October 20, 2020
The number of electric vehicles (EVs) on U.S. roads is projected to reach 18.7 million in 2030, up from 1 million at the end of 2018. This is about 7 percent of the 259 million vehicles (cars and light trucks) expected to be on U.S. roads in 2030.
Because of the growing popularity and boom in EV’s, about 9.6 million charge ports will be required to support 18.7 million EVs in 2030. This represents a significant investment in EV charging infrastructure and some of that infrastructure can now be found right here in Celebration.
One of the Celebration Residential Owners Association’s (CROA) newest committees, Technology Committee, was tasked with suggesting and implementing green initiatives for the community, one of which being Electric Vehicle charging stations. As a result of the committee’s work and a program called Park & Plug through Duke Energy, the community now has new public charging stations located at Lakeside Park, Town Hall and Celebration Unleashed Dog Park.
The program, which was launched in 2018, was developed to expand access to EV charging stations in Florida. More than 530 EV chargers (Level 2 and Fast Chargers) are being added in public spaces and thoroughfares in Florida. Duke Energy will provide the equipment, installation, warranty and network connection services free of charge through 2022 of the pilot program.
The average cost for a Level 3 charger including installation is $50,000. The Average cost of a Level 2 charger including installation is $10,000. Celebration has been approved for one (1) Level 3 charger and four (4) Level 2 chargers. The combined value of all equipment and installations approved for Celebration would be approximately $90,000, all without any cost to the Association.
Lakeside Park is equipped with two (2) Level 3 Chargers with one port, two (2) Level 2 Chargers with two ports, able to support six cars. Town Hall is equipped with one (1) Level 2 Charger with two ports, supporting two cars and the dog park is equipped with one (1) Level 2 Charger with two ports, supporting two cars.
Charging stations will either be equipped with CCS or CHAdeMO connectors. Vehicles like the Kia Soul EV, Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Nissan LEAF, Tesla Model S (with adaptor), BMW i3, Chevrolet Spark & VW Golf can be charged at these stations.
Users will be able to utilize these stations, pay and locate charging stations and get info about the latest features and offers for EV drivers through the Greenlots mobile app. The app is available on App Store and on Google Play. The average user will pay under 15 cents per kW hour, in addition to a small transaction fee through the Greenlots app, to charge their vehicle.
Electrifying transportation offers numerous benefits for customers and communities, including increased efficiency, improved sustainability, economic growth, and energy security