Like moths to a flame.
That’s how Terry O’Day, EVgo’s west regional vice president, describes electric-vehicle (EV) drivers who are on the lookout for charging stations.
He offered up that analogy on Wednesday morning during an event to unveil a new, state-of-the-art station at Redmond Town Center (RTC). The station is located on the main floor of the parking garage off the Northeast 76th Street entrance.
RTC Property Manager Courtney Klein noted that customers were so thrilled to charge up at the new station that they were taking down barricades and moving cones out of the way during construction. They had to wait until Wednesday, though, and after state Sen. Andy Hill’s car received the first charge-up at the event.
“When the opportunity came up with NRG (EVgo), we were very excited to move on board,” said Klein, noting that with Redmond being a technology driven city, they’ve received EV-charging requests from RTC hotel visitors and shoppers, along with Microsoft and AT&T employees on the center’s campus.
O’Day said the RTC station is the first high-speed charging station that can support two cars charging at once. Customers can also charge their EVs faster than ever before — nearly a full charge in less than 30 minutes — at the EVgo Freedom Station, which is designed to support both current and future charging technologies. The 50 kW DC Fast chargers are available for drivers using either CHAdeMO or DC Fast Combo plugs.
NRG has more than 500 fast-charging stations throughout the country, and according to O’Day, the RTC station is an exciting step forward for the network.
“It’s not just a single charging station, which is a wonderful opportunity if you’re shopping at Redmond Town Center, but, rather, a network of stations that says to EV drivers, or would-be EV drivers, that they can go anywhere in the region and never have to worry where they’ll get their charge. It enables a new category of EV buyers to come to this market,” O’Day said.
According to a press release, 45 percent of Washington state’s greenhouse gas emissions are generated by on-road transportation, and the addition of an EVgo Freedom Station will help further King County’s goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 50 percent by 2030.
Heather Mulligan of Puget Sound Energy (PSE), EVgo’s utility partner, noted that “with over 6,500 electric vehicles in PSE’s service territory, we are home to some of the most forward-thinking and energy aware customer groups in the country.”
One of those EV drivers is, of course, Hill, who represents the 45th Legislative District and is also a Redmond resident. He’s the chairman of the senate Ways and Means Committee and a member of the Legislature’s EV caucus.
Hill noted that he’s also been a big fan of EVs.
“Growing up, my father actually built golf carts and electric-utility vehicles, and so I spent my summers maintaining and repairing these things,” said Hill, adding that his father also street-licensed an EV 30 years ago. Hill’s wife also drives an EV and he said they’ll surely use the new station when they go shopping at RTC.
On the legislative side, Hill said they try to give sales tax credits for EV drivers. He’s especially impressed that the private sector is involved with the EV network, and that sends the message that everyone’s playing a role in caring for the environment.
Redmond City Council member Byron Shutz noted: “As our international leaders gather in Paris this morning to take action to address climate change, it’s quite fitting that we are gathering here to highlight how we can take action and make progress in reducing carbon emissions locally.”
