Hawaiian Electric has launched Charge Up Hawaiʻi, an interactive webtool to better understand customers’ mobility needs and see where they think electric vehicle charging stations are needed in their communities.
Charge Up Hawaiʻi features a short survey and an interactive map where visitors can drop a pin to suggest a location for a future EV charging station. It also includes an overview of efforts underway to electrify transportation in Hawai‘i and links to informative videos, articles and websites. Visitors to the site who complete the survey will be eligible to participate in a $100 gift card raffle. Information gathered will help gauge community interest in EV charging as Hawaiian Electric looks to expand its EV public charging network.
Hawaiian Electric currently owns and operates 25 fast chargers across five islands that were deployed as part of a public charging infrastructure pilot. The company hopes to eventually make the program permanent and add more chargers across its service territory to support the growing EV market in Hawai‘i. The number of electric passenger vehicles on Hawai‘i’s roads has been steadily increasing, with more than 15,000 registered statewide today. Hawaiian Electric estimates that in 2030 more than 3,600 public charging stations will be needed at workplaces, shopping centers, parks and multi-unit dwellings so that future EV users have dependable charging solutions. Hawaiian Electric’s public EV charging program is one of several initiatives the company is pursuing to accelerate the electrification of transportation across its service territory.
In May 2021, the Public Utilities Commission approved Hawaiian Electric’s Charge Up eBus Pilot that will encourage the growth of electric bus fleets by helping bus operators reduce the upfront cost of installing charging infrastructure. The company’s commercial make-ready pilot is currently under PUC review. If approved, the commercial make-ready pilot would offer charging infrastructure support for light-duty vehicles at commercial properties such as multi-unit dwellings, workplaces, businesses and charging hubs. The company also has two new EV charging rates under review by the PUC that will help potential charging site hosts manage electricity costs in commercial and large residential locations.
For more information: chargeuphi.com
