Simon and NRG eVgo Opening Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Throughout Orange County

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif., June 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Electric Vehicle (EV) drivers will soon be able to plug in and charge their cars while they shop or grab a bite at four of Orange County's premier retail destinations. Simon, a global leader in the retail real estate industry, and NRG eVgo (ee-vee-go), a subsidiary of NRG Energy, Inc., announced today the installation of new electric car fast-charging Freedom Station® sites that can recharge shoppers' vehicles in 30 minutes or less at four Orange County Simon shopping centers: The Shops at Mission Viejo, Brea Mall, Westminster Mall and The Outlets at Orange.

"Our growing network of state-of-the-art electric vehicle charging stations at our shopping centers shows our commitment to delivering a more sustainable shopping experience that is also convenient for our customers," said Ron Hanson, Vice President of Operational Efficiency for Simon. "Adding charging stations to popular destinations such as The Shops at Mission Viejo, Brea Mall, Westminster Mall and The Outlets at Orange illustrates the many opportunities we have as a company to incorporate sustainable practices into our day-to-day operations."

"The NRG eVgo Freedom Station sites at The Shops at Mission Viejo, Brea Mall, Westminster Mall and The Outlets at Orange have enabled NRG eVgo to become the largest fast charge network in Orange County, and we continue to grow our comprehensive charging network for electric car drivers in California," said Terry O'Day, Vice President of NRG eVgo. "Partnering with Simon on these Freedom Station sites in Orange County also connects San Diego to Los Angeles and Ventura along the NRG eVgo network, making it even easier for Californians to choose an electric car for their next purchase."

The Shops at Mission Viejo's Freedom Station is slated to open at the end of May, and will be located in the parking lot between Forever 21 and P.F. Chang's China Bistro.

Brea Mall is looking to open its Freedom Station in early June, and will be located in the parking lot near California Pizza Kitchen, on the south side of the newly renovated center.

The Freedom Station at Westminster Mall is expected to open in mid-June, and will be located in the parking lot near DSW, between Sears and JCPenney, on the northeast side of the mall.

The Outlets at Orange's Freedom Station opened in April, and is located in the parking lot near Neiman Marcus Last Call and Burke William's Day Spa.

Simon is a long-time real estate leader in energy management and sustainability practices, including initiatives to measure and reduce overall energy consumption, water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Supporting the needs of energy conscious consumers is also part of Simon's sustainability strategy. Shoppers can plug in to 126 electric vehicle charging stations located at 65 of Simon's shopping destinations in 16 states. That includes the first of its kind public EV charging station in the country to support all EV models, which was installed at Simon's Fashion Valley Mall in San Diego last fall. 

The eVgo Freedom Station sites at Simon's Orange County shopping centers are designed to support both current and future charging technology, by serving southern California EV drivers' on-the-go charging needs regardless of what kind of electric vehicle they drive. The stations currently support CHAdeMO direct current (DC) fast charging, as well as standard alternating current (AC) J1772 Level 2 EV charging and can be upgraded with an SAE Combo charger as more EVs with that charging standard become available. 

eVgo is building electric vehicle charging networks across the San Francisco Bay Area, San Joaquin Valley, Los Angeles Basin and San Diego area. As more Freedom Station sites are built and the network is established, EV drivers will have access to hundreds of public fast-charging sites along with Level 2 charging stations at homes, offices, multi-family communities, schools and hospitals across California.

For more information, visit simon.com or nrgeVgo.com.

About The Shops at Mission Viejo

With over 150 stores and restaurants, The Shops at Mission Viejo is south Orange County's main shopping destination and features Nordstrom, H&M, Macy's, Apple, Sephora, and The Cheesecake Factory. It's also home to Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour, Paradise Bakery and Microsoft, recognized by the OC Register's 2013 People's Choice Awards for "best ice cream," "best cookie," and "best tech store" respectively. The Shops at Mission Viejo serves the city and nearby communities such as Ladera Ranch, Rancho Santa Margarita, Coto de Caza, and San Juan Capistrano, and is conveniently located at the intersection of the I-5 and Crown Valley Parkway in the City of Mission Viejo. For a map, store listings, directions, events and job listings, visit www.simon.com/mall/the-shops-at-mission-viejo or call 949-364-1771. Visit The Shops at Mission Viejo on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ShopsAtMissionViejo, Twitter at twitter.com/ShopsMV or Instagram at instagram.com/ShopsMV.

