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.
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.
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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.
Check the Gasket
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.
photo courtesy of Hilton Garden Inn Kennett Square
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
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Signs have been posted at public charging stations in Ocean City, Maryland that read, “ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING ONLY, PARKING WHILE NOT CONNECTED TO CHARGING EQUIPMENT IS A PARKING INFRACTION, $30.00 PENALTY.”
Ocean City is apparently using an existing local ordinance rather than passing a specific anti-ICEing law to regulate and enforce parking at EV charging stations at city-owned parking facilities. Town ordinance 90-137d4 prohibits parking where prohibited by an official sign. That offense carries a maximum $30 fine.
Sec. 90-137. – Stopping, standing or parking prohibited in certain places; other parking restrictions.
(d) Parking. A person may not:
(4) Park a vehicle at any other place where parking is prohibited by an official sign.
The signs also prohibit electric vehicles from parking and not plugging in. The charging stations where the signs are posted are on city property and there is no fee to use them at this time.
Thanks to Chrgit for the tip and photo.
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You can’t avoid the enthusiasm for electric car charging at DuCard Vineyards. Drive past the main parking area, cross the bridge over the little stream and pull your EV up to the red barn with the solar roof. A simple monochrome sign announces the “DuCard Vineyard Refueling Station.” Arrows direct visitors to three methods of recharging that the winery dispenses. “TESLA” points to the 80 Amp Wall Connector for Model S and X drivers, “Other Electric” points to the 30 Amp J-1772 unit around the corner and once you’ve plugged in, follow the “People” refueling station arrow to their tasting room with beautiful views of the surrounding mountains on the edge of Shenandoah National Park.
DuCard was named Virginia’s greenest winery when it opened. They were the first in Virginia to have solar, they used reclaimed lumber when constructing the buildings, minimize the use of plastic in their operation and serve only locally produced food in their tasting room.
DuCard is participating in the Tesla Destination Charging program. Guests can recharge their electric vehicle while they enjoy wine tasting, music and other events at the winery. Calendar
On a recent visit, we arrived in three Tesla Model S cars. They were happy to see us and people came out with cameras to document our visit. DuCard is located near Etlan, VA, about 80 miles from Washington, DC. It is a nice scenic drive to get there and the patio next to a stream is a nice place to relax while getting a boost of electrons to return home.
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Click map for location details of proposed Delaware Fast Charger locations. (subject to change)
Delaware Governor Jack Markell joined DNREC Secretary David Small in a ceremony this week to announce the recipients of Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Grants, which will help fund alternative fuel infrastructure across the state.
Funding for 15 DC Fast Chargers in Delaware
The grants are part of Delaware’s Clean Transportation Incentive Program, funded through Delaware’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative cap-and-trade program. Totaling more than $1 million, the grants announced this week include awards to install DC fast charging stations for electric vehicles as well as CNG and propane fueling stations. The EV infrastructure grants range from $8,846 to $349,902, depending on the scope and technology needs of each project and will be applied toward 15 chargers at eight locations.
The grant recipients for DC Fast Charging Stations are:
The Delaware Division of Parks & Recreation – $55,962, to install two D.C. Fast Charging Stations at Blue Ball Barn in Wilmington and Indian River Marina.
Royal Farms – $349,902, to install 10 D.C. Fast Charging Stations at five Delaware stores in Smyrna, Dover, Milford, Georgetown and Laurel.
The University of Delaware – $8,846, to install three Level 3 Charging Stations on the University of Delaware Campus, including one public charging station.
Delaware “Fueling the Future”
“Delaware has been a leader in reducing emissions while still remaining dedicated to economic growth as well as promoting the health of our residents and our environment,” said Governor Markell. “Through our participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and the Delaware Clean Transportation Incentive Program, we’ve been able to secure funding that helps us reduce our environmental footprint and combat climate change by promoting the use of alternative fuels and supporting alternative fuel infrastructure throughout the state.”
