Saturday, December 21, 2024 at 10:13 PM
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City invests in first EV charging station

The city’s first EV charging station will be located in the parking lot behind the Boerne Visitors Center, accessible off Lohmann Street.

Boerne City Council approved a contract for the installation of an EV charging station, being installed in the downtown area.

Council Dec. 10 unanimously approved the $167,941 contract with Load-Point Corporation, out of The Woodlands, Texas, for construction of a single fast-electric vehicle charger at the rear of the parking lot behind the Boerne Visitors Center, accessible off Lohmann Street.

City officials expect the station to be ready for use by summer 2025.

The unit selected — an ABB Terra 124 model — will deliver 120 kW for a single vehicle or 60 kW for two vehicles simultaneously, “ensuring a quick and efficient charge,” according to city documents.

The charger is manufactured by ABB, a Swedish-Swiss multinational company, the document states, “with a significant footprint in the EV charging industry.”

In January 2023, ABB sold its one millionth EV charger; it opened its first U.S.-based operations in 2023 in Columbia, South Carolina, where it produces up to 10,000 charging stations annually.

The project as approved by council includes installation of the fast charger, all concrete work, bollards, signage, paint striping for parking, permitting and construction.

Charging station users will have the option to pay through a mobile app or by using a debit or credit card.

The motion was approved by council without discussion as part of its consent agenda. It has been discussed during meetings earlier in the year and received full council support.

The supporting documents state the EV charging station “ will encourage visitors to stop and charge their vehicles while exploring Boerne’s local amenities.”

Charging times range from two to seven hours, depending largely on the strength of the charging equipment and a car’s battery storage capacity.

The city originally set aside up to $220,000 in its budget for the EV charger purchase, which came in under budget, with the $167,000 bid.

An illustration shows what the EV charging station will look like, in its designed location. Courtesy photos

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