Regulatory Signs for EV Charging and Parking Facilities

Lanny

A Policy Statement issued June 17, 2013 by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration addresses regulatory sign standards for electric vehicle charging and parking facilities. [Link to webpage]

This Policy is intended to provide guidance based on the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways (MUTCD) for uniformity among regulatory signs used for on-street electric vehicle charging and parking sites.

This Policy can be shared with local officials and property owners that wish to have signs that conform to MUTCD specifications that are required in some jurisdictions in order for the police to enforce anti-ICEing laws. (legislation reference)

PDF of sign examples

Source: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Policy Memorandum.

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EV Fast Charging Coming to the Massachusetts Turnpike

Lanny

625px-USA_Massachusetts_location_map

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation plans to install electric vehicle fast charging stations at six 
service plazas along the Massachusetts Turnpike by the end of the year.

The 50kW DC Fast Chargers will support both CHAdeMO and SAE Combo connectors and are being installed by contractor, Voltrek, LLC of Andover, MA. The initial locations are planned for Framingham westbound, Natick eastbound, Charlton eastbound and westbound, Blandford westbound and Lee eastbound.

The first two chargers are expected to be operational by early fall and the other stations are expected to be finished by the end of 2016. MassDOT also plans to install six more DC Fast Chargers along I-90 in the future.

Donald Pettey, MassDOT highway project manager for strategic initiatives, said that a goal of the EV charging stations is to help increase adoption of electric vehicles in the state. Currently, there are nearly 7,000 plug-in electric vehicles registered in Massachusetts. EV adoption is also promoted through the Massachusetts Offers Rebates for Electric Vehicles (MOR-EV) program which has dedicated $3.7 million to increase the number of plug-in vehicles on the road.

Mr. Pettey says that each charging site will be built to accommodate future expansion. At least 200 kW of electrical service is planned at the locations which can support multiple 50 kW chargers or any high-output charging stations that may be available in the future.

The cost to use the charging stations has not been determined but they will be free for the first six months.

Travel Service Plazas & Tourist Information Centers

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New Jersey to Recognize Employers That Install EV Charging

Lanny

drivegreen_nj
“NJ Charging Challenge: Electrify Your Workplace” program launched to recognize employers who install EV charging.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) wants to recognize the employers in New Jersey that are making their workplaces “Electric Vehicle-Ready.”

By providing workplace charging for electric vehicles, these employers are becoming more sustainable and are helping to reduce emissions of air pollutants from cars, improve the environment and improve the bottom line for their employees that drive to work. All employers are invited to participate, whether private, government, educational or non-profit.

How to qualify for recognition:

  • Install a minimum of 2 charging stations (Level 1/120 Volt or Level 2/240 Volt).
  • Installations as early as January 1, 2015 will be accepted.
  • Complete an NJ Charging Challenge application form and submit with proof of installation to DriveGreen@dep.nj.gov.
  • Parking spaces must be dedicated to charging station use only.
  • Recognition will include a certificate from the Department, as well as website recognition.
  • All applicants who meet the qualifications will receive recognition, but the top performers in the Charging Challenge will be honored at the Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards ceremony at the end of the year.

For more information, visit www.drivegreen.nj.gov/programs.html

White House Announces Bold Plan to Accelerate Deployment of EV Charging Infrastructure in US

Lanny

HoCoVolt

The White House announced a plan to help put more electric vehicles on the road by accelerating the deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The coalition of nearly 50 auto manufacturers, electric utilities, charging station companies, states  and organizations seeks to ensure that electric vehicle drivers will have access to charging stations at home, where they work, and while traveling on the road.

Highlights from the announcement include:

  • Unlocking up to $4.5 billion in loan guarantees and inviting applications to support the commercial-scale deployment of innovative electric vehicle charging facilities;
  • Launching the FAST Act process to identify zero emission and alternative fuel corridors, including for electric vehicle charging across the country, and standing up an effort to develop a 2020 vision for a national network of electric vehicle fast charging stations that will help determine where along the corridors it makes the most sense to locate the fast charging infrastructure;
  • Announcing a call for state, county, and municipal governments to partner with the Federal government to procure electric vehicle fleets at a discounted value;
  • Leveraging the power of data and hosting an ‘Electric Vehicle Hackathon’ to discover insights and develop new solutions for electric vehicle charging;
  • Publishing a guide to Federal funding, financing, and technical assistance for electric vehicles and charging stations; and
  • 35 new businesses, non-profits, universities, and utilities signing on to DOE’s Workplace Charging Challenge and committing to provide electric vehicle charging access for their workforce.

Read More …

CHAdeMO Connector Instruction Video

Lanny

Using the CHAdeMO connectors on some DC Fast Chargers can be a challenge. There are buttons to press and levers to pull and release and they have to be done in the right order. Here is a short video by Yazaki that shows how to operate this kind of CHAdeMO connector.

