As demand for EV in Columbus grows, METRA spends $1 million for 10 chargers. Here’s where
Repairs and upgrades began this week on a broken EV charger on the corner of Broadway and 11th Street outside of Smoke Bourbon and BBQ restaurant. It is the first of 10 stations to be constructed throughout Columbus at various park and ride locations decided by METRA, Columbus’ transit agency.
Columbus has one of the lowest electric vehicle charging station rates in Georgia for the size of its city.
The numbers of EV chargers reported by EV charging network sites like Plugshare, EVHype, and Chargehub in Columbus range from 42 to 63 to 85.
According to EVhype, there are 42 EV charging stations in Columbus. Add to that the stations on post at Fort Moore and the surrounding area in Phenix City, that number goes up to 85.
Augusta-Richmond County has 162 stations and Macon-Bibb County has 130, according to Plugshare.
But the lack of charging stations has not slowed EV demand. Registered EVs in Muscogee County have grown by 46% since July 2023, adding 218 – about 100 new EVs every six months– totaling 682 in July 2024.
In March, Columbus City Council approved a resolution to purchase and install the 10 charging stations for $934,899.58 from Georgia Power from the “growing demand for electric vehicle charging stations”, per the resolution. It was unanimously approved by the city council members present for the resolution.
“We need to reduce emissions and provide zero emission alternatives for citizens to connect to public transit,” Everett Fleming, assistant director of METRA, said in an email.
Transportation makes up the largest source of carbon emissions for Muscogee County, according to the environmental working group Drawdown Georgia.
The funding comes directly from the $25 million dollar River Valley Commission TIA/TSPLOST. TSPLOST is a 1% sales tax from purchases by Muscogee County residents to fund transportation projects. This project represents 4% of the total TSPLOST funds for METRA.
Where will charging stations be in Columbus?
The broken charger on Broadway Avenue and 11th Street was a donation from Verizon “years ago”, according to Fleming, and has been broken “for at least a year”.
METRA does not know when this station will be repaired and Georgia Power has declined to comment. It will be a D/C, level 3 fast charger and drivers will have to pay to charge at this station.
DC, or level 3 chargers, are known to charge anywhere from 10%-80% of the battery of the vehicle in 25 minutes or up to 52 minutes, depending on the vehicle’s battery capacity, according to Car and Driver.
The other nine stations will be brand new, level 2 chargers across Uptown in parking garages, City Service Centers, and near parks in Columbus. Each charger unit will have two prongs or cords to charge two cars at once.
Here’s what to know about those charging stations:
- 11th Street and Broadway: will have one charger
- Columbus Civic Center: will have two chargers
- Manchester Expressway Park and Ride: one charger
- Columbus City Hall: one charger
- City Service Center Parking Garage: one charger
- RiverCenter Parking Garage: one charger
- Front Avenue: one charger
- Bay Avenue: one charger
- Cooper Creek Park: two chargers
- Shirley Winston Park: one charger
Putting EV stations where there’s a need
In the presentation Fleming gave to the city council in June 2023 about the plan to use TSPLOST money to deploy EV charging stations, Frank Chester Park, in South Columbus, was one of the 10 locations presented to the council. The ordinance in March swapped the location for Cooper Creek.
“The months of time to get a resolution came from researching stations based on the need,” Rosa Evans, director of METRA said. “We felt Cooper Creek Park would have more usage. There is a lot that goes into the location like where the transformer is located. We’re still planning this and working through it.”
METRA was unable to confirm when the other locations will be complete and said they will come in phases and that the timeline is contingent on Georgia Power.
The original projected cost can also vary depending on the change orders and installation, Fleming said in an email.
“We’re going after funding in the coming years to look at other locations,” Evans said. “Electrification is not going away, it’s here to stay.”
This story was originally published August 9, 2024 at 6:00 AM.
