The ten IKEA stores being considered are located in Arizona, California, Oregon and Washington, and following a feasibility study these should be operational by autumn. ECOtality aims to complete the pilot in December 2012.

As part of the partnership, IKEA will be responsible for preparing the sites for installation, keep them orderly and report charging information back to ECOtality, who in turn will install and manage the operation.

IKEA U.S. president, Mike Ward, said: ‘Hosting charging stations at IKEA locations known for regional draws furthers our commitment to a smaller carbon footprint and technological opportunities that help protect the environment. This project is part of a global effort to promote the sustainable transport of people.’

ECOtality is already a project manager for The EV Project, a public-private partnership part funded by a grant from the US Department of Energy, and is responsible for overseeing 14,000 commercial and residential charging point installations in 18 cities across six states.

IKEA, which has stores in four of the six states, already has solar energy installations in eight of its locations and is in the process of adding another 12.