Willows Lodge Joins the Chargepoint Network and Announces Electric Vehicle Charging Services for Guests and Employees

Woodinville-based property becomes the first Washington state hotel to install ChargePoint America EV charging stations

Woodinville, Wash. (June 14, 2011) – Willows Lodge, located in the heart of Washington's Woodinville Wine Country, announces the installation of two ChargePoint® Networked charging stations for guests and employees. The ChargePoint charging stations are part of Coulomb Technologies' $37 million ChargePoint America program, which offers thousands of free EV charging stations for public and home charging to individuals and businesses. Willows Lodge is the first hotel in Washington State to be included in the program. The charging stations were supplied and installed by Coulomb Technologies' regional distributor Charge Northwest.

"We are excited to accept this ChargePoint America program and introduce this new service to our guests and the local community," said Shaun Tucker, general manager, Willows Lodge. "Together, we can continue to reduce our impact on the environment, expand Willows Lodge's commitment to sustainable practices and maintain the charm and Northwest ambiance of the property for generations to come."

At Willows Lodge, the ChargePoint Network brings Washington's EV drivers unique, easy-to-use services including the ability to: check real-time status and location of unoccupied charging stations, reserve a charging station, track and report greenhouse gas and gasoline savings, receive charging status notification by SMS and email or smart phone (iPhone and Blackberry) applications. Coulomb's ChargePoint Network is open to all drivers of plug-in vehicles and all manufacturers of electric vehicle charging stations.

The ChargePoint Network enables Willows Lodge to offer a distinctive new service for their guests, provide EV charging reservations and generate new revenue from EV charging if they choose. Charging station owners can set their own prices for charging as a function of the time of day or calendar date - much like a parking meter. Stations can also be configured to provide free access to EV drivers.

"Willows Lodge is expanding its hospitality services by offering ChargePoint EV charging services to attract new customers and promote cleaner transportation," said Bret Sewell, executive vice president, Coulomb Technologies. "We are happy to welcome Willows Lodge to the ChargePoint Network as they take advantage of free stations offered through the ChargePoint America DOE program working to advance and promote EV infrastructure in Washington."

About ChargePoint America
The $37 million ChargePoint America program is made possible by a $15M grant funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through the Transportation Electrification Initiative administered by the Department of Energy. ChargePoint America will provide 4,600 public and home ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations by October 2011, adding to the existing ChargePoint Network. Coulomb will work together with its distribution and industry partners to evaluate the demand from the respective geographic regions and allocate charging stations based on this and other factors. The ChargePoint America project will collect data characterizing vehicle use and charging patterns, Idaho National Labs will analyze the data. For more program information visit www.chargepointamerica.com.

About Coulomb Technologies, Inc.
Coulomb Technologies is the leader in electric vehicle charging systems and application services, with the ChargePoint Network now operating in 14 countries, and Network Operations Centers in the U.S., London, and Hong Kong. The ChargePoint Network first went live in January of 2009. Coulomb provides a vehicle-charging infrastructure, with an open system driver network: the ChargePoint Network provides multiple web-based portals for Hosts, Fleet Managers, Drivers, and Utilities, and ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations ranging in capability from 120 Volt to 240 Volt AC charging and up to 500 Volt DC charging. For more information, follow Coulomb on Twitter at twitter.com/coulombevi. To request a charging station in your area, visit www.mychargepoint.net/request-station.php. To download the ChargePoint iPhone App, click here.

About Willows Lodge
Willows Lodge, a Northwest style lodge located in Woodinville Wine Country just outside of Seattle, features 84 luxury guestrooms, a full-service spa and high-tech equipped meeting space. Executive Chef Bobby Moore's American regional cuisine at Barking Frog reflects the seasonal and organic produce found in Puget Sound, and is artfully paired with an extensive list of Washington wines. Willows Lodge also boasts Fireside Cellars, offering a casual and sophisticated atmosphere tucked away in the lobby with an outdoor patio overlooking the expansive surrounding landscape. www.willowslodge.com.

Benchmark Hospitality International is a leader in the management and marketing of resorts, conference centers, hotels, and the Personal Luxury Collection℠. The independent company, launched in 1980, is a worldwide organization operating properties in major metropolitan and resort destinations. Benchmark's international headquarters is located in The Woodlands, Texas, near Houston. Benchmark Hospitality is also a founding member of the International Association of Conference Centers. The company's northeast regional office is in New Jersey, with international offices in Tokyo, Japan, and Santiago, Chile. For the location of Benchmark's properties and additional information, visit www.benchmarkhospitality.com.

Media Contacts:
Willows Lodge
Kirsten Andresen / Kristin Riefflin
greenrubino
206.447.4747
kirstena@greenrubino.com / kristinr@greenrubino.com

Coulomb Technologies
Anne Smith
Coulomb Public Relations
408-313-8089
anne@annesmithcommunications.com

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