Plug-In Sites - EV charging from a driver's perspective.

Prince George’s County EV-Ready Legislation Advances in Council Vote

October 17, 2024October 17, 2024 Lanny

The people of Prince George’s County, Maryland may benefit from more electric vehicle charging infrastructure being installed in new residential and commercial construction, thanks to the Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure in Multifamily and Commercial Developments Act (CB-105-2024). The bill, which recently passed its first phase through the County Council, would require new and significantly renovated developments to include EV charging stations or “EV-Ready” infrastructure in parking lots and garages.

Key Amendments to the Bill

Initially, the legislation proposed that 20% of parking spaces be EV-Ready (pre-wired with a dedicated 40A circuit) and an additional 60% be EV-Capable (having panel capacity and raceways to support future installation). However, recent amendments reduced the EV-Ready requirement to 10%, and the EV-Capable mandate was removed entirely. Additionally, the start date for these requirements has been delayed from January 1, 2025, to January 1, 2027.

Supporting Access to EV Charging

Councilmember Wala Blegay, a key supporter of the bill, believes the legislation is crucial for making EV charging more accessible and convenient for residents. “I personally wanted to buy an EV but frankly didn’t because I saw there were limitations on where I could charge.”

Ensuring Charging Station Reliability

A key provision of the bill is the EVSE Maintenance Standard, which places responsibility on property owners to maintain EV charging stations in “good condition in all respects, including the functioning of equipment” ensuring that equipment remains functional and reliable—a growing concern in EV infrastructure.

Mixed Reactions

Hanover, MD – Tesla Supercharger Station

October 12, 2024October 12, 2024 Lanny

The Tesla Supercharger in Hanover, Maryland is located on the third level of the parking garage at the Hotel at Arundel Preserve. It features eight charging stalls, each capable of delivering up to 72 kW of power.

Details of this Featured PlugInSite:

Construction Cost

Unknown No public record of construction cost since this did not receive public funding.

Electricity Usage

See Graph for a visual representation of monthly electricity consumption as recorded by the meter.

Site Information

Location
Address: 7795 Arundel Mills Blvd., Hanover, MD 21076
County: Anne Arundel
Facility Type: Parking Garage
Coordinates: 39.153270, -76.743849
Directions: On third floor of parking garage at Hotel at Arundel Preserve.
Map Link: OpenStreetMap

Clear Spring, MD – Potomac Edison Charging Station

October 11, 2024October 11, 2024 Lanny

Clear Spring, Maryland Potomac Edison ChargePoint EV charging station

Potomac Edison owns and operates a Level 2 electric vehicle charging station in the town of Clear Spring, Maryland. The charging station is located in a public parking lot on N. Hawbaker Cir., one block north of National Pike/Cumberland Street. It’s about a 0.4 mile walk to the library and about 0.3 mile from McDonald’s. The two-port Level 2 charging station is part of Potomac Edison’s EV Driven program and uses the ChargePoint network.

Here are the details of this Featured PlugInSite.

Construction Cost

$22,554.71 Total site construction cost plus $560.00 annual operating cost

Revenue vs Electricity Cost

-$241.39 Deficit (Since Inception)

Metric	Amount
Energy Used	252 kWh
Revenue	$44.52
Electricity Cost	$285.91
Deficit	-$241.39

Note: This calculation only reflects the difference between electricity costs and revenue as of June 30, 2024. Other operating expenses, such as maintenance and repair costs, are not included.

