KCP&L plans local e-car charging station

Since late last year, Kansas City Power & Light Co. has been in the process of installing more than 1,000 electric vehicle charging stations across its Missouri-Kansas service area, a project that KCP&L spokesperson Courtney Hughley said should be complete toward the end of this summer.

And, one of those stations will be in Maryville.

Hughley said though the vast majority of the utility’s Clean Charge Network stations are being located in urban areas — including a total of 10 in and around St. Joseph — the utility realizes that electric vehicles won’t always be a strictly big-city phenomenon.

“This is not just in the metro areas,” she said. “That defeats the purpose. We want people to be able to travel across our region.”

Hughley said some have questioned why the utility would want to join the car charging business, but added that KCP&L officials see their company and electric cars as a natural fit.

“Too many existing charging stations are one-off,” she said, “but we have relationships with people all across our service area, and we maintain the network. Stations operated by the property owner are usually intended to bring more people into their business, and we think that’s great. But, they don’t think in terms of a network.

“Our goal is not really to drive business into specific locations but to jump-start electric vehicles in this region. It’s a more holistic approach.”

Details about the Maryville charging station, including its location, have yet to be fully worked out, Hughley said, but a number of the facilities are being installed at grocery stores, including a St. Joseph Hy-Vee supermarket.

What has been decided is the station here will be of the “standard” variety, capable of providing a full battery charge in four to six hours and a partial charge, good for 25 miles or so, in about an hour.

KCP&L also plans to set up several fast-charger stations that can deliver an 80 percent charge in about 30 minutes.

Hughley said the fast-charge stations are being provided to the network by the Nissan Motor Co., which has made a major investment in the development and marketing of electric vehicles.

Through partnerships with businesses at host locations and corporations like Nissan, the Clean Charge Network will offer free charging at every station to all drivers for the first two years. The stations are manufactured by ChargePoint and will be part of the ChargePoint network of more than 20,000 charging spots across North America.

Hughley said participating merchants are willing to pay the electric bill for the initial 24 months in order to get in on the ground floor of servicing a new generation of automobiles. Other businesses, she said, want to be seen as environmentally aware.

“This is something sustainable, and being able to say that you’re a clean and sustainable partner will attract customers,” Hughley said.

Cost of electricity dispensed at the charging stations will vary according to local rates, but will likely go for between 6 and 10 cents per kilowatt hour.

To utilize the stations, drivers must sign up for a ChargePoint membership at na.chargepoint.com/register. Drivers can find charging stations and see their availability in real-time at ChargePoint.com or with a free ChargePoint mobile app.

To use the stations, drivers wave their ChargePoint card in front of the station or use the app.

Initially KCP&L expects its Clean Charge stations to service a total of about 2,000 cars, though the network is designed to support up to five times that many vehicles. Business in Maryville, however, at least at first, is likely to be slow.

Service Manager Steve Schons at Tri-State Ford Lincoln said the dealership has yet to sell its first electric car. David Boyles, who operates Boyles Motors, a local GM dealership, said he has sold exactly one to date, a Chevrolet Volt.

“There are three or four around town that I know of,” Boyles said.

Regardless of volume, KCP&L says it is committed to making the experiment work.

“We want to give residents and visitors the ability to join the electric vehicle revolution,” said Terry Bassham, president and CEO of Great Plains Energy and KCP&L.

“As a utility, we will place the stations where they’re needed most and support them as part of our electric grid, leveraging our expertise with electrical infrastructure. Our Clean Charge Network eliminates ‘range anxiety’ in the region, which is the number one roadblock to greater electric vehicle adoption. Now, electric vehicle owners will have an answer to the question, ‘Where do I recharge my vehicle?’”