A ribbon-cutting ceremony [Monday] celebrated the opening of a new electric vehicle charging station in Carpinteria – the first direct-current fast-charging station in the city.
The station, located at The Shepard Place Shops at 1001 Casitas Pass Road, was installed by The Towbes Group and supported by the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District’s (APCD) Clean Air Grants program.
The new station is open to any person wishing to charge their electric car, and it provides two charging ports to allow for two cars to charge simultaneously. The direct-current fast charger can charge an electric car up to 100 miles in 10 minutes.
“I’m excited for this new fast-charging station in Carpinteria,” said Carpinteria Mayor Al Clark, who also serves on APCD’s Board of Directors and spoke at today’s ribbon-cutting ceremony. “It’s easy to use and provides a quick charge – perfect for charging your electric car while running errands or stopping for a meal nearby. I appreciate all of the partners who made this project possible.”
“I am thrilled that The Towbes Group has installed the first DCFC electric vehicle fast charger at the Shephard Place Shops right here in Carpinteria,” said County Supervisor Das Williams, who also serves on APCD’s Board of Directors and spoke at today’s ribbon-cutting ceremony. “Increasing the use of electric vehicles is vital to our air quality and climate protection, and a convenient fast charger right next to great restaurants and shopping is a needed step.”
The Towbes Group secured approximately $100,000 in funding from APCD’s Clean Air Grants program to help cover the installation costs for this project. Since 2011, APCD’s Clean Air Grants program has contributed more than $3.1 million toward electric vehicle infrastructure projects in Santa Barbara County, including 274 chargers that are currently publicly available or in development. Those 274 chargers are a mix of fast chargers (also known as Level 3 chargers) and Level 2 chargers, which charge cars at a slower speed than the direct-current fast chargers. Countywide, there are 97 publicly available direct-current fast chargers already installed or slated to be installed, with 24 of those receiving partial funding from APCD’s Clean Air Grants program.
Photo: Maxx Hennard
“APCD is excited to partner with The Towbes Group to bring the first fast chargers to Carpinteria,” said APCD Executive Director, Aeron Arlin Genet, who spoke at today’s ribbon-cutting ceremony. “We encourage all eligible entities to consider our Clean Air Grants program for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Convenient access to charging stations is essential for more drivers to choose electric cars, benefiting our local air quality and the environment.”
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Originally Appeared Here