San Gabriel Valley COG Announces Opening of 16 Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
PR Newswire - October 26, 1998 18:42
Completing 80+ Mile EV Corridor
EL MONTE, Calif., Oct. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- The opening of 16 new electric vehicle charging stations was announced by the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments at a ceremony today at the El Monte Metrolink Station.
The opening of the EV stations in Baldwin Park, El Monte, Glendora, Irwindale, Pomona, Rosemead, San Dimas, San Gabriel, and West Covina, is the last link in an 80+ mile chain of EV charging stations. This Routes 10/210 EV Corridor now stretches from Santa Monica to San Bernardino and Redlands.
"The Council of Governments brings together the cities of the San Gabriel Valley in joint efforts that will benefit all of our citizens," said COG President and City of Claremont Council Member Algird G. Leiga. "By coordinating the cities' participation in the Quick Charge program and creating convenient, high-visibility charging stations, we hope to encourage drivers to use electric vehicles and help improve the quality of the air we breathe."
The Quick Charge Program is administered by the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC) for the South Coast air district. Using a portion of the $4 annual Motor Vehicle Registration fee -- not tax dollars -- the MSRC has leveraged $1.73 million in funding with $4.2 million in matching funds from public/private sector partnerships to create more than 130 public charging sites throughout Southern California.
"This program is designed to help reduce emissions from mobile sources, which are a significant contributor to air pollution in the South Coast air district," said MSRC Technical Advisor Ray Gorski. "Our region fails to meet both state and federal ambient air quality standards, which results in health problems for many people. Currently, electric vehicles are the only vehicles considered to be zero emission, and they will play a critical role in helping us meet our air quality goals."
Also speaking at the grand opening ceremony was El Monte Mayor Patricia Wallach. "We are very proud to have an electric vehicle charging station in El Monte. This encourages the use of both electric vehicles and the Metrolink train, a combination dedicated to clean air travel," she said.
EV1 driver Jeff Church, an airline pilot residing in San Dimas, thanked the cities for their leadership in building charging stations. "I love driving my EV, everyone I know who has tried driving this car loves it, but the issue of range always comes up. But with the network of public charging stations now in place, I feel that range is no longer an issue. I know I speak on behalf of all of the more than 400 EV1 drivers here in Southern California when I say, 'Thank you.'"
Three of the sites are hosted by Southern California Edison, which also provides special EV charging rates to drivers. "This type of public/private partnership is essential to the successful launch of the electric vehicle industry. We applaud the San Gabriel Valley COG and its member cities for their commitment to bring more EVs to the Valley and thank them for working with us to create a charging network," said SCE Electric Transportation Director Edward Kjaer.
"We are not looking to replicate the current system where there is a gasoline station on every corner," added Enid Joffe, Manager of Charging Infrastructure at Edison EV, which installed the charging stations for the cities. "Instead, we are looking to place charging stations strategically, in high-visibility areas where drivers will make the most use of them. We believe that these stations are well designed and will create a strong base for expanding the EV infrastructure network throughout California."
ELECTRIC VEHICLE FACTS
-- Electric vehicles are 97 percent cleaner than gasoline cars, including powerplant emissions.
-- Ten percent of new vehicles sold in 2003 must be zero-emission
vehicles; currently electric vehicles are the only cars that meet that
standard.
-- The cost of providing electricity to refuel is about 60 cents per
hour.
-- All major auto manufacturers are either in mass production or have
demonstration vehicles being introduced right now.
-- Charging time varies between three and eight hours, depending on which
type of battery is used. However, most vehicles can extend their range
by 30-40 miles after plugging in for just an hour.
-- Two hundred and twenty-five charging stations are in service in
Southern California and Arizona.
-- Local charging sites include:
* Baldwin Park City Hall Parking Lot, 14403 Pacific Avenue, Baldwin
Park, CA 91706
* Baldwin Park City Yard, 13135 Garvey Avenue, Baldwin Park, CA 91706
(for use by city fleet vehicles only)
* Baldwin Park Metrolink Parking Lot #2, 3875 Downing Street, Baldwin
Park, CA 91706
* El Monte Metrolink Station, 10925 Railroad Avenue, El Monte, CA 91731
* Glendora City Hall Parking Lot, 116 E. Foothill Boulevard, Glendora,
CA 91741
* Southern California Edison CTAC, 6090 N. Irwindale Avenue, Irwindale,
CA 91702
* Southern California Edison EV Tech Center, 265 N. East End Avenue,
Pomona, CA 91767 (by appointment)
* Southern California Edison, 2244 Walnut Grove Avenue, Rosemead, CA
91770
* San Dimas City Park and Ride, 205 San Dimas Avenue, San Dimas, CA
91773
* San Dimas City Maintenance Yard, 301 South Walnut Avenue, San Dimas,
CA 91773
* San Dimas Park and Ride, Route 210/Via Verde at the Raging Waters
exit, 105 Via Verde, San Dimas, CA 91773
* San Gabriel Park and Ride Lot, 532 West Mission Drive, San Gabriel,
CA 91776
* City of San Gabriel Park and Ride Lot, 1735 South Del Mar Avenue, San
Gabriel, CA 91776
* Church Parking Lot, 718 S. Azusa Avenue, West Covina, CA 91790
* West Covina City Hall Parking Structure, 1444 West Garvey Avenue,
West Covina, CA 91790
* The Plaza, 1200 Covina Parkway, Plaza Park and Ride, West Covina, CA
91790
Quotes from Participating Quick Charge Cities
Baldwin Park
"The City of Baldwin Park is proud to contribute to the advancement of electric vehicle technology with our participation in the EV Corridor. This project is an important step in encouraging the general public to use alternatively powered vehicles which, in turn, is the building block to providing a cleaner, healthier future for generations to come. We see our participation in this project not only benefiting future residents of Baldwin Park, but also future residents of the entire San Gabriel Valley." -- Sid J. Mousavi Director of Public Works
El Monte
"We are very proud to have an electric vehicle charging station in El Monte. This encourages the use of both electric vehicles and the Metrolink train, a combination dedicated to clean air travel."
-- Patricia Wallach Mayor
Glendora
"We have installed our public charging station in the parking lot across from City Hall, where it is getting everyone's attention. This type of exposure will help raise public awareness that electric vehicles are here today."
-- Culver Heaton Deputy City Manager
San Dimas
"We are happy to participate in this project establishing infrastructure for this new technology and are hopeful this is a start to cleaner air in the San Gabriel Valley."
-- Larry Stevens Planning Director
San Gabriel
"We are very excited about having two charging stations in our city. We think this will encourage our citizens and commuters to use electric vehicles to keep our air pollution-free. The city will also be purchasing an electric vehicle in the near future, and we will also be able to use these stations with that vehicle."
-- Harry Baldwin City Council Member
West Covina
"The City of West Covina supports the electric vehicle charging station corridor. To be a part of the electric vehicle corridor, we have installed four charging stations within the City of West Covina. This program, we believe, is an important step towards reducing pollution and cleaning our air by assisting in the development of a market for this new technology."
-- Richard Melendez Mayor
SOURCE Edison International
/CONTACT: Nicholas T. Conway, Executive Director of San Gabriel Valley
COG, 626-564-9702/
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