Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Coming to Edmonds By November

Six new electric car charging stations will be installed in downtown Edmonds by November. The public will be able to charge their cars on a first come, first serve basis.

Two of the stations will be in the Public Safety building parking lot, two will be located on Main Street between 5th and 6th streets, one will be attached to the south wall of City Hall, and one will be placed at City Park. 

Though the price of charging one's vehicle hasn't yet been determined, the typical cost is about $2 per hour. The City of Edmonds signed a contract with ChargePoint Northwest that will allow people to use ChargePoint's software on their smart phones and laptops to see the locations of all charging stations in their network and determine those that are currently available for use. Electric car owners must register with ChargePoint and receive an RFID card, which will connect with the network and be linked to their personal credit card.

The charging equipment came at no cost to the City, thanks to a federal grant, but the City will pay roughly $20,000 for the cost of installation.

“These charging stations are an important addition to Edmonds," Cooper said in a statement. "Not only do they provide a place for owners of all-electric automobiles to come for a quality retail experience without having to worry about getting their car recharged, but they also fulfill commitments we have made in our City Climate Protection Plan."

Coulomb Technologies designed the equipment for the stations, which provide faster charging than typical home equipment. A Nissan Leaf, one of the brands of electric cars, could charge on a station from a 15% level to over 80% in three to four hours.