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.
Maryland PSC Conference – Details for Public Comments
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.
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
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.
Number of Electric Vehicles in MD, VA, DC – June, 2016
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.
Power Restored to Newark Supercharger Station
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
Bethesda Supercharger Countdown Clock
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.
Newark Supercharger Temporary Closure – I-95 CHAdeMO Fast Charging Options
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.
- 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.
Good luck!
Conference to Explore Role of Maryland Utilities in EV Deployment
The Public Service Commission of Maryland has announced a Public Conference to explore regulatory issues related to the deployment of electric vehicles in the state.
The public conference is scheduled for July 14, 2016 starting at 10:00 AM in Baltimore. The PSC plans to provide a live stream of the panels.
Three panels are currently scheduled:
1) Utility Investment in Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure
This panel will discuss the potential for utility involvement in deploying EV charging infrastructure in Maryland.
2) The Grid-Related Costs Associated with Vehicle Fleet Electrification
This will address strategies, such as time-of-use tariffs to minimize grid-related costs associated with EV deployment.
3) Energy Justice Spotlight: Access to Electric Vehicle Infrastructure and Charging Incentives in Limited-Income and Other Under-Served Communities
Panelists will discuss potential energy justice issues and identify potential methods to address them through coordinated EV deployment strategies in the State.
Download a PDF of the notice here.
Follow @PlugInSites on Twitter and subscribe below for updates on EV charging station news.
West Virginia Parks To Get EV Charging Stations
Wild Wonderful West Virginia
We love driving the Tesla out to the mountains of West Virginia. The winding mountain roads are loads of fun to drive in an electric car. It is a paradise for one-foot driving pleasure. Press the accelerator for instant torque to go up the mountain. Let off the pedal to slow down entering the next curve or to let the EV regenerative braking control a long descent.
The only down side to taking an EV when visiting the home of the Mountaineers is the lack of charging stations in much of the state. Tesla is planning to install three or four Superchargers according to the map of future locations on the Tesla website. But to attract and accommodate visitors with any kind of electric vehicle, West Virginia State Parks is planning to install EV charging stations for overnight guests.
“There are not a lot of other states that have this many interstate systems running through it,” said Paul Redford, district administrator for the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation. “We are sitting in an area perfect for more electric car stations.”
West Virginia State Parks plans to install one Schneider Level 2 (240V, 30A) charging station at each of the State Park’s lodges. The funding came from a WV Division of Energy grant and it will be free to use the stations. The parks with lodges include Blackwater Falls, Cacapon, Chief Logan, Hawks Nest, North Bend, Pipestem, Stonewall Jackson, Twin Falls and Tygart Lake. The units should be operational by the end of September, 2016.
Follow @PlugInSites on Twitter and subscribe below for updates on EV charging station news.
Tip: Beware of Buggy Charging Stations
Is there a spider weaving a nest inside the EV charging connector that you’re about to plug in to your car? Or maybe a little grasshopper is seeking shelter between the pins of the J-1772 assembly.
Now that summer is here and insects are out, take a quick glance inside the connector of any public charging station before you push it onto the receptacle on your car. You don’t want any big insects to get mashed inside your car’s charging inlet port.
In addition to bugs and spider nests, check for other dirt or debris and make sure the gasket inside (the green ring in the photo above) is not coming loose.
Hope this tip is helpful. Charge on!
Hilton Garden Inn Kennett Square, PA – Destination Charging
When Hilton Worldwide announced plans for an electric vehicle charging program in partnership with Tesla and GE, Tyler Misko, General Manager of Hilton Garden Inn Kennett Square, took notice. Tyler realized that no other hotel in the area had EV charging stations and he wanted to be the first to offer the amenity to guests.
The Hilton Garden Inn, located just off of Route 1 in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, has two Tesla Wall Connectors for charging Model S or Model X cars and a GE charging station with a universal J-1772 connector that can charge any production electric vehicle.
Kennett Square is in the heart of the picturesque Brandywine Valley of Pennsylvania and is a destination for tourists visiting Longwood Gardens which is less than one mile from the hotel. The quaint town is known as the Mushroom Capital of the World. Mushroom farms in the area produce over a million pounds of mushrooms a week and an annual Mushroom Festival is held the weekend after Labor Day.
Hilton Garden Inn Kennett Square map link
815 E Baltimore Pike, Kennett Square, PA 19348
(610) 444-9100
kennettsquare.hgi.com
Follow @PlugInSites on Twitter and subscribe below for updates on EV charging station news.