About Brea Mall

Brea Mall is an upscale center showcasing four major department stores, including Nordstrom, Macy's, JCPenney and Sears, and more than 175 specialty shops. Brea Mall also features a full-service day spa, a newly upgraded Food Court, and several fine restaurants, including The Cheesecake Factory, BJ's and California Pizza Kitchen, which all feature outdoor patios. In February 2013, Brea Mall underwent a large-scale interior and exterior renovation that touched several areas of the shopping center, including new mall entrances and light fixtures, the addition of family-style restrooms, a brand new children's Play Area on the lower level, a larger and faster elevator in Center Court, and new flooring, landscaping, handrails, signage and lighting throughout. The center showcases updated textures, colors and amenities, creating a more contemporary and inviting shopping environment. For a map and store listings, as well as directions, events and job listings, visit http://www.simon.com/mall/brea-mall or call 714-990-2732.

About Westminster Mall

Westminster Mall is a modern shopping center that features some of the best names in retail including Macy's, JCPenney, Sears, Target, Victoria's Secret PINK, Old Navy and more. In addition to more than 180 specialty stores with shops ranging from teen apparel to shoes to women's apparel and jewelry, Westminster Mall also features exciting dining destinations such as Outback Steakhouse, Todai and the newly opened T.G.I. Friday's and CUPS Frozen Yogurt. For a map, store listings, directions, events and job listings, visit www.simon.com/mall/westminster-mall or call 714-898-2558. Visit Westminster Mall on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WestminsterMall on Twitter at twitter.com/ShopWestminster or on Instagram at instagram.com/shopwestminster.

About The Outlets at Orange

The Outlets at Orange is Orange County's only outlet shopping destination with more than 120 popular stores and restaurants. This leading open-air shopping, dining and entertainment venue in Southern California includes Nordstrom Rack, Neiman Marcus Last Call, Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH, H&M, G by Guess, DKNY Company Store, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger Company Store, Ann Taylor Factory Store, Nike Factory Store and more to come. Shoppers can enjoy lunch or dinner at great restaurants including Dave & Buster's, T.G.I. Friday's, Johnny Rockets, Market Broiler and Café Tu Tu Tango. Family fun is a must at Lucky Strike Lanes, Van's Skate Park and AMC 30 Theatres. Plus, the Burke Williams Day Spa offers much needed rejuvenation and relaxation. The Outlets at Orange, a Simon Mills® center, is located at the intersection of I-5 and State Highways 22 and 57 in Orange, CA, minutes from Disneyland. For more information on The Outlets at Orange, call (714) 769-4000, visit www.theoutletsatorange.com or follow The Outlets at Orange on Facebook at www.facebook.com/outletsatorange and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/outletsatorange.

About Simon
Simon is a global leader in retail real estate ownership, management and development and a S&P100 company (Simon Property Group, NYSE:SPG).  Our industry-leading retail properties and investments across North America, Europe and Asia provide shopping experiences for millions of consumers every day and generate billions in annual retail sales.  For more information, visit simon.com.

About NRG eVgo
The NRG eVgo^SM network gives electric vehicle (EV) owners new freedom and range confidence via home and workplace charging docks, plus a network of fast charging stations conveniently located at retailers along major transportation corridors within eVgo cities. Service plans offered by eVgo can provide EV owners a home or workplace charger and use of eVgo's Freedom Station^® sites and other public charging stations.  eVgo is a wholly owned subsidiary of NRG Energy, Inc., a Fortune 500 company at the forefront of changing how people think about, buy and use energy. Through eVgo, NRG will provide access to hundreds of public charging sites across the United States.  To find out more, or to join the eVgo network, visit www.nrgeVgo.com. Connect with eVgo on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @nrgeVgo.

SOURCE Simon Property Group