City Set to Install Electric Car Charging Station at Hauke Park

Electric cars have been growing in popularity, and Mill Valley will soon join the ranks of cities that provide a charging station.

It’s set to be installed next week in the Hauke Park parking lot on Hamilton Drive just east of the Public Safety building. It will be powered by city’s solar panel field located directly behind the building, and the unit will include both a Level 1: 120 volt and Level 2: 240 volt output.

City staff estimated the cost of equipment and installation at $13,000, with an ongoing cost of approximately $400 a year for electricity. It’s being paid for by a grant partnership with the California Energy Commission, Association of Bay Area Governments and Transportation Authority of Marin, along with PG&E credit generated by the city's solar array.

City officials have said the city has a negative balance of nearly $4,000 with Pacific Gas & Electric as a result of the solar power generated. The city will pay the cost of the electricity using that balance.

The project also includes a $14,000 grant from the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) for the installation the station. The Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) manages the grant money and doles it out provided that the station is installed on public property and be accessible to the public.

The City Council approved the station in April 2012. 

Residents will be able to use the station for free, but the city plans to monitor its use to determine if a fee should be applied in the future. The parking spot, which will be limited to four hours at a time, won’t be restricted to electric vehicle parking.

There's no doubt Californians love their cars, and the state accounts for almost 10 percent of all car sales in the country, according to the The Wall Street Journal reported recently. And anyone who's ever sat in one of Marin's infamous commuter traffic jams along Hwy. 101 can agree that the statewide fascination extends to our fair county.

According to a estimate from the California Department of Motor Vehicles, 104,262 of the more than 22 million registered vehicles in California are electric. When extrapolated against the 186,593 registered electric cars in Marin County in 2010, there are less than 1,000 electric cars in this region.

In February 2013 the Marin Independent Journal reported that there were 400 electric vehicles registered with the state's Department of Motor Vehicles, compared to 200 six months prior.

With its laws incentivizing car manufacturers to go green, California has driven the push for eco-friendly transportation.Electric vehicles can provide up to three times the power conversion compared to their gas-powered counterparts and boast an engine that operates more quietly and requires less maintenance, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. To top it off, buying an eco-friendly car can net you a federal tax credit of up to $7,500.

Mill Valley also recently added four electric, light-duty compact cars to its municipal fleets.

Here is a list of local charging stations, courtesy of the U.S. Department of Energy. Stations offer Level 1 (120 volts) and Level 2 (240 volts) charging.

Mollie Stone's Market
100 Harbor Drive
Sausalito, CA 94965
Phone: 415-331-6900
Electric Charging Types: Level II

Inn Marin Hotel
250 Entrada Dr
Novato, CA 94949
Phone: 888-758-4389 415-883-5952
Electric charging types: Level 1, Level 2

BioMarin Pharmaceutical
105 Digital Dr
Novato, CA 94949
Phone: 888-758-4389
Electric charging types: Level 2

County of Marin - Exhibit Hall
10 Avenue of the Flags
San Rafael, CA 94903
Phone: 888-758-4389
Electric charging types: Level 1, Level 2

County of Marin - Civic Center
3501 Civic Center Dr.
San Rafael, CA 94903
Phone: 888-758-4389
Electric charging types: Level 1, Level 2

San Rafael West End Center
1815 4th St
San Rafael, CA 94901
Phone: 888-758-4389
Electric charging types: Level 1, Level 2

City of San Rafael - C Street Garage
900 C St
San Rafael, CA 94901
Phone: 888-758-4389
Electric charging types: Level 2

City of San Rafael - 3rd Street Garage
1116 3rd St
San Rafael, CA 94901
Phone: 888-758-4389
Electric charging types: Level 2

San Rafael Corporate Center Garage
775 Lindaro St
San Rafael, CA 94901
Phone: 888-758-4389 415-721-2222
Electric charging types: Level 2

County of Marin - Health and Wellness Campus
3260 Kerner Blvd
San Rafael, CA 94901
Phone: 888-758-4389
Electric charging types: Level 1, Level 2

Golden Gate Ferry Terminal
101 E Sir Francis Drake Blvd
Larkspur, CA 94939
Phone: 415-925-5571
Electric charging types: Level 2

The Club at Harbor Point
475 E Strawberry Dr
Mill Valley, CA 94941
Phone: 888-758-4389
Electric charging types: Level 1, Level 2

Good Earth
720 Center Blvd
Fairfax, CA 94930
Phone: 888-998-2546
Electric charging types: DC Fast

Berg Holdings
2330 Marinship Way
Sausalito, CA 94965
Phone: 888-758-4389
Electric charging types: Level 1, Level 2

City of Belvedere - City Hall
450 San Rafael Ave
Tiburon, CA 94920
Phone: 888-758-4389
Electric charging types: Level 1, Level 2