Miami-Dade County Mayor, Daniella Levine Cava, announced a partnership with OBE Power to offer smart electric-vehicle (EV) charging stations at key Miami-Dade parking facilities throughout the County. This launch – taking place during National Drive Electric Week (Sept 25 – Oct 3) – is an important step forward toward a greener, more resilient community that confronts climate change head on by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Under Mayor Levine Cava’s administration, the County is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions 50% by the year 2030 and reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. (Editorial: Good initiative, but I always question promises that don’t answer what’s going to power our generators after a hurricane comes through?)
Transitioning to electric vehicles could also have a significant impact for families. The cost of electric vehicle charging is roughly equivalent to paying just $1 per gallon for gas, thanks to their efficient performance and the lower cost of electricity; therefore, a typical family can expect to save $5,000 over the course of 10 years when using an electric vehicle. (Editorial: Again. Good stuff here and we’re pro-EV, but there’s no mention of the problems EVs have yet to solve. Specifically range when travelling and towing. Like families towing the boat behind their SUV or truck.)
“We are very excited for this new project because it will eliminate one of the barriers that discourage people from transitioning to Electric Vehicles. As more parking lots have charging stations, more people will be able to charge their EV when they go to work,” said Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “This project is part of our commitment to reducing emissions, and we are just getting started. Miami-Dade County has a full slate of plans for cutting pollution in our new Climate Action Strategy, which will be launched this fall.”
The charging station located at Miami-Dade County’s West Lot Garage (220 NW 3rd Street, Miami, FL 33128) is the first of four charging stations that are part of the partnership in downtown Miami, and Miami-Dade County expects to keep expanding the service to other areas throughout the County.
“We look forward to expanding electrical charging stations to other facilities countywide,” said Alex Muñoz, Director of Miami-Dade’s Internal Services Department. “The Mayor’s initiative is just one component of a bigger effort to reduce emissions and protect the environment. ISD will do our part by providing and expanding charging options.”
To put this program in motion, Miami-Dade County is partnering with OBE Power, an Electric Vehicle Charging as a Service technology company. OBE Power makes EV charging easy for multi-family residents, corporate and government employees, students, and consumers wherever they work, live, and play.
The project is a mutually beneficial collaboration developed through the County’s Marketing Partnerships Program. The program supports the County’s efforts to enhance the community’s resilience while also creating revenue generating opportunities and saving taxpayers money. OBE Power is underwriting the costs for the entire project and has been granted access to market the assets for use by the general public.
“With more than 65,000 electric vehicles presently registered in our State, Florida is the second largest market for EVs in the country, and certainly one of the fastest growing, too. About 40% of these vehicles are located in South Florida, between Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach,” said Alejandro Burgana, CEO of OBE Power. “It’s truly an honor to work with Mayor Levine Cava and the entire Miami-Dade County team in our common mission to reduce CO2 pollution from transportation by making EV charging widely available and accessible to everyone.”
EDITORIAL NOTES: This is all good stuff. However, before we all jump into EVs, I want to reference a study about people who had an EV and then switched to a regular gas vehicle. Yeah, there are people who switch from EV to gas. It’s important to understand why they switch from EV to gas, before you decide to pay more for an Electric Vehicle.
The #1 reason these buyers switched back to gas after owning an EV was the impracticality of charging. Specifically the impracticality of charging at home.
For people who have an EV with 220 volt charging outlet at home, it’s great. You can charge your car to 100% charge every night. However, if all you have access to is 110 volt outlet, you won’t be able to get a full charge overnight. Worse yet, some owners who live in an apartment complex or condo may have no access to charge overnight. Thus, the driver has to find a place to charge the vehicle where it can take anywhere between 30 minutes or more to get a full charge. In other words, it’s a time suck.
Our tip for anyone who wants to buy an EV is to make sure they pay to install the at home rapid charging option. Otherwise, ownership becomes impractical and takes away from all the benefits of owning an Electric Vehicle.