Clean Transportation Initiatives, Rebates and Funding in Delaware
For more information on clean transportation initiatives, rebates and funding opportunities offered through the Division of Energy & Climate, please visit Delaware Clean Transportation Incentive Program, or call DNREC’s Division of Energy and Climate at 302-735-3480.
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A group of Tesla owners and enthusiasts gathered to socialize and have an unofficial ribbon cutting to inaugurate the new Supercharger in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on May 22, 2016.
About 16 Tesla cars were there including a Signature Roadster that can’t use the Superchargers. The driver of that car charged up at one of the Tesla destination charging stations at the Antique Automobile Club of America Museum in Hershey. (see: Tesla Expanding Destination Charging in Mid-Atlantic)
The Harrisburg Supercharger quietly went into service on May 9, 2016 and is located beside the UPS Store at 3915 Union Deposit Rd, in the Union Square Shopping Center near where I-81 and I-83 intersect on the northeast side of the city. (link to map)
Bridges the Allentown – Somerset Jump
This Supercharger will make is much easier to cross the state on the Pennsylvania Turnpike from Allentown to Somerset. Before Harrisburg opened, you had to jump a 209 mile gap between Superchargers unless you detoured south via Newark and Hagerstown.
Laurel, Maryland Supercharger Now Under Construction
Another Supercharger is being built in Laurel, Maryland. Stay tuned for updates on the opening of that location.
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The Temporary Supercharger in the garage at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda will be decommissioned on June 30, 2016 according to a note attributed to Tesla. A new Supercharger with 8 stalls is under construction between DC & Baltimore off of I-95 in Laurel, Maryland.
photo by vdiv
“Temporary Supercharger to be decommissioned on June 30, 2016. A new, permanent Supercharger is under construction at the Towne Centre at Laurel to serve travelers. Once the new station is open, it will appear on the Tesla Trip Planner and on www.tesla.com. If you need assistance installing a home charging solution, please contact the Tesla charging installation team…”
photo by vdiv
Originally Designated as a Temporary Supercharger
The Supercharger in Bethesda was always meant to be temporary. It was placed in January, 2014 during the initial coast-to-coast Supercharger route build out. At the time, it was rumored to have been put there to support the two cars that Tesla sent from LA to NY to break a Guinness World Record. The rally cars ended up going direct from Hagerstown to Newark.
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As of May 11, 2016, the Howard County, Maryland law that gives police the explicit authority to write tickets for ICEing on private property is in effect. The space at the charging station must be designated with a sign that conforms to applicable standards.
Howard County Council Bill CB7-2016
In March, the Howard County Council passed an amendment that added the following two sentences to the existing anti-ICEing law:
(1) THE POLICE DEPARTMENT MAY ENFORCE THIS SECTION ON PUBLIC PROPERTY OR PRIVATE PROPERTY.
(2) THE POLICE DEPARTMENT MAY IMPOUND A VEHICLE THAT IS PARKED IN VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION.
Regulatory Signage Needed in Order to be Enforceable
In order for the Howard County Police to enforce the law, the spot must have a sign that is at least 12 inches by 18 inches and meet applicable State or Federal standards for parking control signs, i.e. standards as defined in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).
Very few charging stations in Howard County have these signs. The dark blue signs at Columbia Association parking lots have not conformed to the standards but they are working with Howard County on getting new signs that do. As of May 10, 2016, the new signs had not been installed but unofficial pavement markings at each of the charging spots have been applied and when combined with the official signs, is expected to help reduce the ICEing problem.
A Role for Local EV Organizations?
The next challenge is to convince private parking lot managers to post the regulatory signs that will allow the laws to be enforced. I’ve suggested that local non-profit EV organizations could use their status in the community and leverage their sizable memberships as well as their financial resources to educate property owners and supply signs that meet the standards required in Howard, Montgomery and Baltimore Counties. A coordinated effort to get official signs installed would be more productive than public “shaming” on social media and freelance spray painting like happened a few years ago. (see: Is Graffiti the Right Response to ICEing Problem?)
