STATE’S NEW MOBILE APP PINPOINTS ELECTRIC VEHICLE STATIONS THROUGHOUT HAWAII

For Immediate Release: July 12, 2013

HONOLULU — The State of Hawaii has launched a new mobile application (app) designed to help drivers locate publicly available electric vehicle (EV) charging stations statewide. The free “EV Stations Hawaii” app is available for Apple and Android smartphones and mobile devices.

“The EV Stations Hawaii app is a great example of our state using new technology to advance the widespread use of electric vehicles in Hawaii,” said Gov. Neil Abercrombie. “Convenience is key to further the adoption of EVs, which are part of Hawaii’s clean transportation future and move us toward reducing our dependency on imported oil.”

The app provides drivers with EV charging station locations and mapping directions for all four counties. Users can use the app to search for EV stations across Hawaii or for EV stations closest to their current location.

“The app is part of a collection of self-help tools our State Energy Office has created to enhance the overall EV experience in Hawaii,” said Richard Lim, director of Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT).

“The adoption of electric vehicles is a key component in the state’s aggressive pursuit of 70 percent clean energy by the year 2030,” explained State Energy Administrator Mark Glick. “We hope the user-friendly app will help to deflate any range anxiety EV drivers may have by conveniently providing them with public charging station locations on-the-go.”

The EV Stations Hawaii app is a partnership between DBEDT, Hawaii Information Consortium (HIC) and Honolulu Clean Cities. It is part of the state Office of Information Management and Technology’s open data movement.

“Being able to locate a good charging spot for your EV is very important,” said Russell Castagnaro, General Manager of HIC (NASDAQ:EGOV). “No matter how adventurous you are, the last thing you want is to run your battery down to empty. This new app will make sure that drivers are always finding the nearest charger.”

The State Energy Office’s database of public EV charging stations is also available online at electricvehicle.hawaii.gov. Property owners or managers with an EV charging station can complete the form found on this site to add their charging station details to the database.

###

For more information, contact:

Noreen Kam
Communications Officer
DBEDT’s State Energy Office
Phone: (808) 587-3860

Ashley L. Kierkiewicz
Hastings & Pleadwell
Phone: (808) 443-2455
[email protected]

HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC COMPANIES OFFER NEW RATES FOR PUBLIC EV CHARGING

For Immediate Release: July 10, 2013

(Honolulu, Hawaii) – The Hawaiian Electric Companies have gained approval from the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission for two new electric vehicle (EV) pilot charging rates. The rates are designed to encourage ownership of plug-in electric vehicles in Hawaii by easing “range anxiety.”

The new Commercial Public Electric Vehicle Charging Facility Service rate (Schedule EV-F) will make it financially attractive for business customers to open new public EV charging facilities metered separately from other uses.

Businesses can now take advantage of EV time-of-use rates without a “demand charge” typically assessed to commercial customers. This new rate will encourage businesses to provide direct current (DC) fast charging, which delivers a quicker charge but at a higher demand. A DC fast charging station can bring an “empty” EV battery to an 80 percent charge in about 30 minutes. (Demand charge represents the electric utility’s cost to maintain the capacity to meet a commercial customer’s highest demand for a fixed period.)

The second new rate, Commercial Public Electric Vehicle Charging Service (Schedule EV-U), allows the Hawaiian Electric Companies to operate up to 25 publicly accessible DC fast charging facilities across Oahu, Maui County and Hawaii Island where drivers could quickly recharge their vehicles for a per-session fee. It also allows the Hawaiian Electric utilities to work with the EV industry to manage electric vehicle EV charging more effectively and do research on load control and demand response.

“Plug-in electric vehicles continue to increase and we want to make it easier for our customers to own and use them,” said Jim Alberts, Hawaiian Electric senior vice president for customer service. “While most electric vehicle owners will continue to charge overnight at home, more charge spots across the islands will provide assurance to EV drivers that they won’t ‘run out of juice’ while away from home.”

Increased use of EVs can reduce Hawaii’s dependency on imported oil and encourage use of electricity from indigenous renewable resources, such as wind and solar. Fueling a vehicle with electricity, even from conventional generation, is cleaner and costs the customer less per mile than using gasoline in an internal combustion engine.

“The Hawaii State Energy Office supports widespread deployment of EV DC fast charging infrastructure, which will help promote EV adoption and ease range anxiety,” said State Energy Administrator Mark Glick. “These new EV rates are a novel approach in dealing with demand charges and a positive step in meeting the state’s clean energy objectives and in proving Hawaii as a leader of EV deployment in the Asia-Pacific region.”

Hawaiian Electric Companies worked with the Hawaii State Energy Office, Hawaii Consumer Advocate, and OpConnect LLC to develop the new tariffs.

According to the state’s Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, as of May 2013, there were a total of 1,437 plug-in electric vehicles registered in the state (Oahu – 1,093; Maui – 210; Hawaii Island – 90).

More information on electric vehicle ownership is available from Hawaiian Electric at goev.heco.com or by calling 808-543-GOEV (4638). For information on the State Energy Office’s EV program, visit electricvehicle.hawaii.gov.

###

Noreen Kam, State Energy Office
808-587-3860
[email protected]

Peter Rosegg, Hawaiian Electric Companies
808-543-7780
[email protected]

>