As electric cars and vehicles like the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf start to snag some marketshare electric car owners will be needing charging stations to top off their batteries. Howard Nuk of San Francisco-based, frog design, in partnership with the electric transportation company ECOtality, has come up with the Blink series of gas-pump-like chargers for curbside and residential applications.

The charging stations, which are already being installed in several states, are designed to provide an intuitive user experience. The fully interactive Blink system features: inviting color touch screens, relevant third-party media (ads, user tips, etc.), and connectivity to network headquarters.

Both the home and commercial units can provide relevant information regarding the car owner’s energy consumption, driving behavior and recommendations on the most inexpensive times to charge. There’s communication to and from the ‘pump’ via smart phone and/or the internet. The unit will also boast an interactive and networked platform to work in conjunction with smart grid systems.

Having a network of charging stations will overcome consumer’s range anxiety with electric cars. ECOtality envisions a nationwide network of power station to make ‘topping off your battery’ as convenient as filling-up your current gas guzzler.