First Public Electric Vehicle Charger at the State Capitol Introduced Today

Media Release:

Governor Neil Abercrombie today unveiled the first electric vehicle charger at the State Capitol, located in the building’s underground parking garage. The charging station, which accepts major credit cards and requires no membership, is available to all electric vehicle owners and is the first of many charging stations to be installed across the state as part of the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism’s (DBEDT) EV Ready Program.

At the State Capitol, it will cost EV drivers $2 an hour to charge, with a maximum of four hours. Charging times vary depending on the range of the car, but generally an hour of charging provides about 15 miles of range.

“Our vision for the future is that it becomes more common and accessible for people to drive electric vehicles,” Governor Abercrombie said. “The first public charging station for electric vehicles is a step toward a clean energy future, and every single step is important.”

Electric Vehicle Charge Station

Through this program, the state is supporting the transformation of Hawaii’s transportation sector to be less dependent on petroleum and becoming electric vehicle friendly by installing approximately five charging stations at State owned buildings downtown and adding a small fleet of electric vehicles to the State motor pool. In June, the State received its first electric vehicles, two Nissan all-electric Leafs. The Hawaii State Energy Office and state motor pool currently have the vehicles.

Honolulu-based Volta Industries installed the Eaton Corporation charger equipped with a credit-card-swipe system, at the State Capitol. The charger is a Level 2, 240-volt station, using the industry-standard J1772 connector, which is compatible with all new electric cars currently in production. The cost of the charger unit and installation was approximately $8,000.

In 2009, $4 million of the State Energy Program’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) stimulus funding was allocated to the Transportation Energy Diversification EV Ready Program. DBEDT provided $475,500 of federal ARRA stimulus funds to the Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS) Automotive Management Division to assist Hawaii State governments comply with statutory requirements for electric vehicle parking and to lead by example through the purchase of advanced technology vehicles such as electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and electric vehicle supply equipment (EV charging stations).

“Hawaii is charging ahead and making charging stations more accessible to people choosing to drive electric vehicles. We are committed to a smaller carbon footprint, 70 percent clean energy by 2030 and opportunities help protect our environment,” said Bruce Coppa, Director, State Department of Accounting and General Services.

The Capitol station, located in the State Capitol underground parking garage, is accessible via Miller Street off of Punchbowl Street, is open to the public during operating hours; 4:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday thru Friday; 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Saturdays; closed on Sundays.

“Hawaii drivers now have a convenient charging facility downtown. Thanks to our success in securing federal funding, this is the first of an entire network of charging stations we plan to install throughout the state, as we build an infrastructure that will maintain Hawaii’s leadership in electric vehicles and entice more manufacturers to Hawaii,” said Richard Lim, Director, State Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

DBEDT’s EV Ready Grant Program has awarded $2.6 million in federal stimulus funds to six organizations to accelerate Hawaii’s adoption of electric vehicles and related charging equipment. Another $1.4 million in federal stimulus money was allocated to the EV Ready Rebate Program, which allows rebates of up to $4,500 toward the purchase of new electric vehicles. Rebates of up to $500 are also available for the purchase and installation of new electric vehicle chargers in homes or business sites. Rebate forms are available on DBEDT’s Energy office electric vehicle website, electricvehicle.hawaii.gov.

In addition to the State EV rebates, Federal tax incentives of up to $7,500 are also available for highway-capable vehicles (the Qualified Plug-in Electric Drive Motor Vehicle credit, which applies to at least 200,000 units per auto manufacturer before it phases out) and up to $1,000 for individual buyers and up to $30,000 for businesses installing EV charger stations.

The State of Hawai’i’s economic enterprise is to pursue energy independence by building a clean energy economy and reaching 70 percent clean energy by 2030. The DBEDT State Energy Office’s mission is to act as a catalyst for efficiency measures, renewable energy resources, transportation initiatives, green jobs, and investments in Hawaii’s economy.

For more information, visit hawaii.gov/dbedt/energy and electricvehicle.hawaii.gov.

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State of Hawaii Selects AeroVironment to Deploy up to 320 Public Electric Vehicle Charging Docks in Support of Clean Energy Goal

Media Release:

Lt. Governor Brian Schatz today announced that AeroVironment has been selected to help lead the way to a cleaner transportation future through an $820,000 contract from the Hawaii EV Ready Grants Program. The contract will fund the deployment of up to 320 AeroVironment 240-volt electric vehicle (EV) charging docks throughout the islands. Once deployment is completed, Hawaii will have one of the nation’s first statewide public charging networks supporting electric vehicle drivers.

AeroVironment (AV), the official home charging-dock provider for the Nissan LEAF and co-developer of the first modern-day electric vehicle, the GM Impact, will partner with Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) to design and build public and semi-private charging stations at convenient locations for electric vehicle owners, including high-rise buildings, resorts and rental car facilities.

AeroVironment’s charging docks, including the two-port or four-port EVSE-RS+ and EVSE-CS (commercial) dock, will be strategically located throughout Oahu, Hawaii Island, Maui, and Kauai to offer drivers a practical, safe and reliable EV charging experience. AeroVironment has installed more than 1,000 charging docks in more than 300 communities across 18 states since November 2010.

The State of Hawaii is offering a rebate of up to $500 for installing charging docks through its Hawaii EV Ready Rebate Program. Customers who purchase an EV are also eligible for a state rebate of up to $4,500. In combination with the Hawaii EV Ready Grant Program and other development efforts, the rebates aim to establish the state as a leader in the clean transportation movement.

“We look forward to working with AeroVironment to help reduce the use of oil for transportation,” said Robbie Alm, Hawaiian Electric executive vice president. “Wide use of electric vehicles will not only help reduce our fossil fuel dependence, it will make it easier to increase our use of renewable energy sources such as wind power and others, all contributing to our energy, economic and environmental security.”

Alm added, “AeroVironment shares this vision and is an outstanding example of a supplier with a comprehensive solution for the EV market, a history in Hawaii, experience working with leading auto manufacturers and consistent high quality customer support.”

The Hawaii Natural Energy Institute (HNEI), University of Hawaii at Manoa will work with AeroVironment and Hawaiian Electric to collect data from chargers to analyze the impact of EVs and associated infrastructure on the power distribution grid.

“AeroVironment’s team focuses on the entire user experience from the start by providing the right tools and a full range of practical, groundbreaking solutions,” said Richard Rocheleau, director of the HNEI. “As a result, we’ll have the unique ability to collect and analyze usage patterns that will help us project the increased demand on Hawaii’s utilities as EV adoption accelerates.”

AeroVironment has been working on clean transportation programs in Hawaii for more than a decade, beginning with deployment of fast charging stations for passenger EVs in the early 2000s. AeroVironment also established world altitude records with its solar-electric, unmanned aircraft systems at the U.S. Navy Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands on Kauai.

“AeroVironment and the state of Hawaii are pioneers in the EV movement and have a long partnership focused on introducing clean transportation solutions,” said Mike Bissonette, senior vice president of Efficient Energy Systems for AeroVironment. “Together, we’re deploying practical solutions for a game-changing electric transportation ecosystem that will dramatically alter the vehicle refueling paradigm for drivers in Hawaii, the United States and the world.