If you live in the Los Angeles area and you own a plug-in hybrid or a battery-electric vehicle, you now have more places to charge on the go. The city of Pasadena on the northeast side of Los Angeles County has added 26 new public DC chargers as part of a program to expand its charging infrastructure. These stations in these charging depots are owned by the city of Pasadena and Tesla and were designed in collaboration with Stantec, a global design firm.
The Arroyo Parkway Charging Depot is the newest addition to the City of Pasadena’s charging infrastructure. In April 2020, it opened the Marengo Charging Plaza, one of the larger charging stations in the country, further expanding the DC charging network. Stantec led the design of the power supply and electrical distribution infrastructure for the city-owned chargers and are compatible with all EVs.
“Pasadena Water and Power continues to be a leader in providing charging options for electric vehicle owners in Southern California,” said Wicus Postma, a sector leader in Stantec’s Energy and Resources group. “Growing the EV infrastructure helps with the community and state sustainability and clean air goals. Projects like these are tied to the future of transportation, and we’re excited to continue supporting the City of Pasadena.”
This latest charging depot is one of several projects that Stantec is involved in to support California’s emissions reduction initiatives and create cleaner air. Steve Marnell, City Manager of the City of Pasadena, noted that adding more charging locations would help Pasadena residents justify owning an electric vehicle and help bring the state closer to its goal of zero emissions. He also added that the city recognizes the need to minimize range anxiety and implementing a robust charging network is the key to that.
Like the Marengo Charging Plaza, the Arroyo Charging Depot will have 20 Tesla Superchargers and six CCS chargers. The former is V3 Superchargers that can generate a peak output of 250 kW. This new location is the smaller of the two; the Marengo Charging Plaza that opened last year has 44 chargers that are also co-owned by the City of Pasadena and Tesla. Since launching the Power Up Pasadena campaign, Pasadena Water and Power have installed over 100 EV chargers in the city. It has also made all DC chargers free to use for a limited time.
The City of Pasadena has the highest percentage of EV drivers in the Southern California region. It will continue its support of these drivers by expanding the charging network and providing generous incentives to get more residents to switch to electrified vehicles. The city council recently granted Pasadena Water and Power approval to open three additional large charging facilities within the city. This includes two community centers, Robinson Park and Victory Park, and an expansion of the Del Mar Metro Station location. Marvin Moon, Assistant General Manager of Power Delivery, noted that expanding the infrastructure enables the city to provide new programs aimed at helping low-income customers and ride-share fleets transition to electric mobility. The city also offers rebates toward the purchase and lease of new or used EVs and the installation of chargers at homes.