Electricity Usage

Clear Spring, MD - EV charging utilization Jan. 1 to Jun. 30, 2024 — Clear Spring, MD – EV charging utilization Jan. 1 to Jun. 30, 2024

Site Information

Location
Address: N Hawbaker Cir, Clear Spring, MD 21722
County: Washington
Facility Type: Parking Lot
Coordinates: 39.657069, -77.930968
Directions: At SE corner of parking lot on N Hawbaker Cir.
Map Link: OpenStreetMap

Acredale Community Park – Pepco EVsmart Charging Station

October 10, 2024October 10, 2024 Lanny

Airedale Community Park Pepco EVsmart EV charging

Pepco manages an EV charging station at Acredale Community Park in College Park, Maryland, with four Level 2 chargers. As of October 10, 2024, all four have been offline for nearly six months. EV drivers have been unable to use this site—which opened two years ago—due to what Pepco describes in their semi-annual report to the Public Service Commission as “communication issues.” Filed on August 1, 2024, the report notes that the “location requires troubleshooting.” This prolonged outage, which appears to have an easy fix, has left EV drivers frustrated and ratepayers—who funded these stations—feeling deprived.

Here are the details of this Featured PlugInSite.

Construction Cost

$91,954 Total site construction cost per the Maryland PSC PC44 EV Pilot Program

Category	Amount
Labor	$54,091
Materials	$24,349
Network	$5,830
Utility	$7,684
Total	$91,954

Revenue vs Electricity Cost

-$438.87 Deficit (Since Inception)

Metric	Amount
Energy Used	3,449 kWh
Revenue	$564.82
Electricity Cost	$1,003.69
Deficit	-$438.87

Note: This calculation only reflects the difference between electricity costs and revenue as of June 30, 2024. Other operating expenses, such as maintenance and repair costs, are not included.

Electricity Throughput Trend

Acredale Community Park EV charging station electricity throughput usage graph June 2024 — Acredale Community Park EV charging monthly usage trend in kWh

Site Information

Location
Address: 4300 Metzerott Road, College Park, MD 20740
County: Prince George’s
Facility Type: Park
Coordinates: 38.9995404, -76.9357454
Directions: At SE corner of parking lot.
Map Link: OpenStreetMap

Charlotte Hall Library – SMECO EVRecharge Charging Station

October 9, 2024October 9, 2024 Lanny

Charlotte Hall Library SMECO EV charging station

Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO) owns and operates this EV charging station at the Charlotte Hall Library in St. Mary’s County, MD. It has a single DC fast charger rated at 50 kW. See all the pertinent details below.

Charger Construction Cost

$106,688.75 Total site construction cost per the Maryland PSC PC44 EV Pilot Program

Category	Amount
Equipment	$81,064.13
Contractor	$5,000.00
Network	$7,138.00
Utility	$13,486.62
Total	$106,688.75

Electricity Cost vs Revenue

$1,393.17 Surplus (Since Inception)

Metric	Amount
Energy Used	31,070 kWh
Revenue	$9,028.82
Electricity Cost	$7,635.65
Surplus	$1,393.17

Note: This calculation only reflects the difference between electricity costs and revenue as of June 30, 2024. Other operating expenses, such as maintenance and repair costs, are not included.

Trend Graph: Monthly Electricity Dispensed in kWh

Charlotte Hall Library EV charging monthly usage trend in kWh

Site Information

Location
Address: 37600 New Market Rd., Charlotte Hall, MD 20622
County: St. Mary’s
Facility Type: Library
Coordinates: 38.4732855, -76.7764742
Directions: At SE corner of library parking lot.
Map Link: OpenStreetMap

Whitmore Garage, Annapolis – BGE EVsmart Charging Station

October 8, 2024October 8, 2024 Lanny

Baltimore Gas and Electric owns and operates this EV charging station at the Whitmore Garage in Annapolis, MD. Located on a lower floor of the pay parking garage.

Charger Construction Cost

$151,474 Total site construction cost per the Maryland PSC PC44 EV Pilot Program

Category	Amount
Labor	$90,702
Material	$48,872
Network Fees	$11,900
Utility Administration	–
Total	$151,474

Electricity Cost vs Revenue

-$15,825.25 Deficit (Since Inception)

Metric	Amount
Energy Used	23,843 kWh
Revenue	$4,981.42
Electricity Cost	$20,806.67
Deficit	-$15,825.25

Note: This calculation only reflects the difference between electricity costs and revenue as of June 30, 2024. Other operating expenses, such as maintenance and repair costs, are not included.

