Local drug maker Biogen Idec is dedicating 10 electric car rechargers this morning at its facility in Research Triangle Park as part of the federal government's subsidization push for electric cars.

The number of rechargers represents a new standard for corporate offices in the area, with a half-dozen other Triangle companies planning to install 10 rechargers in the coming months. The feds are paying more than a third of the cost of the rechargers and the electric cars in the Triangle phase of the program.

Biogen Idec, which develops drugs for multiple sclerosis, is based in Weston, Mass., and employs about 900 people at its manufacturing facility in RTP. Currently four of those employees drive plug-in electric cars to work, which means that more than half of the new rechargers will not be immediately used.

Nearly $50,000 of the cost of the rechargers at Biogen Idec was offset by federal stimulus funds distributed by the Triangle J Council of Governments, a regional planning organization. Outdoor chargers typically cost between $10,000 and $20,000.
 

Raleigh is preparing for the arrival of plug-in electric cars by creating a streamlined permitting system for household battery rechargers.

Recharging an electric car puts a heavy demand on a home's electrical wiring and could require modifications and upgrades to accommodate a 220-volt outlet.

Getting a city permit for the recharger would have taken a homeowner at least three days, so the city has created a streamlined procedure that will take just one hour, said Frank Olafson, Permits Office Administrator for Raleigh.

The Wall Street Journal reported today that Nissan, which is instroducing the all-electric Leaf automobile this year, lobbied Raleigh officials to make the change. Nissan's goal to to become the first mass-marketer of electric cars, but that goal depends on hassle-free permits for recharging stations, the Journal says.