Hawaiian Electric seeks major expansion of public EV charging network to answer demand, speed growth Lower midday rates would take advantage of abundant solar power

Hawaiian Electric seeks major expansion of public EV
charging network to answer demand, speed growth
Lower midday rates would take advantage of abundant solar power
HONOLULU, Nov. 1, 2021 – Hawaiian Electric is seeking to expand its public electric vehicle
charger network and implement lower EV charging rates as part of the company’s ongoing effort
to help Hawai‘i achieve its decarbonization goals. The company is asking the Public Utilities
Commission (PUC) to approve its proposed Public Electric Vehicle Charger Expansion Project.
The proposed project is the most significant EV charging initiative undertaken by Hawaiian
Electric. It builds on the company’s experience from providing public fast charging for more than
seven years under a pilot program approved by the PUC. In that time, the EV market in Hawai‘i
has grown markedly, creating a need for more charging stations to meet demand. And every
major global vehicle manufacturer, including Ford, General Motors, Volkswagen and Jaguar,
have announced plans to transition a large share of their products to electric over the next
decade.
If approved by the PUC, Hawaiian Electric would look to install and operate approximately 150
single-port DC fast charging stations and 150 dual-port Level 2 charging stations at roughly 75
sites across the company’s service territory from 2023 through 2030. About 60% of the sites
would be on O‘ahu, 20% in Maui County and 20% on Hawai‘i Island. This aims to serve about
28 percent of total public fast charging need in 2030 to catalyze third party market participation
while also serving a critical backbone of reliable charging for our community.
Hawaiian Electric also proposed a revised EV charging tariff designed to be roughly costcompetitive with gasoline and continue to encourage charging during the middle of the day
when solar energy is abundant. The proposed rates are 20% to 46% below the existing pilot
rates, depending on the island and time of day the charging is done.
“Providing drivers with expanded public charging options is critical to serving more electric
vehicles on Hawai‘i’s roadways,” said Aki Marceau, Hawaiian Electric’s director of electrification
of transportation. “Hawaiian Electric is committed to taking action on climate change by helping
to decarbonize Hawai‘i’s economy, and electrifying ground transportation is a major part of that
effort.”
The estimated cost of the project is $79 million, which includes installation and maintenance of
the charging stations. Hawaiian Electric would recover the cost of the project from customers
over the seven-year life of the project.
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Hawaiian Electric seeks expansion of EV charging network
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Nov. 1, 2021
As EV adoption grows, the resulting increase in electricity sales revenue will not result in
increased profits for Hawaiian Electric but will contribute to the recovery of the utility’s fixed
costs and, over time, put downward pressure on electricity rates for all customers.
Hawaiian Electric actively seeks input from the public to inform its electrification of transportation
planning. Most recently, the company received robust community feedback through the Charge
Up Hawaii interactive webtool, which asked customers about their mobility needs and where
they think EV charging stations are needed. Hawaiian Electric received 2,045 survey responses
and recorded 1,812 pins suggesting future charging sites. The results will be weighed against
other considerations to help guide charging station placement.
The number of electric passenger vehicles in Hawai‘i has steadily increased, with more than
16,000 registered statewide today. Hawaiian Electric estimates that in 2030 more than 3,600
public charging stations will be needed at workplaces, shopping centers, parks and multi-unit
dwellings so that future EV users have dependable charging solutions.
Initiatives such as the proposed Public Electric Vehicle Charger Expansion Project are a way
Hawaiian Electric can help fill a market gap in EV charging — a gap that has widened as more
EVs hit the road. Besides the utility, so far there has been very little investment by others in
public fast charging infrastructure. National and local surveys cite a lack of reliable and
geographically complete network of public charging – especially convenient fast charging – as a
significant barrier to EV adoption.