Charge 'Er Up: Bowie Electric Car Owners Get New Station

Electric and hybrid car owners will soon be able to power up their vehicles while shopping, dining or hitting the gym at Bowie Town Center. 

The new station—which should be operational by early spring—will be part of the NRG eVgo Network, which is made up of dozens of stations in the DC and Baltimore metro areas. NRG has partnered with Simon Properties—the owners of the Town Center—to install charging stations in malls near major traffic arteries, like Route 50, according to Michael Krauthamer, the Mid-Atlantic regional director for NRG. 

Krauthamer attended Monday's Bowie City Council meeting to share more information about the charging station with the council. 

The eVgo station at the Bowie Town Center will offer two types of charging—Level 2 and Level 3. Level 2 charging stations have voltage of 240V AC. They charge at a rate of 12-24 miles per plugged-in hour. Level 3, also know as a DC Fast Charger, has a voltage of 480V DC. They charge at a rate of 150 miles per plugged-in hour. The "fast" charger can only be used by vehicles with a DC port. 

The "fast" chargers provide an added benefit for electric car driving commuters, or business people who have to travel for meetings. The ability to charge up so quickly means drivers would not have to stop off on the way home to recharge batteries drained by long commutes, Krauthamer said.

There will be several pricing options for electric or hybrid car users who want to use the eVgo station, or join the eVgo network of charging stations. 

• Option 1: A $14.95 monthly fee and a 10 cents per minute charge ($1 plug-hour for Level 2)
• Option 2: No monthly fee; $4.95 per session, plus 20 cents per minute ($1.50 plug-hour for Level 2)
• Option 3: Call-in credit card, $9.95 per session ($2.50 for Level 2)
• Option 4: $20 a month unlimited with home plan