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Howard County, Maryland EV-Ready Ordinance is a Model for the Nation

January 3, 2020January 3, 2020 Lanny

The Howard County, Maryland EV-Ready ordinance that passed in 2018 is cited as an example in the recently published Great Plains Institute’s “Summary of Best Practices in Electric Vehicle Ordinances”.

EV-Friendly Zoning Practices

The Howard County legislation (CB76-2018) is recognized as a model to guide other communities in developing EV-friendly zoning ordinances. The bill was sponsored by Jen Terrasa who was my Councilwoman at the time. Terrasa was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 2018 and is a member of the House Environment and Transportation Committee.

The guide summarizes city ordinances and zoning practices regarding:

EV charging stations as permitted land use
EV make-ready standards
EV supply equipment standards
EV parking space design and location
Required EV parking capacity and minimum parking requirements
EV-designated parking use standards and protections
Signage, safety, and other standards
Definition of terms

Indy’s EV Car Share is Shutting Down – What Happens to the Charging Stations?

January 2, 2020January 2, 2020 Lanny

BlueIndy EV charging stations on curb — Curbside EV charging stations in Indianapolis – photo: @Lanny

BlueIndy Electric Car Sharing Service Ends May 21, 2020

Indianapolis electric car sharing service BlueIndy will be closing effective May 21, 2020. The company had big plans when it launched in September, 2015 with the enthusiastic backing of then Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard. BlueIndy’s parent company, Bollore, invested $41 million in the venture. The city of Indianapolis contributed $6 million and Indianapolis Power and Light invested $3 million.

BlueIndy in announcing its closure said the service did not “reach the level of activity required to be economically viable.” A report by Indianapolis WTTV News based on a public records request with the city said that BlueIndy had an operating deficit of over $22 million in 2017.

Tesla Superchargers “Coming Soon” Update – January, 2020

January 1, 2020January 1, 2020 Lanny

Nine New Locations Added in Washington, DC Area

Tesla has updated the “Find Us” map on their website for the year 2020. All the “Coming Soon” locations with grey pins that had been labeled as “Target opening in 2019” now show “Target opening in 2020.” In addition, some new “Coming Soon” Supercharger locations have been added in the Washington, DC area. These include the locations listed below and indicated by green pins in the map above.

Reston, VA
Ashburn, VA
Chantilly, VA
Falls Church, VA
King George, VA
Millersville, MD
Towson, MD
Baltimore, MD – Canton
Easton, MD

Tesla is careful to note that exact timing and specific locations may vary. In fact, many of the locations designated by gray pins on the map have had their target year of opening moved forward more than once. For example, Halethorpe, MD, Washington, DC and Tysons, VA go back at least to 2017.

2019 Charging Station Count

December 31, 2019December 31, 2019 Lanny

EV Charging Station Growth Trend

How much has the number of electric vehicle charging stations in the Washington, DC area grown in the last five years? PlugInSites published a count on December 31, 2014. Today, exactly five years later, we take another snapshot and compare the data.

The following EV charging station count is from the U.S. Department of Energy, Alternative Fuels Data Center which keeps track of the number of EV charging stations from data provided by the major charging networks as well as other sources. The figures include public and private stations, DC Fast Chargers as well as Level 2 and Level 1 outlets. The counts below were captured on December 31, 2019. The percentages are the amount of growth of the public charging infrastructure in the five years since 2014.

Warrenton, VA Tesla Destination Charging

December 30, 2019December 30, 2019 Lanny

Two Tesla destination charging stations in Warrenton, VA — Tesla destination charging in Warrenton, Virginia

Charming Historic Old Town Warrenton

Virginia is home to a number of charming, walkable small towns. Old Town Warrenton is one of those gems. Now you can charge your Tesla when you visit.

The Town of Warrenton recently installed two Tesla connectors in a public parking lot downtown. The location is near 45 Horner S t., behind the Post Office.

On Way to Wineries and Shenandoah National Park

Warrenton Town Manager Brandie Schaeffer told WTOP Radio ”Warrenton is the best kept secret in Northern Virginia. People with electric vehicles traveling from the city to the wineries or Shenandoah National Park can stop in Warrenton for a quick charge, while they grab coffee, lunch, or shop.”

