One of the largest obstacles to electric vehicle adoption is charging infrastructure. One of the biggest complaints regarding electric vehicle (EV) charging is where the electricity for those charging stations comes from. Electrify America‘s freshest round of installations looks to address both of those concerns.
The charging network has introduced 30 solar-powered EV charging stations to its network in the State of California. The locations of the chargers were chosen after the company analyzed communities with the greatest need for charging, existing charging options, and local travel patterns – among other factors.
The off-grid Level 2 (240-volt) chargers are strategically located throughout the Central Valley and inland areas of Southern California in 24 cities. Electrify America identifies more than half the chargers as being in disadvantaged and low-income communities.
Late last year, Virginia, Florida and 23 other states joined Electrify America’s kilowatt-hour pricing scheme.
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“Electrify America’s mission centers around increasing access to electric vehicle charging infrastructure to meet the differing needs of drivers across a diverse set of communities and lifestyles,” said Nina Huesgen, senior manager, home and ecommerce at Electrify America. “We believe adding renewable energy to our offerings and expanding access to public charging in rural communities will help continue to spur EV adoption in the state.”
The stations’ specific locations include educational and health care institutions, as well as public safety departments. They were chosen due to high amounts of traffic and extended hours of access.
Solar power has its limitations, but Electrify America says that its solar-powered chargers are able to operate at night, in inclement weather, and in the event of a blackout or power outage thanks to onboard ARC Technology, which stores energy.
Ten of the stations were deployed in coordination with the Fresno Country Rural Transit Agency. All 30 were sourced from Beam Global, a San Diego-based company.
All of the stations be used free of charge.
