Tag: legislation

To build trust in electric vehicles, reliable charging and transparent pricing are essential.

Good afternoon. My name is Lanny Hartmann.

As an electric vehicle driver, I’ve experienced firsthand both the promise and the challenges of relying on public charging.

Over the past decade, I’ve visited hundreds of charging stations across the country. While many function smoothly, especially those on the Tesla network, a significant number of public charging stations struggle with reliability and uptime.

Millions are being invested in Maryland’s charging infrastructure. Reliability, affordability, and user experience are critical for success.

According to the Department of the Environment, Maryland currently has around 4,000 charging ports, and about 20% of them are in need of maintenance.

In my own testing of about 70 fast chargers in central Maryland, I found that nearly a third of them had issues. These problems included damaged connectors, malfunctioning screens, or the charger would stop abruptly or deliver reduced power.

There’s a need for transparency in charging costs and meter accuracy. I once charged at a station in Hagerstown and was later billed $553 on my credit card. While I eventually got a refund for the mistaken billing, it underscores the importance of accurate metering and fair pricing.

To build trust in electric vehicles, reliable charging and transparent pricing are essential. Fortunately, Maryland is leading the way in setting reliability standards for utility-owned charging stations with HB 834 which the General Assembly passed last year.

Now, with this bill, we have the opportunity to expand upon that success and ensure reliability and accountability for all public charging stations in the state.

Thank you.

We deserve transparency and accountability for EV charging infrastructure that’s being built with public funds.

My name is Lanny Hartmann. I’m an EV driver and a BGE ratepayer.

For years we’ve been told that public charging has 98% uptime, 99% uptime, even 100% uptime.

Last year a study was released by the University of California that looked at the reliability of the fast chargers in the San Francisco Bay Area. The study found that only [72.5%] were functional.

I had my own concerns about charger reliability so I conducted my own test of fast chargers in Maryland. In August I visited all the fast chargers owned and operated by BGE.

What I found was that 71% of them were fully functional. In other words, one out of three were broken.

For every station that didn’t work, I reported the issue to customer service.

I compiled my findings and presented them to the Public Service Commission at a hearing in September. You have that report in my written testimony.

Two months later I visited all 69 stations again. This time I found that only 65% were operational. The reliability had actually gotten worse. 

There is a wide gap between what we’re being told about charging reliability and what EV drivers are actually experiencing.

The PSC and lawmakers need quality data to inform decision making.

We deserve transparency and accountability for EV charging infrastructure that’s being built with public funds.

That’s what this bill would do.

Thank you and I ask for a favorable report.