Charge Your Electric Car in Laguna Beach

Downtown Laguna Beach is the place to go for electric vehicle owners. Now you can charge and power your car at a public charging station. The site, at the corner of Forest Avenue and Broadway, is open 24/7 for public charging and the service is free until September.

Charging is limited to 4 hours within a 24 hour period. To get set up, make a toll free call, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The telephone number is posted on each station. The electric vehicle (EV) charging station features and services include:

• Sign up for a ChargePass smart card or pay with a credit card.

• Smartphone App – real time status reports through wireless network:

o check availability of unoccupied charging stations.

o receive charging status reports by SMS, email or smart phone.

o track and report greenhouse gas.

o gasoline savings.

Brought to You By

The Laguna Beach City Council, in an ongoing effort to support and implement climate protection initiatives, paid for the installation. The council applied to the U.S. Department of Energy for a grant for the equipment, which made it affordable for the city to move forward. The Department of Energy (DOE) administers the grant through the ChargePoint America Program.

The Linc Group, part of ABM Industries, provides service to the stations. ABM is a provider of integrated facility services worldwide. The CEO of ABM, Henrik Slipsager, was recently featured on the television show Undercover Boss. Linc Group Representatives attended the press event on June 21, 2011. Coulomb Technologies, manufactures the charging stations.

Home Charging Stations

Coulomb Technologies also manufactures home charging stations for electric cars. Suitable for residential or light commercial use, the units can be networked and cost around 2500 dollars, not including installation. Some features include:

• smart card reading

• compatibility with the smart grid

• intelligent power

• energy-theft prevention

• integrated fault detection

• wireless upgrading

• power metering

Buying a Home with an EV Charger

While the new downtown stations are convenient, and critical for infrastructure, many people will still depend on their home charging units. When it is time to buy or sell a home, the EV unit is a valuable asset. A realtor will know which houses already have an EV charging unit. He or she may also remind you to check the warranty on the unit. Your realtor may also be able to advise you to include the EV charging station in the home inspection report, and may advise charging the car at night to avoid high electricity costs.

Californians pay 35% more for electricity than the rest of the country. The tiered system makes electricity more expensive at higher volumes. Customers are penalized with higher rates if they use more electricity. The law was designed to discourage electric use, before electric cars became popular. Now, a home owner may pay 60% more in average household electric use.

The national average for home charging is 12 cents per kilowatt hour. Experts expect pricing for public charging to be about 50 cents per kilowatt hour. Or another way to look at it, it might cost $3.50 for one hour of public charging. Home charging will definitely be less expensive. Eco conscious citizens considering an electric car purchase will also have to think ahead. EV car owners can implement a charging station at home, or purchase a house with one already installed.

 

Earlier in Laguna Beach Real Estate News:
More Luxury Homes Hit Laguna Beach Real Estate Market
Oldest House In Laguna Beach To Be Rehabbed
Eco-Friendly Mansion On Sale In Laguna Beach For $15 Million