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

Maryland EV Percentage by County – August, 2021

September 21, 2021September 24, 2023 Lanny

Maryland EV registrations are 37,432 as of the end of August, 2021, according to data from MDOT / Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration.

About 12,763 of those electric vehicles are registered in Montgomery County. As the most populated county in Maryland, with more than one million residents, it makes sense that Montgomery has the greatest total number of plug-in vehicles. In May, 2020, PlugInSites compared Maryland Plug-In Vehicle Adoption by County using the number of plug-in vehicles registered per 100,000 residents.

Perhaps a more useful metric is what percentage of all vehicles registered in each county is electric? The results show a wide gulf between the suburban counties in the center of the state and the more rural areas of Maryland.

Montgomery and Howard Have the Highest Percentage of EVs

There were about 5 million vehicles registered in Maryland as of June 30, 2021 according to MVA. About 794,713 are registered in Montgomery County. About 8,140 of the vehicles in the County are Battery Electric and 4,623 are Plug-In Hybrids for a total of 12,763 plug in vehicles. That means 1.61% of all vehicles registered in Montgomery County are plug-ins. Howard County has the 2nd highest percentage of plug-in vehicles at 1.52%. Montgomery and Howard are way out in front of the rest of the Maryland for percentage of EVs.

Frederick, Anne Arundel and Baltimore City are next in the rankings with between 0.76% and 0.70% of all registered vehicles being electric. Frederick, Anne Arundel and Baltimore City’s percentage of EVs is very close to the state of Maryland at large which is 0.74%.

Saint Mary’s, Harford, and Charles Counties have are around 0.38% of their vehicles being plug-ins. These counties fall around the middle of the list.

Betterton, Maryland EV Charging Stations

September 19, 2021September 19, 2021 Lanny

Earlier this year, we took an EV day trip to the eastern shore and visited the small town of Betterton in Kent County, Maryland.

Jewel of the Chesapeake

Betterton, known as the Jewel of the Chesapeake, was a popular beach resort in the early 1900s. People would cross the bay on steamboats to enjoy summer days and nights at the beach. Betterton was replete with hotels, restaurants, dance halls, taverns and amusement arcades. The resort town declined in popularity in the 1930s due to the depression and the rise of the automobile which enabled easier access to the Atlantic beaches such as Ocean City.

Today, Betterton is a quiet community where many have come to retire or have a second home. There are two restaurants in town including Marzella’s by the Bay where we ordered lunch to go during our visit.

Utility-Owned Level 2 Stations

There are two electric vehicle charging stations located behind the Betterton Town Hall at 100 Main Street. The stations were installed by Delmarva Power as part of an EV charging pilot program approved by the Maryland Public Service Commission. Delmarva owns the stations and Greenlots is the network operator that collects payments and handles customer service.

$71,612 for Labor, Material and Overhead

The total cost for the two Level 2 stations was $71,612 according to a report filed with the Maryland PSC. The implementation cost for the Betterton EV charging site is broken down as follows:

$26,663 Labor
$17,387 Material
$27,562 Utility Admin & Overhead
$71,612 Total EVSE location cost

Revel Fast Charging Hub in New York City

September 15, 2021September 15, 2021 Lanny

Universal Electric Vehicle Charging for City Dwellers

Are concentrated hubs of DC fast chargers the solution to charging personal electric vehicles in the urban environment? Revel, a New York City-based electric transportation company, is testing the concept of EV charging Superhubs.

I recently visited the Revel Superhub in Brooklyn and it was impressive. The charging stations are located in an open parking lot at 467 Marcy Ave in the Bed-Stuy section of Brooklyn. There are 25 charging stations all wrapped in bright blue, the same color as the fleet of Teslas that Revel uses in their electric vehicle ride hailing service.

The Revel Superhub uses 25 stand-alone fast chargers manufactured by Tritium. The RTM75 fast chargers can deliver up to 75 kW according to specifications. The Tritium fast chargers came stock with both a CCS and a CHAdeMO connector.

Universal Chargers Adapted for Teslas

Revel has retrofitted all but three of the chargers with an off-the-shelf Tesla CHAdeMO adapter that allows Tesla vehicles to use the chargers. This is a clever work around to allow Revel to serve the Tesla market which comprises the majority of electric vehicles on the road right now. This is similar to what EVgo is doing with their DC fast chargers. [EVgo Adds Tesla Plugs to DMV Area Fast Chargers]

The EV charging Superhub is open to the public 24/7. In contrast to many other fast charging sites in New York City, there is no entrance fee or cost for parking. All you pay for is the electricity itself which is $0.39 per kilowatt hour plus tax.

Rivian Fast Chargers Planned for Belcamp, Maryland

September 11, 2021September 11, 2021 Lanny

Electric truck and SUV manufacturer Rivian is planning to install DC Fast Chargers at a shopping center just off of I-95 in Belcamp, MD.

