For Immediate Release

Redwood City Installs Electric Vehicle Charging Stations - Funded by Grant, Two Sites are Operating, More Coming

Redwood City, CA - April 26, 2011 - As a first step in making electric vehicles a more viable option for our community’s motorists, Redwood City has installed and activated two electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. Located in the Marshall Street parking structure and the Jefferson Avenue underground garage, each location has two stations, for a total of four charging docks which can be used simultaneously.

These two stations are just the start of an extensive network of EV charging stations in Redwood City, initiated with an equipment grant (valued at $63,000) from the U.S. Department of Energy. As part of this grant, the City will be installing additional charging stations at the Middlefield Road parking lot near the train station, the Downtown Library parking lot, and the City’s Red Morton Community Center parking lot. This means within the next three months there will be a total of 18 EV charging docks at five City locations, making Redwood City one of the most EV-friendly communities on the peninsula.

Redwood City also accepted a grant from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District which will, with matching funds from the City, provide for the installation of up to three additional stations in the next 12 – 18 months, at locations to be determined.

“This is a great move in the right direction,” said Redwood City Mayor Jeff Ira. “We’re so pleased to offer these stations for EV charging, as part of what we hope will eventually be a region-wide infrastructure to support the use of zero emission electric vehicles. We’re helping offer a viable alternative to skyrocketing gas prices, and it’s one way that we’re doing our part to help address climate change.”

As a small investment in helping to foster the use of electric vehicles, the City is not collecting payment from users for the electricity used to charge their vehicles. At some point in the future, Redwood City will implement a fee collection program to recover the costs of electricity used. In the meantime, the City’s electricity costs are estimated at approximately $200 per year, per charging dock, on average.

Owners of electric vehicles are encouraged to visit the Jefferson Street garage or the Marshall Street parking structure and take a look at the future of how personal vehicles will be powered.

Visit Redwood City’s website at www.redwoodcity.org for information about the City and its  services, the community, recreation programs, education, and local business. Subscribe to Redwood City’s electronic newsletter or other City documents at www.redwoodcity.org/egov.

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Contact:
Justin Ezell
Public Works Services
650-780-7474