Since 2017, the One Merriweather Parking Garage near Merriweather Post Pavilion has offered Level 2 charging for electric vehicles. Originally free, these ChargePoint stations have become increasingly popular, with all 12 spots often occupied during office hours. However, recent changes mean drivers will need to consider the cost when plugging in.
New Pricing Structure
The Howard Hughes Corporation, which manages the garage, has implemented a new fee for the use of these charging stations. The cost is now set at $2.35 per hour of charging. While this marks the end of free charging, it raises the question of whether this is a competitive rate compared to other charging options in the area.
An idle fee has also been implemented to encourage drivers to move their vehicles once charging is complete. The “Station Time Rate” is $0.00 per hour while actively charging but jumps to $10.00 per hour (about $0.17 per minute) 60 minutes after charging stops. This idle fee is designed to ensure that the charging stations are available to as many EV drivers as possible by discouraging occupation of the charging spaces by vehicles that are no longer charging.
Impact on Charging Economics
The dual port CT4020 ChargePoint stations at One Merriweather share power between two connectors. When a single vehicle is connected, it can receive up to 6.6 kW. However, if a second vehicle plugs into the same post, the power output is halved, providing each vehicle with only 3.3 kW. This shared power arrangement affects the economics of the time-based fee, resulting in a higher cost per kWh when sharing the station.
For instance, a vehicle receiving 6.6 kW will get approximately 6.6 kWh in one hour of charging, costing $2.35. This results in a cost of about $0.36 per kWh. If sharing, each vehicle would get approximately 3.3 kWh in one hour, also at a cost of $2.35, which results in a cost of about $0.71 per kWh. This effectively means that the cost per kWh is higher when sharing the station.
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