By Mary O’KEEFE

According to a AAA survey conducted last year,  a quarter of US consumers plan to go electric for their next vehicle purchase.

Electric Vehicles (EVs) are still a fraction of the vehicle sales in the US but the trend is growing. Although the price tag for a new EV may be daunting to some, many in the AAA survey said they would consider buying a used EV.

One of the concerns for those who have purchased, or are thinking of purchasing an EV, has been the lack of charging stations but cities and businesses are moving to improve that issue.

And last year AAA launched a pilot program offering roadside charging for EVs in 16 metro areas.

The California Energy Commission (CEC) and Caltrans are partnering to implement the federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program, which allocates $5 billion to the states to create a nationwide, interconnected network of DC fast chargers along the National Highway System. California’s share will be $384 million over five years, according to CEC.

DC fast chargers convert AC power to DC power within the charging station to deliver DC power directly to the battery, which makes it a faster charging system.

Keeping up with the EVs, Glendale Water and Power (GWP) recently installed 25 new EV chargers in the Glendale Marketplace parking structure located at 120 S. Artsakh Street.

“We have a plan for GWP customers as we embrace the electric vehicle market,” said Herbert Garcia, GWP public benefits marketing manager.

GWP plans to adopt more charging stations.

“We want to foster this seamlessly,” Garcia said of adding more charging stations. “We want to accommodate residents [as well as] people who are visiting Glendale.”

The City and GWP want to see curbside charging stations as well as placing them in multifamily residential units.

“We are looking into installing some in south Glendale where there are a lot of multifamily [units],” he added.

The City is also looking at other areas including Montrose for new charging stations.

Garcia said he understood the concerns drivers have of where to charge their vehicle, for both those who have already purchased or are thinking of purchasing an EV.

The buyers are more likely to purchase an EV if they feel comfortable they are going to find charging stations, he added.

“That is [called] range anxiety, [meaning] how far can I go on a charge,” he said. “We want them to visit Glendale and eliminate that range anxiety.”

This anxiety is nothing new to the motor vehicle owners. When gasoline powered vehicles were just coming into use, finding a gas station was not always easy prompting many drivers to keep a can of gasoline in the vehicle as they traveled.

“With Glendale’s EV population nearly tripling since 2016, and growth expected in the coming years, installing EV chargers has been one of GWP’s top priorities, making the installation of these 25 new chargers a huge success. GWP also has incentive programs for their customers, including the GWP Charging Station Rebate, and the Off-Peak EV Charging Rebate Program, which gives customers $8/month in rebates for charging during off-peak hours,” according to a GWP statement.

Visit GlendaleCA.gov/ElectricVehicles to learn more about EV programs offered by GWP. You can also visit EV.GlendaleWaterandPower.com to view the EV Buyer’s Guide and access the EV charging stations map.

The chargers are not free, drivers will pay 20 cents per kWh. The final cost depends entirely on the size of battery and how low the battery charge is. The charging stations do accept Apple Pay and credit cards.

The 25 new charging stations bring Glendale’s total public chargers to 47.

  Mary Okeefe