Charging Experience

Most electric vehicle owners charge their vehicles at home. An overnight charge is typically sufficient for most drivers to wake up to a fully charged battery that will get them wherever they need throughout the day. A growing network of charging stations is also available throughout the state.

The choice between Level 1 120-volt AC, Level 2 240-volt AC, or DC fast charging is all about trade-offs. Level 1 charging requires a longer charging time. However, Level 2 and DC fast charging can involve higher costs with regard to bigger utility bills, additional charging equipment or upgrades, and use of expensive charging facilities.

Source: Charging at Home
*Maximum power rating of 3.3 kW based on a Nissan Leaf. Miles per charging time varies depending on driving conditions, vehicle and model year.

 

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Charging at Home

Want another reason why Hawaii EV owners have an exciting driving life?

One of the top benefits of having an EV in your garage is the ability to charge it with energy from home solar panels. Many EV owners use surplus energy from their rooftop photovoltaic installations to power their vehicles and save money.

Discounted Utility Rates for Electric Vehicle Charging
There are two EV pilot charging rates available to businesses to encourage their installation of new public EV charging facilities metered separately from other uses. One of these rates removes a pricey “demand charge” generally imposed on customers for businesses providing DC fast charging. The other allows Hawaiian Electric Companies to run up to 25 open-to-the-public DC fast charging facilities on Oahu, the island of Hawaii and in Maui County where drivers can recharge EVs for a per session fee.

Time-of-Use (TOU) Rate Adjustment
Applicable to EV charging in Hawaii County, Maui County and the City and County of Honolulu, the TOU adjustment makes EV owners eligible for a lower electricity rate for overnight charging. Just last month, HECO announced regulatory approval to offer differential charging rates for EV owners, helping to assure that quick charging stations don’t end up charging customers different rates based on peak load. In short, that helps people driving EVs not to fret about when they do their charging at private charging stations around the state.

HECO Rates Enrollment
Hawaiian Electric Companies’ customers may qualify for a TOU rate, which offers a savings derived from using energy at times of day when solar power is most abundant. 

 

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Find a Charging Station

One of the biggest challenges of owning an EV is finding an open and working charging station while you’re on the go.

Visit Plugshare.com to see charging stations.

Public Charging
Each public charging station network’s payment models work a little differently and can vary from pay-as-you-go, monthly subscriptions or free. Depending on the pay model, EV drivers may have the option to use mobile apps, RFID / membership cards, pre-paid network cards and calling customer support and use of their own debit and credit card to initiate a charge session. Costs vary per charging network. There are many charging networks in Hawaii that offer Level 2 and Fast Charging options.

 

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