In response to the rise in numbers of plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) in Greenbelt, now at 119, the city has installed six new charging stations at the Municipal Building, Schrom Hills Park and the Springhill Lake Recreation Center (SHLRC). Information for this article was provided by John Lippert, chair of GreenACES and the Greenbelt Green Team, and Greenbelt Sustainability Coordinator Luisa Robles.
There are three levels of EV charging. Level One is 120 volts and uses an ordinary residential 3-prong outlet and provides 4 to 5 miles of range per hour. A portable, Level One charger is provided when you buy or lease an electric car. Level Two requires a 240-volt circuit and provides 12 to 46 miles of range per hour. Both of these levels use a J1772 plug. Level Three, also known as DC Fast Charging, requires either a SAE Combo, CHAdeMO or Tesla plug, depending on the type of EV, and provides 50 to 100 miles of range in 30 minutes.
The chargers at Schrom Hills Park and the SHLRC are Level Two and were installed by Pepco. The Municipal Building charger is Level Three and was installed by the Electric Vehicle Institute.
The two types of cars that can make use of these stations are the Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) and the full battery Electric Vehicles (EVs). Both PHEVs and EVs can use Level One and Two.
Only full battery EVs can use Level Three. The two plugs accessible at the Municipal Building are the SAE Combo and CHAdeMO. A Tesla station is equipped with the Tesla plug and as yet, there are no public Tesla stations in Greenbelt.
The Level Two stations charge $0.18 per kilowatt-hour. Payment through Pepco can be done through a free GREENLOTS app with the procedure available at the station.
The Level Three accepts credit cards and charges $2 to start and then $0.17 per minute, with a 30-minute maximum charging session. The city is currently looking into revising this rate.
Lippert stated that outside of Greenbelt, charging fees are normally done through belonging to an EV Charging Network, using a card that links to a bank account or credit card. Some EV chargers also accept credit cards. He added, “Some of us from GreenACES, the Green Team, the Advisory Planning Board and Greenbelt residents have formed an EV Infrastructure Planning Group to develop recommendations for the city council to improve and expand EV charging in Greenbelt.”
According to Robles, the locations for the stations were chosen because they offered “enough parking spots, closeness to major roads and access to electricity.” Future stations will likely be built around Roosevelt Center and at Buddy Attick Park.
This project was a joint effort of the Public Works and Planning Departments, as well as the city administration.
Charging stations and networks have become an ubiquitous presence worldwide as there are more than 7 million EVs on the road today. Smart phones now have apps that can direct drivers to charging locations within their vicinity.