In Burlingame’s Broadway District, continued issues with its electric vehicle charging stations are inconveniencing businesses and residents alike, Broadway Burlingame Business Improvement District president John Kevranian said.
A representative for EVgo, which owns and operates the six fast-charging electric vehicle stations located at 1133 Chula Vista Ave., confirmed that five of the six stations have likely been out of operation at times for a couple of months. One has been out of operation for weeks, she said.
According to Kevranian, who has been regularly reporting the outages to Burlingame’s Sustainability Coordinator Sigalle Michael, EVgo’s lack of work on the issue has been frustrating and potentially even out of compliance with its contract with the city.
The chargers used to be an asset to Burlingame’s Broadway District, Kevranian said, drawing in customers to shop or patronize local restaurants while their cars charged.
“It’s great to accommodate constituents in Burlingame with chargers. People charge, go out, have a drink, buy a good lunch when they’re out,” he said.
Now, however, eight parking spots in the tightly packed Broadway District have become largely nonfunctional.
“This is the holiday season, too. It’s crucial these work during the holiday season. If EVgo is not going to repair them, maybe they can cover the stations, and use them as public parking,” Kevranian said.
Michael acknowledged that the continued charger outages could be frustrating and said she has been regularly reporting them to EVgo field representatives. The city doesn’t pay for the chargers, although EVgo makes money off them when in use.
“They’re not as responsive and proactive as we’d like them to be,” she said. “I’m sure it would be good to be active about it now before the community starts complaining.”
The charging stations were some of the most highly-used in Burlingame before their consistent breakdowns, Kevranian said.
“I was involved in the ribbon cutting five years ago this year,” Kevranian said. “Now EVgo is not maintaining them like they used to. I guess they have bigger projects.”
In a city like Burlingame, where many residents use electric vehicles, it’s particularly important the chargers function, he said.
“We have so many customers with Teslas and other electric cars,” Kevranian said. “There’s a demand for them.”
(3) comments
Charge a fee to evgo for use of parking spaces then they will run to fix t.
Better yet, review the contract that should have included a performance provision. If not, blame the Greenies who pushed this through. Repair the units and send a bill to EVgo. This should be a warning to all who, without due diligence, enter into these type of 'green' contracts. That goes for heat pumps and solar systems as well.
AG Rob Bonta will be suing soon EVgo, fighting for illegal immigrants first, prohibiting voter ID requirements and pushing genitalia mutilation for four-year-old children when a boy plays with Ken & Barbie. Bonta is evil and mentally ill
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