The largest public electric vehicle fast-charging plaza in the nation has been installed in Pasadena.
The Marengo Charging Plaza — located at 155 E. Green St.,— has 44 chargers, 24 Superchargers installed by Tesla and 20 fast chargers.
The fast-chargers make it possible for EV drivers to charge up and add up to 100 miles in less than 30 minutes. Within its first months of operation the Plaza captured more than 7,000 charging sessions per month.
“The installation of these 44 fast chargers was key to giving EV drivers the confidence they needed to see that regardless of the make and model of their EV, they now have a location they could easily access and receive a fast charge-up in minutes,” said City Manager Steve Mermell.
Since the city launched the PowerUp Pasadena campaign in 2018, Pasadena has offered some of the most generous rebates to purchase/lease new or used- EVs throughout the state.
The city’s utility, Pasadena Water and Power (PWP) has more than doubled the installation of public EV charging infrastructure within the city in the past year and half, and received the distinction of having the highest percentage of EV drivers among all Southern California electric utilities.
“Making chargers publicly available is exactly what EV drivers need, and will ultimately help advance EV adoption,” said Jason Fudenberg, President of the Tesla Owner’s Club of Los Angeles. “Being able to stop for a quick charge and grab a bite nearby makes road trips simple, and the cost to charge is a fraction of what I used to pay for gasoline.”
The city is focused on placing EV chargers at central locations throughout the city’s 23 square mile boundaries that will help drivers support their daily commute and extend their electric range to reach further destinations.
The support of public-private partnerships was an effective way to advance EV infrastructure and provide the technology needed to benefit the community. With the help of grants from the California Energy Commission (CEC) and Southern California Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), and revenues from the Low Carbon Fuel Standard program, the City was able to construct the entire project without the use of rate payer dollars.
To support the grand opening of the Plaza, there is currently no fee to charge on the City’s 20 fast chargers and to support the take-out service of restaurants during the challenges surrounding COVID, the plaza is temporarily offering a 20-minute grace period.
Check out this video about the new Marengo Charging Plaza: https://youtu.be/unwwrZEi3O4 or to view images, click here https://www.flickr.com/gp/163773675@N03/18148q.
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One thought on “City Installs Nation’s Public Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Plaza”
The charging plaza is great but is hampered by a nonsensical “validation” requirement for all users. They must go hunting for a store that validates and buy something in exchange for a validation. Some City leaders think this will encourage shopping at the mall. IT WILL NOT. No one wants to be “extorted” and it sets up an adversarial relationship of customer to vendors. The mall will unfortunately continue to fail as long as this validation silliness persists.