Politics & Government

City to Increase Rates at Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

The City Council voted Monday to pass the cost of electricity on to customers at city-owned electric vehicle charging stations.

The city of Seal Beach will stop subsidizing the cost of electricity for electric vehicle owners who charge their cars at Seal Beach charging stations.

Following a reversal of state regulations, cities can now pass along the cost of electricity to customers. That means the cost of recharging will go from $2.16 an hour to $3.37 per hour at one of the city’s charging stations, said Assistant City Manager Sean Crumby.

The council voted unanimously Monday night on the rate increase. Typically, it takes eight hours to fully recharge an electric vehicle, Crumby said. The new fee covers the cost of the electricity as well as the charging station operations. The city does not make a profit from the stations.

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Seal Beach recently became the first Orange County beach city to offer electric vehicle charging stations at the beach.

The city opened two electric vehicle charging stations at the 8th Street beach lot and a third station at the Main Street parking lot earlier this year. The three charging stations are each able to service two vehicles at a time.

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Twelve years ago the city installed electric charging stations but then pulled them out five years ago for lack of use.

Since then, hybrids and electric vehicles such as the Hybrid Ford Escapes, the Nissan Leaf, the General Motors Volt and the BMW Mini have rapidly grown in popularity. Now, cars such as the Nissan Leaf come equipped with systems that tell the driver where to find the nearest charging station. Most importantly, today’s electric vehicles have standardized plug-ins, making charging stations universal.


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