The LA Metro Authority has just installed five new electric vehicle charging stations across its transit rail system as part of a pilot program designed to encourage electric vehicle owners to combine driving with public transportation.
Los Angeles electric vehicle charging station. Photo courtesy of Luskin Center for Innovation
The transportation authority hopes that EV drivers will see the stations as a convenience that allows them to “be able to charge their vehicles while using the Metro to run errands, go to events” or commute to work.
This is the first time that the transportation authority has directly incorporated EV charging stations into the transit system. The new charging stations are located in: Union Station, Sierra Madre Villa Station, Willow Station, El Segundo Station, and Universal City Station.
The transportation authority said the locations were selected because of their proximity to major transportation hubs and busy traffic arteries. In addition, they were selected to encourage the use of the transit system – and its Park and Ride lots – from different regions headed to and from Downtown LA.
The charging stations all incorporate the SAE J1772 (North American Automotive Industry Standard) plug. These locations consist of 208/240V 30amp Level 2 charging spots capable of providing up to 7.2KW of power to each vehicle.
All of the newer model electric cars – including the Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt, Ford Focus Electric, Toyota Prius Plug-in, and Mitsubishi iMiEV – will be able to plug into the Level 2 charge spots.
A small number of specialized EVs such as the Tesla models may require plug adapters. Owners will have to check with their manufacturers for more information on this issue.
Also important to keep in mind is that all vehicles will re-charge at different speeds depending on the capacity of their on-board chargers.
Using these charging stations costs $1 per hour with a $3 cap per charge. Another great feature of the pricing is that there is no monthly or start-up fee, and charging costs are rounded off to the nearest whole minute, not the hour. The system also automatically emails drivers when their charging session is either complete or has been interrupted for some reason.
In order to use these charging stations, drivers need to subscribe online to the program. The online site also provides additional information, including: how to monitor your account and balance; and how to call or email for assistance.
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