One attraction that gets rave reviews is the Red Truck Rural Bakery. Located in a former Esso gas station, Travel + Leisure calls it “One of America’s best small-town bakeries.”

New York Bill to Require EV-Ready Parking at State Funded Construction Projects

December 27, 2019December 27, 2019 Lanny

Senate Bill S7055 by Anna M. Kaplan

New York State Senator Anna Kaplan has prefiled legislation in Albany to require that new construction projects with more than 50 parking spaces that receive state funding must be capable of supporting electric vehicle charging stations.

The bill as drafted specifies that an electrical supply panel, raceway, and other components would be required to support future EV charging equipment with a capacity of at least 3.1 kW for each charging station.

Senate Bill S7055 is due to be assigned to the Committee on Finance when the 2020 Legislative Session begins on January 8th.

Mount Airy, MD to Add Tesla Destination Charging

December 24, 2019December 24, 2019 Lanny

Mt Airy, MD Charging Station — White paint marks an area where EV charging is to be installed.

Mt. Airy, Maryland, a town located between Baltimore and Frederick, installed a Level 2 charging station in May, 2015. We reported on the ribbon cutting when the Mayor, who drives an EV, and other officials welcomed electric vehicle drivers to charge for free while visiting the quaint and historic Mt Airy Main Street.

Town Attractive for EV Tourism

The initiative to attract EV tourism must be successful because the town is ready to break ground to add four more charging stations. These will be 240v Tesla charging units. Two will go next to the existing universal J1772 connectors in the Municipal Parking Lot and two will be installed in Watkins Park.

BGE Fast Charger in Westminster, MD

December 23, 2019December 23, 2019 Lanny

Utility Operated Charging Station

The first utility owned and operated DC Fast Charger in Maryland opened in Westminster, Maryland. It’s located in the parking lot at the Carroll County Government Offices Building at 225 N. Center Street.

The 50 kW charger is an Efacec QC45 similar to the charger at the Royal Farms Store about four miles east on Baltimore Blvd. We hope the single BGE fast charger is reliable, regularly maintained and fixed quickly since the only backup on site is a pair of Level 2 ports. See: Advocating for EV Charger Reliability at the Maryland PSC

All BGE fast chargers currently cost $0.34 per kWh as approved by the Maryland Public Service Commission which regulates the utility. Level 2 costs $0.18 per kWh. EV drivers can pay via a Greenlots account. Video.

More BGE Public Charging Coming Soon

BGE plans to own, and operate up to 500 public EV charging stations in their Maryland service area on property owned or controlled by state, county, and local governments. About 20% of these are to be DC Fast Chargers.

Eldersburg Library, North Carroll Library and Carroll Community College also plan to have charging stations according to a Carroll County news release.

For more information about the BGE EV Smart program, see bge.com/electricvehicles.

Happy 7th Birthday East Coast Superchargers

December 21, 2019December 20, 2019 Lanny

Newark, DE and Milford, CT Tesla Superchargers Open for Seven Years

On December 21, 2012, Tesla officially opened the Superchargers at the Delaware Welcome Center in Newark and at the Milford Travel Plazas on I-95 in Connecticut. These two locations let Model S drivers travel between Washington, DC and Boston. At the time, only six of Tesla’s exclusive fast charging sites existed elsewhere in the world and all were in California. Today, there are over 1,700 Supercharger stations worldwide.

Frederick, MD Supercharger at FSK Mall

November 26, 2019November 26, 2019 Lanny

Tesla Supercharging at Francis Scott Key Mall

The Frederick Maryland Supercharger at Francis Scott Key Mall has power as of November 26, 2019. Tesla installed ten charging stalls at the mall which is south east of the town of Frederick near where I-270 and I-70 merge. Map link.

The Frederick Supercharger site is along Spectrum Drive on the north edge of the parking lot near Barnes and Noble. There’s a Red Robin restaurant and a BJ’s Brewhouse nearby. In addition to the mall’s food options, there’s a Panera, Jersey Mike’s Subs, Baja Fresh and several other eateries in the area.