Cypress Council approves installation of EV charging stations at Lexington Park

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At its regular meeting on Monday, July 12, the Cypress City Council established fees for election vehicle (EV) charging stations on City property. An initial installation of sixteen level-2 EV charging stations at Lexinton Park will be maintained and operated by Rexel Energy Solutions, a ChargePoint, Inc. Partner through a five-year software license and a five-year Master Services and Subscription Agreement with ChargePoint, Inc. These charging stations are expected to be available for use by the middle of August 2022.

Level 2 EV charging stations can charge an EV in three to eight hours, depending on the particular vehicle being charged. The Council approved a fee of $0.33/kWh for the first three hours. Comparable public facilities in Orange County and surrounding cities charge from $0.20/kWh to $0.50/kWh. (To encourage turnover, a $5.00/hr fee will be incurred after the first three hours.) Interaction with the charging stations will be through a cell phone app.

The fee is structured to cover the cost of electricity, transaction fees, equipment installation and maintenance. The staff report estimated the annual cost to be $15,700.

The Lexington Park EV charging stations are a pilot program. The City anticipates installation of EV charging stations at the Civic Center, Senior Center, Community Center and the City Yard in Fiscal Year 2022-23.

The vote was 3-1-1, with Council Member Frances Marquez voting no and Council Member Scott Minikus absent. (Council Member Minikus was travelling on business.)

During her questions to staff, Council Member Marquez asked for an estimate of how many cars per day were expected to make use of the facility. As this is a pilot program, staff was unable to give a definitive answer. She further asked whether other cities were charging for use, and what the average charge is. Staff replied that, through their research, they determined that most if not all cities were indeed charging, that the average charge is $0.29/kWh, and the charge ranged from $0.20/kWh to $0.50/kWh.

Sixteen Level 2 EV charging stations installated at Lexington Park in Cypress. Courtesy graphic.

Summer hiatus for Cypress City Council

The Cypress City Council will be recessed until Monday, August 22, 2022. There will be no regular meeting on Monday, July 25, nor on Monday, August 8.