Economic Matters Committee – March 2, 2023
The following is a transcript of my testimony to the Maryland Economic Matters Committee in support of the Maryland Electric Vehicle Charging Reliability Act (HB 834). The legislation subsequently passed and went into effect on October 1, 2023. This is one of the first laws of its kind in the United States.
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.
Video of ECM Committee Testimony
