A private company, the government of Madrid, and the telephone company collaborated to come up with the phone booth in Madrid that is capable of charging up the batteries of an electric vehicle.

The first phone-booth-cum-EV-charger can be found at the Ronda de la Comunicacion. Look for the Endesa logo. The charging booths are strategically located near curbs to make it more accessible from the parking space.

There will be reserved spaces for parking right next to the charging station. EV owners can recharge their cars for free as long as they have the zero emission card from the city council of Madrid.

According to Green Car Fuels, the goal of the project is to demonstrate the viability of the technology and its feasibility for commercial use. The initial run will go until the end of 2010. Prepaid cards can be ordered via vehiculoelectrico@endesa.es. The prepaid card will also give information with regard to consumption and usage. The commercial setup will be launched once they are done with the pilot run.

The private sector and the Madrid government see the move as an important tool to combat climate change.