Salt Lake City Debuts 28 New Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Mayor Biskupski charges up an electric vehicle using one of the 28 new Level 2 EV charging ports located across Salt Lake City.

Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski and DAQ Director Bryce Bird announced Wednesday the addition of 28 new electrical vehicle charging ports across the city.

The new “smart” Level 2 EV charging stations are located at 12 sites—new and existing—across Salt Lake City and have replaced five older units.

Locations include the International Peace Gardens in Jordan Park, Sorenson Multicultural Center, Sunnyside Avenue near Hogle Zoo, Pioneer Park, the Forest Dale Golf Course, and more.

“This project is a win for clean air, while also providing more equitable access to charging stations at locations across the City,” Mayor Biskupski said. “As charging ports become more abundant, we hope to encourage more EV ownership.”

The Utah Division of Air Quality (DAQ) grant went toward hard costs, including purchasing the new stations. This money was combined with City funding to help pay for the overall investment.

“Since vehicle emissions account for 50 percent of Utah’s emissions inventory, electric vehicles are a viable option for air quality benefits, as they have zero emissions at the tailpipe,” Bird said. “The state values the opportunity to partner with the city on innovative transportation options that improve air quality.”

To support use of the new stations in the near term, Mayor Biskupski has transmitted to the City Council a proposal to waive fees through January 31st, 2018. “Because the project came in under budget, we’re proposing to use remaining funds to provide EV charging at no costs to users,” she said.

While the Council considers the waiver, a fee of $1 plus $0.10/kwh will be in effect, which covers the cost of electricity and other ongoing station costs.

The new EV units are “smart,” mobile-enabled systems on the ChargePoint network and will provide a higher level of service to EV owners while also ensuring better operations and issue response times from the City itself.

“This is an exciting upgrade,” the Mayor said. “Users will now be able to go online using the ChargePoint app to see if stations are available for immediate use, get notifications about their charging status, track energy stats, and more.”

The City will also be notified immediately of any stations needing service.

In addition to their clean air benefits, the wider adoption of electric vehicles is also a cornerstone of Salt Lake City’s vision to reduce community greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2040. This vision, which Salt Lake City is calling “Climate Positive,” was catalyzed by a joint resolution adopted by Mayor Biskupski and the City Council last year.  In addition to ensuring a transition to 100 percent renewable energy for the entire community’s electricity supply by 2032, Climate Positive calls for a reduction in emissions from all energy sources.

Because on-road transportation accounts for roughly 20 percent of Salt Lake City’s community carbon footprint, electrifying transportation and ultimately powering it with 100 percent clean energy is a key step in the plan to meet the Climate Positive goals.

The new charging station broadcast their availability in real-time and can be accessed through the use of a smartphone.

Station Locations are live on www.PlugShare.com and also available via:

http://www.slcgov.com/transportation/transportation-electric-vehicle-charging-stations

ChargePoint station features: www.chargepoint.com/drivers/mobile

ChargePoint app available for iOS and Android.

Salt Lake City’s climate goals: www.slcgreen.com/climatepositive