Hawaiian Electric announces installation of new EV fast charger in Pahoa
Hawaiian Electric announced the installation of another DC fast charger for electric vehicles — its sixth on Hawaii island — at the new Puna Kai Shopping Center in Pahoa.
The publicly accessible charger is owned and operated by Hawaiian Electric. Other fast chargers on the island are located at the company’s offices in Hilo and Kona, KTA Super Stores in Waimea Center, The Shops at Mauna Lani and the Punaluu Bake Shop in Naalehu.
“We’re proud to partner with Puna Kai Shopping Center to open the first fast charger to serve the Puna community and those who visit there,” said Sharon Suzuki, president of the Maui County and Hawaii Island Utilities in a news release. “As more customers switch to electric vehicles, we want to support their choice with programs and options to meet their driving needs. This station is located between our fast chargers in Hilo and Naalehu and will help ease range anxiety for electric vehicle drivers who travel long distances for work or school.”
The news comes as the number of registered passenger EVs continues to grow in Hawaii. The state’s June Monthly Energy Trends reports that the number of EVs in the state grew to 12,198, which was 2,748 more, or a 29.1% increase from June 2019, and just 58 more, or about 0.5% higher, than in May.
A fast charger can provide about 43 miles of additional range for a typical EV in 15 minutes, according to Hawaiian Electric.
It supports CHAdeMO (used mostly by EVs like the Nissan Leaf and the Tesla with their proprietary adaptor) and CCS (used by American and European EVs like the BMW i3 and as an option on the Chevy Bolt).
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It will be available during the center’s business hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily at rates of $0.51 to $0.63 per kilowatt-hour, depending on time of use. The lowest rates are between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., when the most solar generation is available.
Payments can be made with a major credit card or a Greenlots subscription.
Hawaiian Electric has approval from the Public Utilities Commission to operate up to 25 fast-charging sites across its five-island service territory to promote electric vehicles. Under its program, a fast charge station is installed at no cost to the property owner.
More information is available at hawaiianelectric.com/goev.
