This info is taken from the City of Pasadena EV Charging Info Page. Do you own or are looking at purchasing an Electric Vehicle and live in the City of Pasadena? Make sure the city gets your input as this is how they will respond to the rising trend in electric vehicles.
Service Panel Upgrade
Every house is wired with a specific electric service capacity, or load capacity, which is the total amount of electricity (amps) a house can draw at one time from its utility service connection in the street. Homes with fewer or more efficient appliances and homes that conserve can be wired for a smaller load capacity. Homes that use more electrical equipment (kitchen and laundry appliances, entertainment centers, air conditioning, computers, pool pumps, small electronics, etc.) need to be wired for a greater load capacity.
Generally speaking, smaller or older houses may have a 100 amp capacity, renovated or new homes may have a 200 amp capacity; and large homes may have 400 amp capacity.
It is crucial to know the exact load capacity of your home. The additional load from EV charging may exceed your home’s load capacity. Overloading your whole house circuit will cause a power outage in your home
A licensed electrician can assess your home’s load capacity and whether charging an EV will require a service panel upgrade to handle the additional load. If your house does require more capacity, you or your electrician will need to contact PWP to request a service panel upgrade. Call the UTILITY SERVICE PLANNING UNIT at 744-4495.
Charge Right: At Night!
Electricity use peaks in the late afternoon/early evening, putting stress on the local and statewide electricity grid. Since the rolling blackouts in the late 90’s and early 2000’s, people have fortunately become more conscientious about using energy-intensive appliances at off-peak hours (late evening, night and early morning), which helps prevent grid overload and power outages. PWP encourages EV owners to charge their vehicles overnight, when there is less demand on the grid. Charging at night will help PWP to better manage power delivery and keep utility costs down.
Charging on the Road
A number of charging options are already available on the road, and more will become available as market demand for EVs grows and the charging infrastructure is developed.
Not all charging stations are alike or compatible with your EV’s charging specifications. PWP recommends that you check your vehicle specifications for charging station compatibility before plugging in.
Click here for a list of charging options in Pasadena. Go to www.SoCalEV.org for a public/private compilation of charging options throughout Southern California. You may also try www.evchargernews.com which is maintained by EV owners and enthusiasts (PWP cannot verify its accuracy.)
Incentives
At this time, PWP does not offer any incentives for installing EV charging station.
PWP does offer time-of-use (TOU) rates that may benefit some EV customers, however, customers are responsible for the meter installation costs (approximately $800). PWP anticipates developing a TOU rate schedule to encourage off-peak EV charging and energy use within the next 12-18 months.
Keep PWP in the Loop
As more people purchase EV’s and plug them in at home, PWP will need to keep up with the service demand by upgrading home service and replacing transformers in the street.
If you are thinking about buying an EV, keep PWP in the loop! Please let us know when you might purchase an EV so we can project improvements to the utility and better serve your needs. Take a quick survey to help PWP keep its equipment EV ready …
Take another quick survey to help build EV charging infrastucture in So Cal…
Public Charging Stations in Pasadena
Regional Map of Charging Stations
SoCal EV (public/private initiative for plug-in readiness)
Electric Auto Association
Tax Credits on Electric and Reduced Emissions Vehicles
PWP’s EV Fleet Program
