Austin To Install New Charging Stations For Electric Vehicles
Austin Energy officials plan to use $1.6 million in grants offered by the TCEQ and to match those grants to pay for 24 new charging stations in next three years.
Citing the rapid rise in electric vehicles now operating in the area, Austin Energy and city council members are working with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to install more charging stations to service electric vehicles. Austin city council members approved $1.5 million to build 10 new charging stations in 2019.
Austin Energy officials plan to use $1.6 million in grants offered by the TCEQ and to match those grants to pay for 24 new charging stations in next three years. Additionally, Austin Energy is working with Capital Metro to introduce 40 electric buses that would comprise about 10 percent of the fleet.
Both Austin Energy and the city plan to use the new technology of direct current (DC) fast charging stations, which will complete a charge in approximately 20 minutes.
Current plans are to place at least two of the new charging stations at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport as well as several more along Interstate 35.
More locations are still under study, according to Karl Popham, manager of emerging technology at Austin Energy. The Austin area represents 22 percent of the statewide market for electric vehicles. Travis and Williamson counties had 195 electric vehicles registered in 2011 compared to 5,313 electric vehicles this year.
This article was originally published by Strategic Partnerships Inc.
