Hawaiian Electric Opens Three electric vehicle fast chargers on Maui

Three new electric vehicle fast-charging stations are now open to the public at the Queen Kaʻahumanu Center in Central Maui, Piʻilani Village Shopping Center in South Maui and Lahaina Aquatic Center in West Maui, Hawaiian Electric announced today.

Owned and operated by Hawaiian Electric, the publicly-accessible DC fast chargers offer a lower rate during daytime hours to encourage charging when solar energy is typically abundant.

The EV-Maui charging rate is $0.28 per kilowatt-hour between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.; $0.40 per kWh between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m.; and $0.38 per kWh between 10 p.m. and 9 a.m.

The company previously brought another fast-charging station online in August with the EV-Maui rate at the Pukalani Terrace Center in Upcountry Maui.

The company reports that the four completed sites were selected to cover a broad geographic driving range around the island and previously accommodated aging charging infrastructure for the members-only EVohana program that was retired in July 2020.

“Thank you to our four partnering site owners and the EV drivers on the island for their continued support of our efforts to expand the public-charging options on Maui,” said Sharon Suzuki, president of Maui County and Hawaii Island utilities in a company press release. “Electrification of transportation is a major part of our goals to help reduce our state’s overall fuel consumption.”

The new DC fast chargers can provide about 43 miles of additional range for a typical EV in 15 minutes. The fast charger supports CHAdeMO (used mostly by EVs like the Nissan Leaf and the Tesla with their proprietary adaptor) and CCS (used by American and European EVs like the BMW i3 and as an option on the Chevy Bolt). Charging sessions can be initiated in multiple ways, including smartphone apps to credit cards.

Company representatives say property owners who offer their sites for publicly-accessible EV charging infrastructure “play a critical role” in helping to increase the adoption of electric vehicles and use of renewable energy on the island.

“We are excited to announce the reopening of public electric vehicle charging at the Lahaina Aquatic Center,” said County of Maui Mayor Michael Victorino. “This exemplifies my administration’s commitment to furthering our community’s clean energy and clean transportation transformation. We are committed to doing our part to help meet our community’s need for dependable EV charging and to encourage EV adoption.”

Edward Krampitz of Queen Kaʻahumanu Center management added, “We are excited to partner with Hawaiian Electric to add these new EV chargers. Shoppers can now receive a fast and reliable charge, while enjoying a variety of stores and restaurants at Queen Kaʻahumanu Center.”