According to documents submitted to Harford County, Rivian wants to install six stalls in the north west portion of the parking lot at 1321 Riverside Parkway. An additional three spots will be prepared for future expansion for an eventual total of nine DCFC spots.

The Riverside Shopping Center where the Rivian chargers are planned contains a ShopRite grocery (open 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM), McDonald’s and Waffle House (both open 24 hours), plus Walgreens, Subway, Riverside Pizzeria and Crab Du Jour restaurant.

Part of Rivian Adventure Network

Rivian has said they plan to install more than 3,500 CCS-equipped fast chargers at over 600 sites in the U.S. and Canada by the end of 2023. This exclusive network of DC fast chargers will comprise what they call the Rivian Adventure Network that is reported to be open to Rivian owners only.

CCS for Rivian Vehicles

The company has said that their fast chargers “are currently proposed to be exclusively for the use of Rivian vehicles only.” However, the text of a lease agreement in Salida, CO suggests that Rivian reserves the option to open some or all of the fast charger spaces to all electric vehicles. Presumably they would employ some sort of electronic authorization method with their CCS chargers.

EV-Ready Ordinance Proposed in New Castle County, Delaware

August 30, 2021September 28, 2022 Lanny

Requirement for New Residential Construction

The County Council of New Castle County, DE is considering an ordinance to require that new housing have the wiring and other necessary capacity to more easily install EV charging stations in the future.

The proposed ordinance states, “residents of New Castle County will increasingly demand that our housing stock be outfitted with the equipment necessary to re-charge electric vehicles” and “retrofitting existing homes to install electric vehicle charging stations is both time consuming and expensive, unless the home was initially designed and constructed to facilitate the easy installation of such charging stations.”

The ordinance cites Howard and Montgomery Counties in Maryland as locations that currently require that all new residential construction be EV-Ready.

WHEREAS, several jurisdictions, such as Howard and Montgomery Counties in Maryland, the City of Atlanta, and the entire State of California currently require that all new construction either provide for the installation of electric vehicle charging stations and/or that all new construction be “EV-ready”

Howard County Council passed an ordinance in 2018 to require EV charging infrastructure at new residential construction. That legislation was one of the first of its kind and has become a model for the nation. Howard County’s EV-Ready code is cited as an example in the Great Plains Institute’s “Summary of Best Practices in Electric Vehicle Ordinances”.

The New Castle County ordinance would require one parking space to be EV-ready for each new single-family home, duplexes and townhouses with garages. Councilwoman Dee Durham, the legislation’s lead sponsor, told Delaware Public Media, “It’s cheaper to do it ahead of time than after the fact.”

For multi-unit dwellings, the ordinance would require 5% of the total available parking spaces to have a Level 2 EVSE installed and 50% of the total spaces must be EV-Ready.

New Castle County Council Meeting on Tuesday

UPDATE – The ordinance will now be introduced at the September 28, 2021 meeting.

The New Castle County Council is scheduled to consider proposed ordinance 21-094 at a meeting on September 28, 2021 at 6:30 PM. Members of the public may be provided an opportunity to make comments according to the agenda.

For more information about this subject, see the PlugInSites Legislation Reference – New Construction EV-Ready Requirements.

Public Information Meetings for Charge Erie – EV Charging Project Near Buffalo, New York

August 17, 2021August 17, 2021 Lanny

Scheduled for August 24, 25 & 26, 2021

EV charging station in Chestnut Ridge Park in Erie County, NY

There’s a beautiful EV charging spot on top of a hill that overlooks the city of Buffalo in Erie County, New York. Mark Czajka, Director of MD Volt, Inc., told us about this charging station at Chestnut Ridge Park and we recently had an opportunity to plug in there while on an EV road trip.

Besides the beautiful view and interesting sledding hill, I saw a paper posted to the dual-port ChargePoint station. The paper was a notice of public meetings to explain the preliminary design for “Charge Erie – Electric Vehicle Charging Project” located in three Erie County Parks. The meetings will be held on August 24, 25 and 26, 2021. People will have an opportunity to give their comments about the charging station project at the meetings. Written comments will also be accepted until September 10, 2021. See details below.

Notice of Public Information Meeting for Charge Erie

NOTICE OF PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETING FOR CHARGE ERIE – ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING PROJECT
LOCATED IN THE TOWNS OF AKRON, TONAWANDA, AND ORCHARD PARK.
Erie County Department of Public Works has completed preliminary design for Charge Erie – Electric Vehicle Charging Project located in the following Erie County Parks: Akron Falls Park, Ellicott Creek Dog Park, and Chestnut Ridge Park. A separate design information meeting will be held near each site as follows; Ellicott Creek Park, shelter 9, on Tuesday August 24, 2021 from 6:00pm to 7:30PM; Akron Falls Park, Shelter 7, on Wednesday August 25, 2021 from 6:00pm to 7:30pm; and Chestnut Ridge Park, shelter 21, on Thursday August 26, 2021 from 6:00pm to 7:30pm. Staff will be available to discuss the project designs, schedule, and estimated costs.

