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

Flawed Frederick County Anti-ICEing Bill – Public Comment

October 12, 2021September 28, 2022 Lanny

Frederick County Charging Station Vandalism

Dear Frederick County Council Members,

As an electric vehicle driver, I wish to oppose the Electric Vehicles bill no. 21-09.

This legislation, while well-meaning, will likely harm more than it will help.

The preamble of 21-09 states that it would “prohibit parking of a vehicle that is not a plug-in vehicle in a public parking space reserved for plug-in vehicles.” This would be similar to the ordinances in Montgomery, Howard, and Baltimore Counties to prohibit only gasoline vehicles from EV charging spaces.

But the actual language in the Frederick County bill says plug-in vehicle drivers would also be in violation “if the vehicle is not connected to the charging equipment.”

This is a reasonable idea in theory. But how do you know for certain the original intention of the EV driver?

I have had someone unplug my car without permission on multiple occasions. Sometimes another EV driver will park next to me and take the charging connector from my car and plug it into their car. One time, the car’s dashcam recorded someone who, for no apparent reason, walked up to the car, unplugged it and put the connector back in the charging station. Both of these scenarios would leave EV drivers vulnerable to a violation through no fault of their own if you adopt this bill.

See the attached photo taken at the EV charging station at Winchester Hall for the County’s fleet vehicle. There are notices on the charging equipment to warn people, “You are on camera. This area is under surveillance.” Apparently, there are already concerns about people tampering with EV charging on County property.

EV drivers simply cannot rely on the good behavior of every person who passes by our vehicle while it is unattended in order to avoid a ticket.

This ordinance will discourage people from using public charging if it goes into effect. Montgomery, Howard and Baltimore County Councils decided to focus only on prohibiting gas cars as a first step while reserving their option to amend the ordinance if complaints arise about EV drivers abusing the charging spaces.

The Council should ask if existing parking ordinances such as § 1-15-20 can be employed to enforce parking rules on County property rather than creating a new section of Code for an evolving technology like electric vehicle charging.

Should the Frederick County Council add § 1-15-31 to the Frederick County Code regarding Electric Vehicles? The answer quite simply is, no.

There are more effective ways to support EV adoption than this difficult to enforce bill. I’d be happy to work with you on solutions for those bigger issues.

I respectfully ask the council to vote against adoption of bill 21-09.

Sincerely,

Lanny Hartmann

UPDATE:

At the public hearing that was held on Oct. 12, 2021, the sponsor of this bill said he understood the concerns about the “must be connected” language and that he plans to make adjustments to the bill in response. However, the bill remains unnecessary because existing parking laws can be applied to protect EV charging stations on public property and private property managers can apply existing trespass-to laws.

Fast Charger Utilization Study – Columbia / Jessup

October 7, 2021November 23, 2021 Lanny

How much usage do electric vehicle fast chargers get? How about the relative utilization between similar fast charger sites in the same geographical area? Below are the results of a Fast Charger Utilization Study conducted over the summer to get a rough idea of which fast chargers EV drivers are actually using in a particular area along the I-95 corridor between Washington, DC and Baltimore.

For the 90-day period between July 1 and September 30, 2021, I tracked the electricity usage at four DC fast charging sites in the area of Columbia and Jessup, Maryland. All four charging stations are along MD Rt. 175 and are accessible from Exit 41 of Interstate 95.

Electrify America, Columbia

The Electrify America charging site at the Walmart in Columbia, MD opened on November 16, 2019. It has ten CCS dispensers, two have a maximum output of 350 kW and the rest are 150 kW. One dispenser has a 50 kW CHAdeMO connector paired with a 150 kW CCS. The difference between the meter readings at the beginning and the end of the 90 day period was 35,400 kWh. The daily average for the entire site was 393 kWh. This does not necessarily mean that all that went into vehicles. Some of it is used to power and cool the electronics and of course to keep that green glow going. Electrify America, Columbia is 2.7 miles and approximately 6 minutes from I-95.

Potomac Edison Charging Station in Middletown, MD

October 6, 2021October 6, 2021 Lanny

Located in Historic District

There is a Level 2 charging station available to the public in historic downtown Middletown, Maryland. The Middletown EV charging station is a dual-port ChargePoint and is located in the municipal parking lot at 119 Washington, Street.

The Middletown EV charging station is part of the Potomac Edison owned and operated EV charging network. The utility operates charging stations as far west as Deep Creek Lake where they have two DC fast chargers at the Visitor Center.