Trend Graph: Monthly Electricity Dispensed in kWh

Whitmore Garage EV charging station monthly usage graph — Whitmore Garage EV charging monthly usage trend in kWh

Site Information

Location
Address: 37 Clay St., Annapolis, Maryland 21401
County: Anne Arundel
Facility Type: Pay Parking Garage
Coordinates: 38.978757, -76.496354
Directions: Enter the parking garage from Clay Street.
Map Link: OpenStreetMap

Wye Mills Park & Ride Lot B – Delmarva Charging Station

October 7, 2024October 7, 2024 Lanny

Electric vehicle charging station Wye Mills, Maryland

Delmarva Power and Light owns and operates this 50 kW EV charging station at Wye Mills Park and Ride, Lot B in Wye Mills, MD. Located at the intersection of Route 50 and Route 404, this DC Fast Charger is on the way to the Maryland and Delaware beaches.

Charger Construction Cost

$178,072 total site construction cost per the Maryland PSC PC44 EV Pilot Program

Labor	Matl	Netwk	Admin	Total
$114,370	$48,075	$2,862	$12,765	$178,072

Profit/Loss – Revenue vs Electricity Bill

-$4,292.21 (Loss) Since opening on 12/29/22 to 06/30/24

kWh	Revenue	Elec. Bill	Profit
25,300	$7,771.22	$12,063.43	-$4,292.21 (Loss)

Trend Graph: Monthly Electricity Dispensed in kWh

Wye Mills charger monthly usage graph — Wye Mills Park and Ride EV charging monthly usage trend in kWh

Site Information

Location
Address: 101 Wye Trading Dr., Wye Mills, Maryland 21679
County: Queen Anne’s
Facility Type: Parking Lot
Coordinates: 38.93961, -76.06308
Directions: In the parking lot on the western side of Route 50 at Route 404.
Map Link: OpenStreetMap

Tesla Supercharger Charger Audit – October 4, 2024

October 5, 2024October 5, 2024 Lanny

Tesla Supercharger Charger Audit 10-04-2024

Tesla Supercharger Port Availability (10-04-2024)

Maryland Superchargers: 99.1%
Goal: 97% Uptime

Maryland Superchargers: Charger Audit Results

This virtual charger audit of Maryland’s Tesla Superchargers is intended to complement my ongoing assessments of utility-owned public charging stations. The aim is to compile independent data points to evaluate charger reliability against the state’s 97% uptime target.

On October 4, 2024, I used the Tesla app to check the availability of all 531 Tesla Supercharger stalls across 59 active locations in Maryland. Each Supercharger location in Maryland has between four and 16 stalls.

Overall Port Availability on 10-04-2024: 99.1%

The audit found that 5 out of 531 Supercharger stalls (0.9%) were reported as out of order in the Tesla app, resulting in an overall availability of 99.1%.

Maryland Supercharger Status on 10-04-2024

This level of availability aligns with the consistently high reliability of Tesla Supercharger ports that I documented during the summer of 2023. During those months, we drove to hundreds of Supercharger locations across the United States. Often, we visited more than a dozen sites in a single day without encountering any problems and being able to charge on the first attempt.

Potomac Edison Charger Check – October 3, 2024

October 4, 2024October 4, 2024 Lanny

Potomac Edison (PE) operates a network of 20 DC fast chargers and 77 Level 2 ports spread across 43 locations in its service area. As a regulated utility, PE is required to maintain 97% uptime for its charging stations.

October 3, 2024 Charger Audit Results

This virtual charger audit of PE’s EV Driven network found mostly favorable results. While all DC fast chargers were online and available, two Level 2 ports were essentially “offline” due to their absence from online directories.

