Fast Chargers at Howard Community College in Columbia, MD

Utility owned and operated public charging stations are now open at the Howard Community College in Columbia, Maryland. The BGE EVsmart stations are operational as of January 8, 2021. Two DC Fast Chargers and six Level 2 ports are located in the north west corner of Lot C on the main campus along Little Patuxent Parkway. [map link]

Two CCS/CHAdeMO Fast Chargers

The two 50 kW Fast Chargers are Efacec QC 45 units that are also used in some other BGE installations such as Westminster and Ellicott City. Having multiple fast chargers will help bolster EV drivers’ confidence. If one fast charger is occupied or inoperable, there should be another fast charger to fall back on.

On Greenlots Network

The fee to use these Fast Chargers is $0.34 per kWh. The Level 2 costs $0.18 per kWh. The fees are subject to change with the approval of the Maryland Public Service Commission which regulates the utilities. Payment is made via a Greenlots account.

Unenforceable Signs for County Anti-ICEing Ordinance

The college has its own parking regulations which subject violators to citations and towing. According to the HCC Website, the Howard County Police may also issue fines for certain parking violations.

In addition to receiving a parking citation from the college, a person parked in a handicapped space, fire zone, or no-parking zone is subject to additional fines from the Howard County Police Department. Howard County fines are imposed at $350 per violation in a handicapped space, $150 per violation in a fire zone, and $40 per violation in a no-parking area. All fines issued by Howard County are payable to the Howard County Police Department.

HowardCC Parking & Transportation Webpage

The signs that are posted here are not enforceable according to the Howard County Police Department’s Training Bulletin which provides guidance to officers when responding to calls of non-electric vehicles parked in EV charging spaces. I’ve communicated with Howard County officials regarding signs at BGE owned public charging stations on property owned by Howard County government and most of the signs have been changed by the County to signs that meet the standards to allow enforcement. The EV community advocated for an anti-ICEing ordinance and Howard County enacted legislation in 2014. See: Video of Public Comments on Howard Co. Bill CB36-2014.

See Also: Advocating for EV Charger Reliability at the Maryland PSC.

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