Bismarck plugs the gap on electric vehicle (EV) charging

BISMARCK PLUGS THE GAP ON ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING

By Cathryn Sprynczynatyk

Bismarck has plugged the gap for rapid charging of electric vehicles in central North Dakota.

In July, the City of Bismarck installed two, publicly available, Level 3 fast electric vehicle charging stations. The two charging stations are at the Bismarck-Mandan Convention and Visitors Bureau and Bismarck Airport.

“This really helps pivot and makes Bismarck attractive to a 21st century workforce and benefits tourism in our community,” said Bismarck City Planner Will Hutchings. While Bismarck previously had lower-rated charging stations, the Level 3 charging stations are the fastest way to charge an electric vehicle. Level 3 stations charge a vehicle in 30-45 minutes. A Level 2 station takes 3-4 hours, and a Level 1 charger takes a full day. Last year, Tesla installed Level 3 chargers in Pinehurst Square shopping center, but those are limited to Tesla vehicles.

“The charging stations help make our community a destination and help stimulate economic growth,” said Sheri Grossman, CEO of Bismarck-Mandan Convention and Visitors Bureau. “It’s always nice for us to have new offerings for visitors. Even if they’re just passing through this time, we have the opportunity to convince them to come back and plan a longer visitor next time.”

Previously, travelers were known to avoid driving across North Dakota due to its lack of charging stations. When combined with existing charging stations in the state, the addition of these Level 3 chargers makes electric vehicle travel across North Dakota is possible.

In July, the City of Bismarck installed two, publicly available, Level 3 fast electric vehicle charging stations. This charging station is at the Bismarck-Mandan Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“Our location in central North Dakota makes these beneficial not only to Bismarck tourism but also the greater state,” Hutchings said. “It will make electric vehicle travel and ownership more viable.”

The fast-charging stations are manufactured and supported by ChargePoint, Inc. and accessed using the ChargePoint app. The initial charging rates established at these stations is a $5.00 connection fee and $.25 per kWh used. The two charging locations were chosen to provide ease of access for both residents and visitors. Bismarck Airport provides an opportunity for car rental agencies to add more electric vehicles to their inventory. Bismarck-Mandan Convention and Visitors Bureau is located next to Interstate 94 and near coffee shops, dining, and shopping.

Photo Credit: Krista Rausch/Capital Electric Cooperative

Photo Credit: Krista Rausch/Capital Electric Cooperative “This project marks a significant milestone in the development of effective and efficient connectivity in transportation while sustaining a healthy environment. I’m delighted to see Bismarck leading the future in transportation with projects like these. Bismarck marks the spot to connect people, infrastructure and economic opportunity.”

The initial charging rates established at these stations is a $5.00 connection fee and $.25 per kWh used.

“While people are charging their car, they can come inside and we can help educate them on the many things they can do here,” Grossman said. “It’s a great way to tell them about all the interesting and culturally rich places our region has to offer.”

Money for the chargers came from a 2016 settlement between Volkswagen and the United States government. The settlement was due to Volkswagen tampering with emission controls which caused diesel engines nitrogen oxide (NOx) output to exceed U.S. standards without detection. North Dakota was awarded $8 million, and the funds were administered by the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality.

In the application, Hutchings had to determine the impact of two Level 3 charging stations in Bismarck. Hutchings calculated that over the life of these chargers, they are estimated to reduce NOx emissions by 11.46 tons.

“The Volkswagen settlement disbursement really helps bring North Dakota up to the level of other states in terms of EV charging infrastructure,” Hutchings said. “In some ways even better than some of our neighboring states.”

Originally, City of Bismarck applied for funding of three electric vehicle charging stations. The third station was proposed at Bis-Man Transit Center. However, that location would have been more costly to accommodate 480-volt service. The charging stations operate on a 60-amp or higher breaker on a 480-volt or higher three-phase circuit with special grounding equipment.

“The installation of two, Level 3 electric vehicle fast charging stations is exciting because it makes access to charging stations more readily available for residents and visitors,” said Bismarck Mayor Steve Bakken. Hutchings said he was “blown away” by usage of the charging station at the Convention and Visitors Bureau. Even before it was publicly announced, the charging station was being used as soon as it was hooked up to the network. Within the first few weeks, Hutchings said there have been 28 unique users, almost two per day.

“We thought adoption to this would be quite slow, but once we built it, they really did come,” Hutchings said.

Hutchings said electric vehicles comprised 3.39 percent of vehicle sales in 2020. The Edison Foundation: Institute for Electric Innovation predicts that electric vehicles will make up nearly 30 percent of sales by 2030.

“This helps make sure the city is recognizing the trends and preparing for what is coming down the road into the future,” Hutchings said. “Pun intended.”