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

BGE Fast Chargers at Glenwood Library in Howard County

May 21, 2020September 28, 2022 Lanny

A BGE EVsmart public charging site is coming to the Glenwood Branch of the Howard County Library System and Gary J. Arthur Community Center. The utility owned and operated charging stations are installed, but not yet operational as of May 20, 2020. UPDATE: Chargers operational as of June 25, 2020 There are two DC Fast Chargers and six Level 2 ports in the north east corner of the main parking lot. [map link]

Liquid-Cooled Fast Chargers

The two 50 kW fast chargers are liquid-cooled Tritium Veefil TRI93-50-01-US models. This is a departure from the Efacec QC45 quick chargers used in earlier BGE installations such as Westminster and Ellicott City. Having multiple fast chargers at the Glenwood site should help bolster EV drivers’ confidence because they will know that if one fast charger is occupied or inoperable, they have an alternative fast charger to try.

Usage Fees Paid via Greenlots

The BGE fast chargers have a fee of $0.34 per kWh. The Level 2 charging costs $0.18 per kWh. Those fees are subject to change with the approval of the Maryland Public Service Commission which regulates the utilities. Payment is via a Greenlots account.

Maryland Plug-In Vehicle Adoption by County

May 20, 2020September 24, 2023 Lanny

Plug-In Vehicles per 100,000 Residents as of April, 2020

Maryland now has over 25,000 plug-in electric vehicles registered in the state according to the latest data from the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration.

About 9,000 of those EVs are registered in Montgomery County alone. With a population of over one million residents, it makes sense that Montgomery has the greatest number of plug-in vehicles of all Maryland counties.

But how do Maryland counties stack up based on the number of electric vehicles registered in proportion to their population?

Howard And Montgomery Have Greatest EV Adoption Per Capita

Howard County has the greatest number of plug-in vehicles per 100,000 residents at 925. Montgomery is a close second with 874.

Frederick and Anne Arundel counties are third and fourth with 521 and 454 EVs per 100,000 people respectively.

Talbot County, home of Easton and St. Michaels on the Eastern Shore, has the fifth highest per capita with 150 plug-ins registered with an estimated population of 37,181.

DC Area Superchargers Under Construction as of April, 2020

April 28, 2020September 28, 2022 Lanny

Red = Open Superchargers, Yellow = Under Construction as of April, 2020

New Tesla Superchargers Coming Soon to the Washington, DC Area

Tesla has been busy adding more Superchargers around the greater Washington, DC area. Last month, the first Supercharger inside the District of Columbia opened in the garage of a Safeway store on Wisconsin Ave, NW. A second Tesla Supercharger in the District is currently under construction in the Fort Lincoln area of NW. Tesla apparently still has crews working at Supercharger construction sites where proper personal distancing can be practiced.

Listed below are the sites that have begun construction the Washington, DC area including the western suburbs in Virginia and Maryland’s Eastern Shore. UPDATE, May 28, 2020: added White Marsh, MD & Falls Church, VA. July 16, 2020: Chantilly and Vienna are open.

Washington, DC – NE 12 stalls, 250 kW at Shops at Dakota Crossing
Baltimore, MD – Canton 12 stalls, 250 kW at Harris Teeter
Falls Church, VA 8 stalls, 250 kW at Idylwood Plaza
Chantilly, VA 8 stalls, 250 kW at Royal Farms (open)
Vienna, VA 8 stalls, 250 kW at Wawa (open)
Reston, VA 8 stalls, 250 kW at Reston Station (open)
White Marsh, MD 8 stalls, 250 kW at Royal Farms (open)
Easton, MD 8 stalls, 250 kW at Royal Farms (open)

EV Legislative Update, March 15, 2020

March 15, 2020March 15, 2020 Lanny

Maryland Legislature to Adjourn Early

The leaders of the Maryland General Assembly announced today that the 2020 session will adjourn on Wednesday March 18th due to the coronavirus outbreak. The 90-day session was scheduled to run through April 6th. This will be the first time since the Civil War that the Maryland lawmaking session has closed early.

EV Related Bills in Limbo

With the abbreviated session and the lawmakers focusing on emergency legislation related to the COVID-19 crisis and getting the budget passed, legislation related to electric vehicle issues will be strained. The House and Senate were in session over the weekend and two bills that we are tracking made some movement.

Electric Buses

The Hawthorn Center in Hickory Ridge, Columbia, MD

March 11, 2020March 11, 2020 Lanny

Hawthorn Center EV Charging — SemaConnect EV Charging Station

Columbia Association installed a Level 2 charging station at The Hawthorn Center in Hickory Ridge. The SemaConnect ChargePro station is located by the pool entrance near the south west side of the building. The Hawthorn Center is at 6175 Sunny Spring, Columbia, MD 21044. MAP

This is the seventh site and ninth charging port installed by the Columbia Association. The other locations are at Owen Brown Community Center, Columbia Gym, Supreme Sports Club, Athletic Club (2), Long Reach Tennis Club (2) and The Other Barn in Oakland Mills.