The slogan for Main Street Middletown is, “Where Charm and History Meet.” There is plenty of history to explore in Middletown and the Main Street has restaurants and ice cream to cool off while charging your car.

Let us know if you get out to Middletown and use the charging station there.

Level 1 Charging at Vermont Park and Ride Lot

October 5, 2021October 6, 2021 Lanny

120 Volt Outlets for Electric Vehicle Charging

Traveling through Vermont this summer, we spotted a blue and white EV charging wayfinding sign along State Route VT-107 between Bethel and Royalton. This particular sign was remarkable because it had “LEVEL 1” printed on it. We did a U-turn and pulled into the Royalton Park & Ride lot to investigate.

The parking lot was full of the “EV LEVEL 1” signs attached to light posts. Beneath each sign was a 120V outlet about waist high on the light poles. In total there were 16 power outlets for EV charging in the lot.

The Royalton Park & Ride lot opened in November, 2020 and cost about $834,000 to construct. The winning bidder, L & M Service Contractors, budgeted $158.80 for each Level 1 electric vehicle outlet according to a Vermont Agency of Transportation Bid Results document. Most of the other bids were around $1,000 per outlet with $1,250 being the highest. It’s hard to tell from the bid results exactly what the specifications were for installing the outlets.

A VTrans map of Vermont Park & Ride lots shows there are other locations with Level 1 EV charging outlets. Randolph has seven Level 1 outlets, Colchester has 11 Level 1 outlets and Middlesex has two Level 2 charging stations in its Park & Ride lot.

Maryland Workplace EV Charging Grant Program – Round One Awards

October 4, 2021October 4, 2021 Lanny

Maryland Charge Ahead Grant Program

Maryland announced that funding was awarded for 74 charging stations with 145 Level 2 ports at 24 locations in the first of three rounds of the Charge Ahead Grant program (CAGP). PlugInSites has gathered information about the workplace charging locations and which companies won the awards. We’ve compiled the info into the accompanying map and chart.

Funding for the Maryland Charge Ahead Grant Program is provided from the “Appendix D” portion of the Volkswagen diesel settlement. Maryland was allocated about $75.6 million to use on projects to reduce the effect of diesel emissions from the transportation sector. Up to 15% ($11.3 million) of Maryland’s Volkswagen Mitigation Plan funding can be used for electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

CAGP Round One Uses $642,942 in Volkswagen Diesel Settlement Funds

Maryland is releasing the funding in three rounds of grants. The first round includes $642,942 for Level 2 workplace charging. Here is the list of awardees along with the total grant funding they were approved for.

$234,000 Electric Vehicle Institute (EVI)
$117,000 Under Armour
$117,000 Maryland DGS
$86,665 WSSC Water
$45,000 MDOT
$36,000 Prince George’s County
$4,500 Fork United Methodist Church
$2,777 Town of Thurmont

Funding Award Chart

The chart below details the applicants’ locations, the number of L2 charging ports at the site, the total cost of each site, and approved grant funding amounts.

CAGP Awardees, Round One Chart:

Caledonia State Park – Featured PlugInSite

October 3, 2021October 3, 2021 Lanny

Caledonia State Park is located along US 30 in Pennsylvania between Chambersburg and Gettysburg. The 1,125-acre park is open every day of the year from sunrise to sunset.

About a year ago, the park installed two ClipperCreek electric vehicle charging stations. The 50 Amp Level 2 stations are available to the public and are located in parking lot #2 near the picnic area restrooms.

Hiking, Camping and Other Activities

Caledonia State Park has camping, swimming and picnic tables. The famous Appalachian Trail traverses the park and you may even see people hiking through with backpacks on their journey from Georgia to Maine. There are 10 miles of hiking trails within the 1,125-acre park for folks who may not be so adventurous.

The park is also home of the Thaddeus Stevens Blacksmith Shop. The shop and Iron Furnace were part of the Caledonia Iron Works which operated between 1837 and 1895.

The EV charging stations in Caledonia State Park are part of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources initiative to install charging equipment at more than 40 state parks and forests in the state to help improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gases.

Similar EV charging programs are underway at state parks in West Virginia and Delaware.

For more information about EV initiatives in Pennsylvania, see: Amped 2021: How State Government Is Supporting More Electric Vehicle Use in Pennsylvania.

Maryland Clean Energy Center Webinar: The Future of Transportation

October 2, 2021October 2, 2021 Lanny

Maryland Clean Energy Center EV charging stations

The Maryland Clean Energy Center held a webinar this week to discuss how new technology is affecting transportation issues in Maryland. The discussion included electric vehicle charging infrastructure, electrifying fleets, electric school buses and the role of hydrogen fuel in long-haul trucking.