Key Findings:

DC Fast Chargers: 100% availability.
Level 2 Ports: 97% availability (75/77 ports).
Myersville Town Hall: A previously listed dual-port Level 2 station has mysteriously disappeared from online directories.

Issues and Concerns:

Missing Level 2 Ports: The absence of two Level 2 ports from online directories makes it difficult for EV drivers to locate and use them.
Myersville Town Hall Station: The reason for the station’s removal from online directories remains unclear. Parking restrictions and potential conflicts may have played a role.

Recommendations:

Update Online Directories: Potomac Edison should ensure that all charging stations are accurately listed and updated in online directories.
Investigate Myersville Town Hall Station: PE should investigate the reasons for the station’s disappearance and work with local authorities to address any issues including onsite signage.
Improve Communication: PE should provide clear communication to EV drivers about charging station availability and any known issues.

Overall, while Potomac Edison has achieved a high availability rate for its DC fast chargers and Level 2 ports, the uncertainty surrounding the Myersville Town Hall station is an issue that could be addressed to improve the overall user experience.

Detailed Audit Results

On October 3, 2024, I conducted a virtual charger audit of PE’s “EV Driven” network, checking the status of all 97 charging ports using ChargeHub and ChargePoint apps. Notably, both DC fast chargers at the Rocky Gap Resort, previously reporting as “Out of Service” last week, are now online and available.

Myersville Town Hall Station

The dual-port Level 2 station installed at Myersville Town Hall in May 2022 has disappeared from both the ChargePoint app and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center.

A notable change at this location is the removal of the “no parking except while charging” sign, leaving a “parking for town business only” restriction in place. The town indicated that this decision followed several verbal altercations over parking access to the charging station. I don’t know whether these incidents are related to the station’s removal from the map, but it could be a factor.

Myersville Signs — Myersville, MD Town Hall – anti-ICEing signs removed

Pepco EVsmart Charger Audit – October 2, 2024

October 3, 2024October 3, 2024 Lanny

Pepco: Charger Audit Results

L2: 79% | DCFC: 79% | Goal: 97% Uptime

Charger Audit: Pepco EVsmart Network, October 02, 2024

In 2019, the Maryland Public Service Commission approved a pilot program allowing five of the state’s utility companies to own and operate public charging stations. Potomac Electric Power Company (Pepco) runs one of these networks under the “EVsmart” brand, with 19 DC fast chargers and 233 Level 2 ports spread across 86 locations in its service area. By regulation, Pepco, like other utilities, must maintain 97% uptime for its charging stations. This means that each charging port must operate as intended and supply electricity at least 97% of the time annually, measured in minutes.

On October 2, 2024, I conducted the third in a series of virtual “charger audits” of Pepco’s EVsmart network, checking the online status of all 252 charging ports using the ChargeHub and Shell Recharge apps. While on-site audits provide the most accurate data, conducting them weekly is not feasible. That’s why I’m documenting these online audits to track the status of every port in Maryland’s utility-run charging program remotely.

It’s important to mention that I’ve personally visited all of Pepco’s public charging locations, and I’m familiar with their setups. For some of the stations flagged as offline in this audit, I’ve visited them recently and can confirm that the app status accurately reflected their condition.

79% Availability on October 01, 2024

This audit showed that only 79% of Pepco’s charging ports were online and available or in use, falling well below the 97% uptime target. The chart above reflects a persistent gap, with availability declining from 81% to 79% over the last three weeks. According to uptime standards, any charger offline for more than 11 days a year doesn’t meet the 97% requirement, and many of these ports have already dipped below that threshold.

Olney Manor Rec. Park DCFC Offline

See the video below showing the offline charger at Olney Manor Rec Park Baseball Field (Station ID 43408), which I reported to Shell Recharge on September 28, 2024. The customer service representative said a ticket would be created, but as of today, five days later, the charger remains offline.

Uptime Claims Contradict Performance at Olney Manor Rec Park Baseball Field Charger