Philadelphia electric vehicle owners who work and play near the Philadelphia Convention Center now have access to the region’s very first charging stations to be installed in a public garage.

Parametric Associates LLC announced the installation of eight 2-plug EV charging stations in its public Convention Center Garage, located at the corner of 11th Street and Arch Street. The garage is near the Reading Terminal Market, The Gallery Shopping Mall and the Market Street Commercial District. The garage also serves guests of the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel. The stations will be able to charge up to 16 electric vehicles at the same time.

While plug-in auto manufacturers claim that most EVs can travel 50–150 miles before needing to be recharged, Parametric hopes that the quick-charging stations will alleviate “range anxiety” that Philadelphians may have when it comes to driving their electric cars around town.

Josephine Wang, executive vice president of Switzenbaum & Associates, an affiliate of Parametric Associates, said the company “put the cart before the horse” in its decision to offer the charging stations before the widespread adoption of electric vehicles because it wanted to offer convenient, secure 24/7 access to chargers. However, with an increase in the pre-orders of electric vehicles in the United States this year, Wang said the company’s quick-charging stations at the Convention Center Garage has laid the foundation for serving electric vehicle owners in the future and that the company expects to install additional quick-charging stations as the market demands.

Are you an EV owner living or working in Philadelphia? Will you be using the new charging stations? Share some tips for getting around town in an electric vehicle.

Source

“Electric Car Charging Stations Installed at Pennsylvania Convention Center Parking Lot,” CityBizList, Oct. 18, 2011.