Delegate Brooke Lierman, a member of the House Environment and Transportation Committee, moderated the discussion. Panelists include Delegate David Fraser-Hidalgo, also a member of the Environment and Transportation Committee and the Chair of the Motor Vehicle and Transportation Subcommittee.

Other panelists include Korey Neal, President of K. Neal Truck and Bus Center; Kristy Groncki, Manager, Strategic Programs for BGE; Joseph Alfred, CEO of Ally Power Inc.; and Swami Venkat, Partner, CFO Advisory Practice Leader – Global Consulting Solutions at CohnReznick.

Below is a recording of the MCEC webinar, Driving Change: The Future of Transportation.

This MCEC webinar is part of their Connecting to the Energy Economy Speaker Series.

Maryland “Right-to-Charge” Law is Now in Effect

October 1, 2021October 1, 2021 Lanny

Homeowners Associations and Condos

A Maryland Right-to-Charge law for homeowners and condo residents goes into effect today, October 1, 2021.

Maryland joins eight other states including Virginia and New York to prohibit HOAs and condo boards from denying permission for a homeowner to install an electric vehicle charging station within certain guidelines. It would make void and unenforceable any covenants or restrictions of a condominium or homeowners association if they prohibit or unreasonably restrict the installation or use of electric vehicle recharging equipment in an owner’s deeded or designated parking space.

This bill gives homeowners the right to install a charging station in their parking spot as long as they pay for the costs of installation, maintenance, electricity and subsequent removal upon moving. Many people in Maryland live in housing that is governed by an HOA or condo board. Addressing the issue of charging at multi-family units is important to achieve the full potential of electric vehicle adoption in the state.

Maryland Electric Corridors Grant Program – Round One Awards

September 30, 2021September 30, 2021 Lanny

Recently, Maryland announced that funding was awarded for 36 new public DC fast chargers at 13 locations. PlugInSites has learned a bit more about which companies won the awards and how many stations each charging provider will be operating.

Funding From VW Settlement

The funding comes from the Volkswagen diesel settlement. Maryland was allocated approximately $75.6 million to use on projects to reduce the effect of diesel emissions from the transportation sector. Up to 15% ($11.3 million) of Maryland’s Volkswagen Mitigation Plan funding can be used for electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

Maryland decided to release the funding in three rounds of public-private partnership grants. The first round is for $3.7 million for Level 2 workplace charging and DC fast chargers along highways.

Maryland Electric Corridors Grant Program

The Maryland Electric Corridors Grant Program (ECGP) is for fast charging stations along Alternative Fuel Corridors that have been designated by the Federal Highway Administration. The Alternative Fuel Corridors for electric vehicles include US Routes 50 and 301 on the Eastern Shore and I-68 / I-70 in Western Maryland.

The chart below details the applicants’ locations, number of chargers and funding amounts. EVgo was awarded $950,500 in grants for 22 fast chargers at 5 locations. Blink got $1,114,832 to install 8 chargers at 4 sites. An independent gas station in Annapolis, a gun store in Cumberland and Electric Vehicle Institute (EVI) were awarded funding for 2 chargers each. EVGateway got $315,840 to install 4 chargers at Ashley Homestore in Lexington Park. Here is a link to a map of all the ECGP locations for round one of the program.

Funding Award Chart

ECGP Awardees, Round One Chart:

Edgewater, Maryland Supercharger is Open

September 30, 2021September 30, 2021 Lanny

A Tesla Supercharger is now open at the Wawa store at 3166 Solomons Island Rd, Edgewater, Maryland.

The Edgewater, MD Supercharger has eight charging stalls rated at 250 kW max. They are located in the parking lot on the north side of the Wawa store.

The Edgewater Supercharger is about four miles south of the very popular Annapolis Supercharger. Perhaps some of the Tesla drivers will make the trek down Rt. 2/Solomons Island Rd to use the faster 250 kW Version 3 (V3) Superchargers at the Wawa. Annapolis has Version 2 Superchargers (150 kW) which are not quite as fast.

This Supercharger took over six months to complete from the time that equipment first appeared on at the site in March. This is longer than it usually takes and that could be due to a variety of factors that we don’t know.

We are watching a number of other Tesla Superchargers that are currently under construction in the greater Washington, DC area. These include: Laurel, MD – Van Dusen Road; Aberdeen, MD – Churchville Road; Abingdon, MD; Winchester, VA; and Bealeton, VA.