More Chargers! More Power! New Provider!

Lots of good things going on with our chargers. Read below for more information.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-anges to our EV Ch-ch-ch-ch-argers!

Our Grass Valley store is getting an upgrade to the existing EV Chargers, expanding the quantity and capabilities. The project is anticipated to begin the week of February 24th, with construction time estimated at 5-6 weeks, weather and PG&E availability permitting.

Check back here for any updates to the start date, duration, and other details!

This project features:

• More Chargers – The addition of 8 dc fast charger stations, capable of pushing up to 5x the amount of power (depending on vehicle battery configuration). The existing chargers have 62.5 kW max output; the new chargers will have 320 kW max output. Once the project is completed, there will be 10 chargers in total.
• More Power – Overall, there will be approximately 10 times more power in the new configuration. Site capacity will be increased, from 400 to 2000 amps, and an upgraded transformer on site. That’s 1200kw of new stations plus 125kw of old stations, for a total of 1325kw.
• New Provider – There is also a license change from ChargePoint to Skycharger.

What kind of chargers will be available once the project is complete?

• 2 ChargePoint CPE250 62.5 kW Stations with CCS1/Chademo (existing, will remain) 

• 6 New Kempower Satellite 320 kW Stations with CCS1

• 2 New Kempower Satellite 280 kW Stations with NACS (Tesla-style) Connectors 

• 2 New Kempower 600kW Power Cabinets (4 Satellites connected to each) 

How will this upgrade be paid for?

The charging station upgrade is funded in part through a CALeVIP grant of about $300,000 administered by the California Energy Commission. Six of the eight new charging stations will be funded through this program, while the other two will be funded by Skycharger. There is no charge to BriarPatch. Learn More About CALeVIP. Note: The grant funding is not impacted by recent holds/freezes to federal EV charger project funds.

More information about Skycharger and partnerships with other charging companies?

Skycharger has a roaming relationship with other charging companies, including EV Connect and ChargePoint, so users can still pay for charging through these apps. Paying with a credit card at the charging stations is also possible. Drivers roaming onto the stations from an affiliate app/network pay the same price as in-app or credit-card users. Skycharger also offers its own app: Drivers – SKYCHARGER. QR codes will also be posted on the new BriarPatch Grass Valley charging stations allowing drivers to download the app.

Skycharger and carbon credits: Skycharger helped fund the original unit upgrade from 50kw to 62kw units. When they did that, they enrolled in the low carbon fuel standard program. The stations generate carbon credits that can be used by Skycharger in the CARB marketplace. Skycharger collects carbon credits and user fees, and they also take care of the energy bills as well as all other Operations and Maintenance costs.

What is Skycharger’s pricing policy?

Pricing will remain the same on the new chargers and will be reassessed annually based on utility cost increases. Current pricing:

Energy
All Days	12am – 4pm	$0.55900/kWh
	4pm – 9pm	$0.59900/kWh
	9pm – 12am	$0.55900/kWh
Station Time Rate
While Charging	Free
When not charging	$0.25/min after 35 mins grace period

What’s the grace period if charging’s done before I finish shopping? The Skycharger stations are designed to charge faster than the current ChargePoint ones, meaning that users may find their charging session is complete before they finish their shopping. Skycharger will keep the existing policy that is set on the two existing DC stations – Drivers will have a grace period of 35 minutes after charging has completed, before they incur any per-minute overstay fees.

Will I be able to charge my vehicle during the project? Yes. The existing chargers will only be inaccessible towards the end of the project, hopefully just a week or two. We’ve asked Skycharger to give us advanced notice of when they’ll be down, so we can inform everyone. Watch this space!

Will there be limited access around the worksite?: The area between Litton Drive and the charging stations will be off-limits for the duration of the project since there will be trenching. That includes the picnic tables and arbor on the hillside above the parking lot as well as the walking path in that area. Shoppers and other visitors to the area are asked to respect the work zone boundaries and stay out. The work team will be putting up barriers of some sort to define the work zone, thank you for keeping clear of the action and staying safe!

In addition, due to safety issues there will be some parking spots that are fenced off near where the new chargers will be installed. The fencing should not get in the way of traffic flow.

What else do we need to know – a day of striping and ADA-access-related work: Towards the end of the project there will also be at least one day where the traffic flow around the parking lot will partially impacted, during the installation and striping of a new ADA-compliant crosswalk from the charging stations to the existing walkway that runs under the solar panels to the store. BriarPatch will share date/duration/access details with everyone as this information becomes available.

Any questions specific to the project can be directed to our Sustainability Coordinator, Sasha Scott: sashas@briarpatch.coop or (530) 272-2667 x308.

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