The Columbus Redevelopment Commission is considering replacing and upgrading the electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at the city’s two garages on Second and Jackson streets.
Although it was just a discussion item, Director of Redevelopment Heather Pope said the commission will vote on the matter during its July 15 meeting.
Gary Thompson of REI Real Estate Services, which manages the city’s parking garages, was joined by representatives from Zionsville-based Electron Charger to give an overview of the potential project.
It would entail replacing the existing four EV 20-amp charging stations in both garages with the potential for up to eight 40-amp level 2 smart chargers. The new chargers would provide more EV charging access and quicker charge times, and also mean the garages could charge patrons to use them.
“They offer a turnkey product that will install, manage and monitor the EV chargers,” Thompson wrote to the commission of Electron Charger. The company would manage “back-office configuration and contribute to the long-term charging strategy for the garage” and would not demand revenue sharing.
Electron Charger would also upgrade electric panels in both garages and work with Duke Energy to increase the capability of the transformer in the Jackson Street garage.
The current charging stations were purchased and installed in 2018 for $13,087, according to city documents.
“In 2018, the garages had just a few cars that needed charging and so the charging times weren’t as important as they are now,” Thompson said. “… When we started we maybe had three or four EV cars in the Jackson Street garage, now we have probably 12 to 15, and at Second Street we had about five and now we have 20 to 25.”
The current EV chargers are free to garage users with a two-hour charging limitation, Thompson said.
“We have sign-ups and we just ask that they jump off the chargers after two hours, but it rarely happens because the chargers are so slow, that it takes a lot longer to charge the vehicles.”
EV batteries are much larger now compared to 2018, Thompson said, and it can take between eight and 16 hours to fully charge with the city’s current stations. Another change in the EV charger market is that it’s common that patrons have to pay to use them by kilowatt hour (kWh), according to Thompson.
The typical price for a level two charger is between 20 and 26 cents per kWh, Thompson said, adding that the cities of Carmel and Noblesville, which Electron Charger has done work for, charge 26 and 36 cents per kWh.
“By charging EV owners, it ensures that EV cars aren’t just using our charging stations because it’s free,” Thompson said. “I think the temptation is when it’s free, people will jump on it no matter what. By charging, I think people will only use it if they need to use it.”
EV owners would receive a text that their charging session is about to expire and if they don’t come back in time, the smart charger would be able to charge idle fees as well.
The cost for the upgrades at the Jackson and Second street garages would be $28,657 and $23,075 respectively — the Jackson Street garage would necessitate more electrical work, per Thompson.
On a proposed pricing of 20 cents per kWh, payback on the Jackson Street garage is estimated at seven years and just over five-and-a-half years for the garage on Second Street, according to city documents.
“I think what’s great about this group is, as Gary mentioned, it is a turnkey operation and they handle all the communication with Duke and the rewiring that is required in our garages,” Pope said. “When our garages were constructed, minimal electricity was provided, we just needed, at that time, some lights and a little bit of power for entrance and exit signs, but nothing more. Now we’re seeing garages used in a different way, so we just need to, in general, get our garages up to speed.”
