The Merriweather District in Columbia Maryland has installed 40 Level 2 EV charging connectors. The new office, entertainment and residential development is located adjacent to the Merriweather Post Pavilion concert venue.
Merriweather District Garage EV Charging
There are 10 dual-port ChargePoint stations along the north wall on floors 2 and 3 of the nine story parking garage. That’s 20 charging ports on two floors for a total capacity for charging up to 40 cars at once. This is one of the largest concentrations of Level 2 electric vehicle charging stations in the state of Maryland.
The Regional Transportation Agency (RTA) of Central Maryland has at least one BYD 100% Electric bus in its fleet. I happened to spot one in Columbia, MD. Unfortunately, it was being hooked up to a tow truck.
According to the tow truck driver, the bus ran out of charge. How does that happen? Wouldn’t they plan it so that a bus has enough range to complete its route before it leaves the depot? Wouldn’t the bus driver notice that the battery gauge was getting low?
The Eastern Shore of Maryland used to be a vast EV charging desert. Anxiety about charging in the Delmarva peninsula discouraged many early electric vehicle owners from driving to Ocean City from the DC area.
Salisbury, MD Supercharger opened in November, 2014 and gave Tesla drivers the confidence to reach the beach. About three years later, a dozen Supercharger stalls opened at Royal Farms in Grasonville, MD.
At the same time, many destination charging stations were installed in Ocean City at hotels and public parking lots. Two CCS/CHAdeMO chargers were installed at the Convention Center. These chargers were partially funded by a state grant called the Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Program or AFIP administered by the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA).
Now there’s a Tesla Supercharger in Ocean City. For anyone familiar with the CCS/CHAdeMO Fast Charger at the Royal Farms on Rt. 50 just before crossing the drawbridge, the Supercharger stalls are next to that unit.
Today, I testified before the House Environment and Transportation Committee in support of “Right to Charge” bill HB 111. This bill would prevent HOAs or condo boards from unreasonably restricting a homeowner from installing an EV charging station in their designated parking space.
The hearing went well. No opposition to the bill. In fact, the group that represents the interests of HOAs and condominiums in Maryland testified that they’ve worked out a few tweaks to the bill with the sponsor, Delegate Marc Korman, and are supporting the bill with those amendments.
Right-to-Charge Senate Bill Filed
The Senate cross-file for the Right to Charge legislation is SB 734 sponsored by Senators Lam, Peters, Rosapepe, and Young. The hearing date hasn’t been scheduled yet. Keep an eye on the Electric Vehicle Legislation Tracker for the hearing date on SB 734.
Bill to Extend ZEEVIC
HB 232, sponsored by Del. Fraser-Hidalgo is being heard in the House Environment and Transportation Committee on Thursday, Feb. 6 at 1:00 PM. This bill would extend the term of the Maryland Zero Emission Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Council (ZEEVIC) until June 30, 2026. The term of the council sunsets this year.
Signs at Hyattsville City Municipal Center EV Charger
Commercial Vehicles Not Welcome at Some Maryland Public Charging Stations
Government encourages us to eliminate the burning of fossil fuels by driving electric vehicles. Some cities and states support these efforts by installing EV charging equipment on public property. What happens when government decides to prohibit commercial electric vehicles from using public charging stations?
Hyattsville and Takoma Park, Maryland are environmentally friendly towns that enthusiastically support EV charging. The Hyattsville, MD Police Department is the first in the US to use a Chevy Bolt EV patrol car. Takoma Park attracted national attention when a former gas station dumped the pumps and installed Fast Chargers.
Perhaps due to the pioneering nature of these two towns, they are also first to experience challenges that go with providing the public with free EV charging.
For-Hire Cars Prohibited at Grant Funded Chargers in Hyattsville
Two DC Fast Chargers at Hyattsville City Municipal Center opened in August, 2018. The chargers are funded in part by a grant from the Maryland Energy Administration. The MEA grant program has helped fund many other fast chargers in Maryland from Ocean City to Hagerstown.
The guidelines for the Maryland Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Program require that DC Fast Chargers funded by the program be publicly accessible. The guidelines don’t clarify if the term “publicly accessible” applies to making the chargers available to commercial vehicles.
The City of Hyattsville partnered with the grantee to provide a site for the two 50 kW chargers in the parking lot in front of the City Municipal Center.
According to the Manager of Code and Parking Compliance for the City of Hyattsville, the city’s position is that the chargers are not intended for use by commercial vehicles and the City Administrator directed that signs be posted that prohibit any “for-hire” vehicles from parking or charging there.
A new Supercharging station in North Bethesda, Maryland is now on the Tesla Navigation map. It is located at Pike and Rose in the Trade Street Garage. map link
The eight urban-style (72 kW) stalls are on level P6 in the south east corner. There is an 855-panel solar array canopy on the top floor of this parking garage that was installed several years ago. Four SemaConnect J1772 charging stations are on Level P2 of this garage.
This is the second Tesla Supercharger to open in Montgomery County this month. Last Saturday, a Supercharger in Rockville Town Square appeared on the Tesla Navigation map.
Today begins the fourth week of the 60-day legislative session in Richmond. Two electric vehicle bills have already made significant progress. Several other pieces of legislation have hearings on the agenda today and tomorrow.
Action on Two Virginia Bills
Here is an update for EV-related legislation in Richmond:
SB 630, a “Right-to-Charge” bill has passed the Senate (39-Y 1-N). This bill, sponsored by Senator Scott Surovell aims to make it easier for residents to install EV charging equipment at condos and homes governed by an HOA. It will head to the House next.
HB 511 was reported from the Transportation Committee with amendments (20-Y 2-N). This would give authority to enable state government agencies to operate retail fee-based electric vehicle charging stations on property controlled by the agency. This bill, sponsored by Del. David Bulova, is similar to charging station legislation he got passed in 2018.
Hearings This Week in Richmond
SB 988 would authorize Dominion Energy to implement projects to encourage the adoption of electric school buses. It is on the agenda for today’s Senate Commerce and Labor, Energy Subcommittee meeting scheduled for 4:00 PM.
Here’s a quick tip to help keep the public EV charging infrastructure attractive, safe and operating well. Upon completing a charging session, take a few moments to hang up the charging cable so that it is completely off the ground.
It’s tempting to just put the charging connector in the holster and let the cable go. Please consider taking a few extra seconds to hang up the cable too. No need to be too fancy, just a couple big loops so that no part of the cable is touching the ground.
The Clean Cars Act of 2020 proposes to increase the funding for the Maryland electric vehicle excise tax credit. Annual funding would increase from $6,000,000 to $12,000,000 through fiscal year 2023 under the proposal by Governor Larry Hogan.
Governor Hogan Wants to Double Funding to $12 Million Annually
Under the proposal, the Maryland Department of Transportation will not approve tax credits after the $12 million allocated for each fiscal year runs out. Applicants will then be put on a waiting list the same as they have done previously.
Maryland Clean Cars Act
The Clean Cars Act of 2020 (SB277 & HB359) would also extend the term of the Maryland Zero Emission Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Council (ZEEVIC) until 2023.
