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Four More EV Fast Charging Stations Opened in Maryland
image credit: Potomac Edison
Potomac Edison (PE) has completed the installation of four direct-current fast charging stations (DCFC), which can provide an 80% charge for most vehicles in less than an hour, so drivers can quickly recharge their vehicles.
These new stations are part of Potomac Edison's 'EV Driven' pilot program. This Maryland Public Service Commission scheme is intended to improve the state's environment by reducing transportation emissions and support its target of 300,000 zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2025. Potomac Edison plans to build 59 charging stations, including 20 fast-charging stations, across the territory by 2023, expanding its network of publicly-available stations.
"The new additions to our charging station network will further support the adoption of electric vehicles in Maryland,” said Linda Moss, president of PE's FirstEnergy subsidiary in Maryland, “And align with our mission to build a more sustainable future for the communities we serve,".
While beneficial for the environment and EV owners, this means that there will be increased load on the grid. However, Maryland has been making a concerted effort to improve its overall infrastructure. Those factors helped make Maryland a top ten state for infrastructure, and the overall most-improved state in CNBC’s 2021 America’s Top States for Business study. A years-long modernization program for its grid has made it one of the best states for electricity reliability, with most customers only suffering two hours per year without power, according to the DOE. The worst-performing state, Maine, has an average of over 15 hours per year.
Depending on the battery capacity, an EV's driving range can vary from about 80 miles to 280 miles or more. "Range anxiety" is a significant negative factor for EV drivers, and availability of public charging stations in Maryland will help solve this issue, as well as providing key data to determine future charging needs throughout the state and other areas served by FirstEnergy's utilities.
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