SMECO: Charger Audit Results
- L2: 88%
- DCFC: 75%
- Goal: 97% Uptime
Charger Audit: SMECO EV Recharge Network, October 01, 2024
Five years ago, the Maryland Public Service Commission approved a pilot program allowing the state’s largest utilities to own and operate public charging stations. Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO) runs the smallest of these utility-operated networks, branded “EV Recharge,” which includes four DC fast chargers and 68 Level 2 ports at 36 locations across their service area. By statute, SMECO, like other utilities, must maintain 97% uptime for each charging station, meaning every charging port must function as designed and dispense electricity at least 97% of the time annually, measured in minutes.
On October 1, 2024, I conducted the third in a series of virtual “charger audits” of SMECO’s EV Recharge network, reviewing the online status of all 72 charging ports using the ChargeHub and Shell Recharge apps. While in-person audits provide the most accurate data, conducting them weekly is impractical. That’s why I’m tracking the status of every port in Maryland’s utility-owned public charging program through these online audits.
It’s worth noting that I’ve personally visited all of SMECO’s public charging sites and am familiar with their locations. For the stations reported as offline in this audit, I visited those specific sites in July and can confirm the app statuses accurately reflected their condition at that time.
88% Availability on October 01, 2024
The latest charger audit of SMECO showed that only 88% of the charging ports were online or in use, falling short of the 97% uptime target. One offline Level 2 unit is located at White Plains Regional Park. When I visited that station in July, the screen was damaged, and the charger was unable to dispense a charge. According to SMECO’s most recent semi-annual report to the PSC, uptime at this location was 57.3%, with vandalism cited as the issue. While vandalism is a valid challenge, there should be limits on how long a station can remain non-operational, regardless of the cause. Extended downtime is unacceptable, especially in light of Maryland’s ambitious EV adoption goals.
See the video below, recorded on July 27, 2024, showing the damaged EVSE screen at White Plains Regional Park.
Patuxent River Naval Air Museum DCFC Offline
The DC fast charger at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum was flagged in SMECO’s semi-annual report for having just 62.8% uptime during the period ending June 30, 2024. According to the report, the downtime was due to “multiple hardware failures and part replacement delays.” It appears that the charger still hasn’t been repaired, and within the past week, it was removed from the Shell Recharge app altogether.
List of SMECO EV Charging Ports that Show Offline on October 1, 2024
SMECO’s network plays a critical role in Maryland’s EV infrastructure, but the current downtime is concerning. Reliable access to charging stations is vital for EV drivers, and disruptions like these could slow adoption.
Upcoming charger audits will continue to track uptime trends and monitor repair times for offline chargers. As we gather more data, we’ll gain clearer insights into whether Maryland’s public charging networks are meeting reliability standards and supporting the state’s push for wider EV adoption.
Stay tuned for more updates, and be sure to follow @PlugInSites on X and subscribe below for email updates on the latest charger audits and other EV charging developments.