Lewes BPW considers EV charging stations

As the popularity of electric vehicles rises, so does the number of charging stations in the Cape Region. Paul Evalds, president of Lewes-based Avatar Instruments, has approached Lewes Board of Public Works, proposing to put charging stations in downtown Lewes.

Evalds said his company would pay for the equipment necessary and would ask BPW staff to construct the stations.

He proposes to put a Tesla-specific charging station and a universal charging unit at the Gills Neck Road/ Savannah Road/ Front Street intersection across from the Dogfish Inn. The city is already planning to build a large corral for bicycles at the same location; the charging stations would not interfere with the project.

Charging stations could serve as a economic booster, he said, because electric vehicle owners often search for stations before choosing a travel destination. Phone applications and websites now feature charging station locations to aid EV drivers.

“Plug it in, go to a restaurant, do some shopping, take in the sights a little bit and you're on to your next destination,” Evalds said.

If the BPW were to add a Tesla-specific charging station, Evalds said, Lewes would have the only public station in the state, as the other two – Bellmoor Inn in Rehoboth and Hyatt Place in Dewey – are in parking garages; using them requires permission.

Cost to run a charging station is relatively cheap, Evalds said. BPW President C. Wendell Alfred said he's confident the state would cover the cost through its Delaware Clean Transportation Incentive Program.

BPW director Pres Lee also proposed the BPW consider purchasing an electric vehicle as a way to encourage a cleaner mode of transportation.

“I really think this is the wave of the future,” he said.

Charging stations have been popping up throughout the Cape Region in recent years.

The Cape May-Lewes Ferry installed two charging stations at the Lewes terminal in 2015. Ocean City, Md., officials added 17 EV charging stations in the last year, Evalds said, and 12 are Tesla-specific. Stations have also been added in Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach, at the Hampton Inn on Route 1 and at all three Tanger Outlets shopping centers on Route 1.

According to the American Public Power Association, driving an electric vehicle can cost 70 percent less in fuel charges versus a gas-powered vehicle. The average annual cost to power an EV is $540 compared to about $2,000 to fuel a gas-powered vehicle.

There are 13,929 electric charging stations in the U.S., with 34,773 charging outlets, the Department of Energy reports. The statistics do not include private charging stations.  

Cape Region EV charging stations

• Cape May-Lewes Ferry terminal

• Tanger Outlets (all three locations)

• Blue Water B&B, Lewes

• Hampton Inn, Rehoboth Beach

• The Bellmoor Inn, Rehoboth Beach

• Surfside Park, Rehoboth Beach

• Hyatt Place, Dewey Beach

Source: PlugShare