Anti-ICEing Laws – Do They Really Work?

March 10, 2020September 28, 2022 Lanny

Three Citations in Five Years

Howard County, Maryland passed one of the earliest anti-ICEing laws in July, 2014. The ordinance is designed to keep Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) cars from blocking electric vehicle charging stations. In the five years since it was enacted, only three citations have been given according to the Howard County Police Department. One ticket each in the years 2014, 2017 and 2019.

Signage an Issue

Many anti-ICEing laws require an official sign to be posted in order to be enforced on private or public property. In Howard County, the sign must be at least 12 inches by 18 inches and meet government standards.

HoCoMD Anti-ICEing Laws Charging Station — Sign at Howard County Library EV charging spot is not enforceable under Police guidelines.

A sign that designates a space under this subsection must meet be at least 12 inches by 18 inches and meet any applicable State or Federal standards for parking control signs.
Howard Co. MD Sec. 21.207c3 Parking restrictions – Plug-in vehicle recharging stations

One Sign Considered Enforceable

The Howard County Police Department created a Training Bulletin to provide guidance to officers when responding to calls of non-electric vehicles parked in EV charging spaces.

Some of the key points listed in the bulletin are:

Maryland Could Raise Annual Registration Fee for Electric Vehicles

March 6, 2020March 6, 2020 Lanny

Proposed Legislation Would Double EV Registration Fees

A bill in the Maryland General Assembly proposes a larger annual vehicle registration fee for electric vehicles. The proposal would actually double the annual fee on all classes of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) in Maryland.

“Increasing Highway Equity Act”

HB1626, sponsored by Delegate C. T. Wilson of Charles County, is named the Increasing Highway Equity Act. The synopsis of the bill is “Doubling the annual registration fees for motor vehicles of any class that are zero-emission vehicles.”

Maryland has committed to 60,000 zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2020 and 300,000 ZEVs by 2025 as part of the California Clean Cars Program that Maryland adopted in 2007. The state has been struggling to reach that goal. According to data from the MVA, as of January there are 24,615 plug-in electric vehicles registered in Maryland.

Tesla Supercharger Planned for Sheetz in Dahlgren, Virginia

March 5, 2020September 28, 2022 Lanny

A Tesla Supercharger is planned for a Sheetz store in Dahlgren, VA.

According to a King George County Building Official contacted by Mark Czajka of MD Volt, Inc., a permit application was submitted yesterday for the Sheetz at 17188 Owens Drive. This location is about 2 miles west of the Harry W. Nice Bridge over the Potomac. Link to Map

This Supercharger will be convenient for Tesla drivers that travel Route 301 through Charles County Maryland and into Virginia.

Virginia Passes “Right To Charge” at Condos & HOAs

February 27, 2020February 27, 2020 Lanny

Addresses EV Charging Installation for Condo and HOA Members

A “Right to Charge” bill (SB 630) passed in the Virginia General Assembly today. The bill now heads to the Governor’s desk.

The legislation prohibits HOAs, condominium associations and cooperatives from prohibiting the installation of an electric vehicle charging station in a resident’s designated parking space. The bill sets a certain framework including requiring the EV owner to pay for the electricity plus the cost of the installation of the charging stations.

Joins New York, Florida, Colorado, California, Oregon & Hawaii in Right to Charge

Similar legislation was enacted in New York last December. Five other states have “Right to Charge” laws including Florida, Hawaii and California. Maryland lawmakers are also considering a proposal this session.

Virginia Senator Scott A. Surovell sponsored the “Right to Charge” bill (SB 630) in response to a constituent in Prince William County who reached out to him because his condo association refused to consider his application to install a charging station.

Passed Unanimously

Earlier this week, the House Communications, Technology and Innovation Committee approved SB 630 unanimously, 22 to 0.

Senator Surovell told the committee, “This bill is modeled on Florida law and we made some changes to make it consistent with what we thought was Virginia law.”

White Marsh Mall Has Eight Volta Charging Stations

February 23, 2020February 23, 2020 Lanny

White Marsh Mall in northern Baltimore County has eight Level 2 charging stations. The Volta stations are free and are supported by ads displayed on a large screen. Signs at each station limit a stay at two hours.

The eight Voltas are distributed around the perimeter of the mall. When I was there on a Saturday evening, all eight were open and available.

On a side note, the IKEA store adjacent to the White Marsh Mall is having a big solar canopy being built in their parking lot. There are also five ChargePoint Level 2 charging stations in the White Marsh Park and Ride lot.

Keep an eye out for Volta free charging stations at other retail shopping areas. They seem to be making a push for expanding in the Washington, DC and Baltimore area.