All interested persons will be given an opportunity to express their views concerning the project. Written comments may be submitted at the meeting or mailed to LaBella Associates DPC, Attention Eric T. Fischlein PE, 300 Pearl Street Buffalo NY 14202. Written statements will be accepted and documented up until September 10, 2021.

Erie County Parks, Recreation & Forestry – Public Meetings for Electric Vehicle Charging Station Projects

Montgomery County Installs EV Charging Wayfinding Signs

August 6, 2021September 28, 2022 Lanny

MCDOT EV charging wayfinding signs — image: MCDOT

Have you seen the blue signs on highways that direct travelers to electric vehicle charging stations? They have a symbol that looks like a gas pump but with a plug instead of a nozzle and the letters “EV” on it.

These wayfinding signs help alert EV drivers of “refueling” services just like the signs notifying drivers of gas and diesel stations at an upcoming exit. These alternative fueling station signs also help create public awareness of the existence of EV charging stations. This helps people feel more comfortable about purchasing a plug-in electric vehicle.

Montgomery County Maryland Department of Transportation (MCDOT) is initiating a program to install EV charging wayfinding signs in Bethesda, Silver Spring and Wheaton. MCDOT plans 42 wayfinding signs in and around public parking facilities that currently have EV charging stations. See: Montgomery County Adds EV Charging to Five More Garages

Standardized Signs Based on Federal MUTCD Standards

The goal is to assist EV owners to locate charging stations and to make the public aware of the County’s charging infrastructure. The signs are based on the D9-11b standard general services sign. These are approved by the Federal Highway Administration in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).

MCDOT Director Chris Conklin says, “Letting the public know that these charging stations are available is important to encourage the use of electric vehicles.” Montgomery County has committed to a zero-emissions goal by 2035.

20 Level 2 Charging Stations in MCDOT Parking Facilities

There are 20 public Level 2 charging stations in parking facilities supported by MCDOT Division of Parking Management. These charging stations in Bethesda, Silver Spring, and Wheaton cost $0.13 per kWh. There is a four-hour limit for the charging spaces which are designated for electric vehicle charging only. See: Montgomery County Updates EV Charging Signs

Visit the MCDOT Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program page for more information and a map of their electric vehicle charging stations.

Tesla Superchargers “Coming Soon” – August, 2021

August 4, 2021August 4, 2021 Lanny

Washington, DC Area Tesla Superchargers “Coming Soon” as of August 3, 2021

New Locations Added in Washington, DC Area

Tesla updated the “Find Us” map on their website on August 3, 2021. New pins added to the map in the Washington, DC area include the following locations.

Bel Air, MD
Laurel, MD (2nd location)
Frederick, MD (2nd location)
New Castle, DE

Two pins in the DC area which had been “Coming Soon” on the map have now been removed. Those locations were Millersville, MD and Greenbelt, MD.

Tesla is careful to note that exact timing and specific locations may vary. In fact, some of the locations designated by gray pins on the map in January have had their target time of opening moved. For example, Chevy Chase, MD, was targeted to open in Q3 2021 is now showing Q1 2022. Woodbridge and Leesburg, VA have moved from Q1 to Q2 2022 in the latest estimation on the Tesla “Coming Soon” map.

Eight DC Area Supercharger Locations Planned to Open This Year

Supercharger at Laurel, MD Royal Farms Store

July 31, 2021July 31, 2021 Lanny

Near I-95 at Konterra and Van Dusen Roads

A new Supercharger is under construction at the Royal Farms Store at 6901 Van Dusen Rd, Laurel, Maryland. This will be a 250 kW (V3) Tesla Supercharging site and is expected to have eight stalls.

This site is less than a mile from I-95 and will be a more convenient alternative for travelers than the original Laurel, MD Supercharger that opened in 2016 at Laurel Towne Centre.

Construction of new Tesla Superchargers in the greater Washington, DC area has accelerated in the last year. Stay tuned for developments on this and other electric vehicle charging stations in the DC, Maryland and Virginia area.

Maryland Buy Local Week & Sykesville EV Charging

July 18, 2021July 9, 2022 Lanny

July 17-25, 2021 is “Maryland Buy Local Week.” [July 22-31, 2022] This initiative is to celebrate and support Maryland farmers, watermen, and food producers. Consider taking the Buy Local Challenge which is to enjoy least one Maryland grown or produced food or beverage each day during Buy Local Week.

Purchasing items at Farmers Markets is a great way to support local businesses. Driving your electric car to the Farmers Market is a great way to get there.

Sykesville, Maryland Farmers Market

Downtown Sykesville Farmers Market is open each Sunday from 9 AM to 1 PM, May through October.