is offered exclusively to Electronauts. Lease and purchase options will be available to suit the residential energy and charging needs for BMW’s EV drivers. Real Goods Solar will provide a premium offer to design, install and monitor a turn-key solar solution to all ActiveE customers in California, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York.
“Our relationship with Real Goods Solar is an ideal complement to the BMW ActiveE experience. It expands on the BMW Group’s vision for sustainable, premium mobility solutions,” said Rich Steinberg, Manager of Electric Vehicles of BMW of North America. “We encourage all of our ActiveE customers to take full advantage of this outstanding program which will enable them to maximize their ultimate EV driving experience while minimizing their overall energy and driving costs.”
For ActiveE households, Real Goods Solar will handle both the permitting and incentive application processes. The company will also provide a production guarantee and full system maintenance.
“Solar power is a natural fit for electric vehicle owners looking for a more sustainable lifestyle,” said Real Goods Solar CEO, Bill Yearsley. “We are delighted to partner with BMW of North America to deliver Real Goods’ award-winning design and installation services to help ActiveE drivers harness the power of the sun to fuel their new sports car.”
In order to take advantage of this exclusive offer, Electronauts should call (855) RGS-EVPV or visit http://www.realgoodssolar.com/ActiveE to schedule their solar evaluation.
Information about the BMW ActiveE and BMW’s electric vehicle strategy can be found at http://www.bmwusa.com/ActiveE.
[Photo Credit: Tom Moloughney]
Original Article on SolarChargedDriving.com
Christof Demont-Heinrich is founder, creator andeditor of SolarChargedDriving.Com, which he launched in September 2009.SolarChargedDriving.Com is a unique site devoted to covering andpromoting the synergy between solar energy and EVs (electric vehicles)and PHEVs (plug in hybrid electric vehicles). In addition to offeringreaders a mix of how-to information, news feature and newswire coverage, and news analysis, SolarChargedDriving.Com is an interactive community: Readers can create their own blogs, post pictures and video, createtheir own photo and video galleries, and meet other solar-chargeddrivers online. A journalism professor at the University of Denver (DU), Demont-Heinrich is a lifelong environmentalist who loves to bird, hike, camp, and bike. Articles l Homepage