An old-fashioned ribbon-cutting ceremony this week has announced the opening of a new electric vehicle (EV) charging station in Carpinteria, the first direct-current fast-charging station in the city.

The EV station in Shepard Place Shops, 1001 Casitas Pass Road, was installed by The Towbes Group and supported by the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District’s (APCD) Clean Air Grants program.

Carpinteria's first direct-current fast-charging station is shown at its location in Shepard Place Shops, 1001 Casitas Pass Road.
Carpinteria’s first direct-current fast-charging station is in Shepard Place Shops, 1001 Casitas Pass Road. Credit: Courtesy photo

The charging facility is open to anyone wishing to charge their electric car, and it provides two charging ports to allow for two cars to charge simultaneously. The direct-current fast charger can charge an electric car up to 100 miles in 10 minutes.

“I’m excited for this new fast-charging station in Carpinteria,” said Carpinteria Mayor Al Clark, who also serves on APCD’s Board of Directors and spoke at the ceremony.

“It’s easy to use and provides a quick charge, perfect for charging your electric car while running errands or stopping for a meal nearby,” he said. “I appreciate all of the partners who made this project possible.”

“I am thrilled that The Towbes Group has installed the first DCFC electric vehicle fast charger at the Shephard Place Shops right here in Carpinteria,” said County Supervisor Das Williams, who also serves on APCD’s Board of Directors and spoke at the opening event.

“Increasing the use of electric vehicles is vital to our air quality and climate protection, and a convenient fast charger right next to great restaurants and shopping is a needed step,” Williams said.

The Towbes Group secured about $100,000 in funding from APCD’s Clean Air Grants program to help cover the project’s installation costs.

Since 2011, APCD’s Clean Air Grants program has contributed more than $3.1 million toward EV infrastructure projects in Santa Barbara County, including 274 chargers that are currently publicly available or in development.

Those 274 chargers are a mix of fast chargers (also known as Level 3 chargers) and Level 2 chargers, which charge cars at a slower speed than the direct-current fast chargers.

Countywide, there are 97 publicly available direct-current fast chargers already installed or slated to be installed, with 24 of them receiving partial funding from APCD’s Clean Air Grants program.

“APCD is excited to partner with The Towbes Group to bring the first fast chargers to Carpinteria,” said Aeron Arlin Genet, APCD executive director. “We encourage all eligible entities to consider our Clean Air Grants program for electric vehicle charging
infrastructure.

“Convenient access to charging stations is essential for more drivers to choose electric cars, benefiting our local air quality and the environment,” Genet said.

“The Towbes Group and the owners of Shepard Place Shops are proud to partner with FreeWire and Pardagim Electric to bring the very first DCFC EV Fast Charger to our patrons and neighbors in Carpinteria,” said Robert Skinner, Towbes Group CEO.

“We are resolute in our commitment to support and foster the vibrancy of the communities where our properties are located and firmly believe that promoting environmentally sound practices is an integral part of what we do,” he said.

“Bringing this new high-speed EV charger to our community is a source of pride for our team and we hope that these efforts will encourage other important community partnerships and green initiatives,” Skinner said.

The new charging station, and others funded by APCD’s Clean Air Grants program, can be found on energy.gov.

For more, visit https://www.electricforall.org/which-car-is-right/.