Electric Vehicle Chargers A Multi-Party Effort

California may need as many as one million electric vehicle charging stations to meet its goal of having a million plug-in vehicles on the road by 2020, according to an analysis discussed during a California Energy Commission workshop Dec. 7.

While the large majority of those chargers would be placed at the homes of plug-in vehicle drivers, the analysis shows a need for up to 166,900 chargers in work locations, up to another 48,600 chargers in public locations, and 1,550 public fast charge stations.

Fast charging stations are needed along long-distance routes because they can recharge an electric car in about a half hour, for instance, while driving from Los Angeles to San Francisco.

However, the vast bulk of the chargers needed are either conventional electrical outlets, which can recharge a vehicle overnight and are called level one chargers, and 240 volt chargers, which can recharge an electric car in as little as four hours and are called level two chargers.

The state currently has just 7,642 public chargers, plus 722 fast charge stations that are public, according to Leslie Baroody, Energy Commission electric vehicle program manager.

Baroody explained that chargers are being installed by a combination of public agencies, private companies, motorists, and utilities.

Power demand to charge plug-in vehicles, according to a National Renewable Energy Laboratory analysis Baroody discussed, could hit 2,800 MWh by 2020, grow to 4,000 MWh in 2025 and to 10,000 MWh in 2030.

Utilities presented their electric vehicle infrastructure plans at the workshop.

San Diego Gas & Electric plans to install 550 grid-integrated charging facilities in multi-family communities and another 5,500 in work places, said Greg Haddow, utility clean transportation manager.

Southern California Edison plans to spend $22 million this year and next to install 1,500 chargers and $333 million for up to 28,500 stations between 2016 and 2020, according to Dean Taylor, Edison principal advisor.

Pacific Gas & Electric plans to install 25,000 level two chargers and 100 fast chargers, according to Jana Corey, utility electrification and alternative fuels director.

Auto companies, independent electric vehicle charging companies, cities, air districts and other organizations also are installing charging stations at public locations.

The emphasis comes as motorists are buying an increasing number of plug-in vehicles—both pure battery electric and plug-in hybrid electric models. Some 160,000 plug-in vehicles are now on state highways, according to Energy Commission data.