In this update – Meet-Ups, Fast Chargers, and Your Stories…
MEET-UPS
Recent Gatherings…
So far this year we have held a couple of Coffee and EV meet-ups – on January 6, at the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf in Keaau and February 3, at the Kona Coffee and Tea.
To those who joined and assisted – thank you! Sharing the our EV stories with the public is an important means of shifting the public perception and getting more people on-board with sustainable transportation. We will attempt to host these short meet-up on a monthly basis to get increase our reach.
Heads Up! Hilo Coffee and EV Meet-Up on March 3
Our next Coffee and EV Meet-Up will be held in Hilo at Just Cruisin Coffee (835 Kilauea Ave; right by the Hawaii County building) on March 3, 2018. This is a short meet (9a-1030a) – we’ll grab coffee and a bite and talk EV story.
The public is invited so it will also be a chance to meet with people who might have questions about ownership. If you’re in the area and are willing to bring your car and share your experiences, please join us. Cody Osborne will be hosting this event.
Other Events
- April 7 – Coffee and EV Meet-up – Kohala (venue TBD)
- April 20 – Earth Day Fair – UH Hilo
- May 5 – Coffee and EV Meet-up – Pahoa (venue TBD)
Our event calendar can be found here.
FAST CHARGERS
New Fast Charger! On February 6, the Keaau Shopping Center Fast Charger (Level 3) was energized! The charger will be operated by Greenlots and will soon be officially open. (As of last week, it was available for use without cost.) We’re very pleased to see this station come online – Fast Chargers and Level 2 stations will be important for the electrification of our transportation. The addition of the new Keaau Shopping Center Fast Charger brings the Level 3 Fast Charger count to 5. This includes stations at The Shops at Mauna Lani, HELCO Kona, KTA Waimea, and HELCO Hilo.
More Fast Chargers!
Another Fast Charger is being installed at the Papaaloa Country Store on the Hamakua Coast. This is being installed by the same group that built the Keaau Shopping Center unit.
Importantly, our HELCO partners are exploring locations for additional Fast Chargers, including a site in Kau. If you have recommended sites, please reach out to us.
Fast Charger Card Reader Issues
Last word on the Fast Chargers – a few of our members have experienced challenges using the credit card readers on the stations (HELCO in Hilo and Kona, and the KTA Waimea sites). The readers were not recognizing their credit cards. It appears that the readers can get dirty since they are exposed to the weather. We’ve notified HELCO and they have fixed the issue by cleaning the device. If you experience this issue, contact the operator (there is a number on the machine). If you are using the HELCO Kona and Hilo during their business hours, you can bring to the attention of an employee and they might be able to help.
One way to avoid this is to download the Greenlots mobile app, register an account, and either prepay or add your credit card online. It’s very convenient to use the mobile app.
YOUR STORY
I’m looking for success stories that can help others understand the benefits of EV use and sustainable practices, along with stories that can help us convince business and government leaders about the need to support the expansion of sustainable transportation (installing charging stations, creating incentives for adoption, etc…). If you’re interested in telling your story, please contact me. I’d like to use your story to help further our mission.
Until next time…
Noel Morin