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Maryland PSC Conference – Details for Public Comments

Lanny

mdpsclogo2

If you are interested in expressing your comments to the Maryland Public Service Commission Public Conference on the deployment of electric vehicles in the state that we posted here last week, here is the information you need to know.

Instructions for Public Comment

The public conference is scheduled for July 14, 2016 starting at 10:00 AM. It will be held in the Commission’s 16th Floor Hearing Room, at William Donald Schaefer Tower, 6 St. Paul Street, Baltimore, MD

No Need to Pre-Register

The following info was provided to PlugInSites by the Maryland Public Service Commission Chairman’s Senior Advisor.

Individuals from the general public will be permitted to make brief remarks (no more than 5 minutes each) at the conclusion of the panels for PC43. Individuals are encouraged, but not required, to sign up in advance by email to Marissa Gillett at the address on page 3 of the Notice of Public Conference. Otherwise, there will be a sign-up sheet provided the morning of July 14th at the entrance to the Commission’s 16th floor hearing room. At the conclusion of the three panels, the Chairman will invite members of the public to the table to offer their comments. No materials need to be prepared or submitted in advance.

The proceedings will be live-streamed from the hearing room. The public can watch online from the Maryland PSC website. Archived proceedings will also be available to view after the Public Conference.

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Number of Electric Vehicles in MD, VA, DC – June, 2016

Lanny

pluginsites_PEV_stats_June2016
The last time we gathered statistics on the number of plug-in electric vehicles in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC was back in September, 2014 published here. The numbers available at the time were somewhat incomplete and an approximation in some cases.

Now, we have some current figures from the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers to share. These numbers should be much more accurate and show all-electric (BEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) electric vehicles sold since 2011 including those in government and commercial fleets.

We’ve also included statistics for the number of EVs registered in Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia.

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Power Restored to Newark Supercharger Station

Lanny

pluginsites_Newark_reopen

The Tesla Supercharger station at Newark, Delaware has reopened after a temporary closure that lasted more than 84 hours. The local utility company, Delmarva Power, restored service early Sunday morning.

The outage caused frustration for some Tesla drivers who arrived at the Newark Superchargers unaware that the station was down and needing to charge. Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk said in a 2013 conference call to reporters that Supercharger stations would have solar panels and battery packs to provide power even if the national grid went down. Musk added, that they’d work “even if there’s a zombie apocalypse.”

A temporary Supercharger that’s been in Bethesda, Maryland since January, 2014 is scheduled to be decommissioned on June 30. A new Supercharger is under construction in Laurel, Maryland about 80 miles south of Newark. Much of the equipment has been installed in Laurel but the utility transformer hasn’t arrived yet.

@Lanny for @PlugInSites

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Bethesda Supercharger Countdown Clock

Lanny

UPDATE: Closed as of Feb 15, 2017

Bethesda Supercharger Closing Soon

The Temporary Supercharger at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda opened in January, 2014. A new Supercharger is under construction at the Towne Centre at Laurel.

Follow @PlugInSites on Twitter and subscribe below for updates on the Laurel Supercharger and other EV charging station news.

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Newark Supercharger Temporary Closure – I-95 CHAdeMO Fast Charging Options

Lanny

pluginsites_newark_closed1

The Supercharger Station at the Delaware Welcome Center in Newark, DE is temporarily closed.

UPDATE: The Newark Supercharger station is now OPEN.

Tesla Customer Service said that it has been down since Wednesday morning. They have no estimate on when it will be back up. When asked for an alternative charging location, they suggested the  J-1772 charging stations at the Welcome Center by the truck parking area. But only one of those two Level 2 stations is working right now.

For any Tesla drivers traveling on I-95 who have a CHAdeMO adapter, be advised that there are CHAdeMO Fast Chargers at the following places in Maryland. Most of these are on the ChargePoint Network and the fee for them is 0.29 per kWh, $3.50 minimum. Check the ChargePoint dashboard to see if any stations are in use.

pluginsites_I-95fastchargers1
Click map for location details of CHAdeMO Fast Chargers on I-95 in Maryland.

  • North East – Royal Farms, 500 Mechanics Valley Rd, North East, MD 21901
  • Joppa – Royal Farms, 2620 Mountain Rd, Joppa, MD 21085
  • White Marsh – Royal Farms (2 chargers), 10740 Pulaski Hwy, White Marsh, MD 21162
  • Baltimore – Royal Farms, 6201 Pulaski Hwy, Baltimore, MD 21205
  • Baltimore – Best Western Conf. Center, 5625 O Donnell Street, Baltimore, MD 21224
  • Arbutus – Royal Farms, 3505 Washington Blvd, Arbutus, MD 21227
  • Glen Burnie – Royal Farms, 930 Cromwell Park Dr, Glen Burnie, MD 21061

All of these are on the ChargePoint Network except the Baltimore Best Western which is on Greenlots.

pluginsites_RFS_Newark

Good luck!