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Fast charge in less than 30 minutes: Temple Terrace flips a new switch on sustainability

From left: Cornelius Willingham with Nissan , Helda Rodriguez with NovaCharge, Vice Mayor Grant Rimbey and Temple Terrace Mayor Frank Chillura.
From left: Cornelius Willingham with Nissan, Helda Rodriguez with NovaCharge, Vice Mayor Grant Rimbey and Temple Terrace Mayor Frank Chillura.

Reducing the time it takes to complete a task by more than 90 percent: how often do those opportunities come along? In Temple Terrace, it’s an opportunity that comes wrapped in cars like the environmentally friendly, all-electric Nissan LEAF. The city’s first Level 3 direct current (DC) charger, dedicated on Feb. 26, enables drivers to sufficiently charge their electric vehicles (EVs) in less than 30 minutes – compared to the 6 to 8 hours it took before.

Temple Terrace Mayor Frank Chillura kicked off a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new charger. Located in a public parking lot across from Temple Terrace City Hall, the new charger can accommodate a wide range of increasingly popular electric vehicles. On a full charge, the LEAF has an overall range of approximately 75 miles. Illustrating the benefits of the new charger, a couple folks who showed up in EVs got their “quick charge” before heading out after the event.

The first Level 3 fast charger in Temple Terrace.
The first Level 3 fast charger in Temple Terrace.

The $30,000 station was funded in large part by Nissan and is one of about seven DC fast chargers the company will install across the Tampa Bay area this year.

Tampa Electric also played an important role. Steven Miccio, project manager with the company’s New Construction team, acted with urgency when Temple Terrace representatives called to request electric service to the charger.

“Because the project was on a very tight deadline, I worked closely with our engineering team to evaluate the service infrastructure we have at that location and coordinated with our crews to get the work done,” said Miccio. Tampa Electric completed its work on the time frame Temple Terrace had to meet in order to receive the station.

Vice Mayor Grant Rimbey talks about the benefits of having a Level 3 charger in Temple Terrace.
Vice Mayor Grant Rimbey talks about the benefits of having a Level 3 charger in Temple Terrace.

Temple Terrace Vice Mayor Grant Rimbey was instrumental in getting the charger installed in Temple Terrace.

“As a forward-thinking community, we‘re installing something that will resonate with millennials and Generation X,” Rimbey said. “These are people who are passionate about the environment. Many would prefer to ride a bicycle or drive an electric vehicle than use gasoline-powered transportation. I want Temple Terrace to be known as a sustainable community that welcomes these young people.”

“We were pleased to be part of this installation,” said Kenneth Hernandez, program manager for TECO’s alternative fuel vehicle initiatives. “It took a collaborative effort to get this first charger up and running and it’s exciting to see DC fast chargers being installed in the communities we serve.”

Mayor Frank Chillura gets ready to plug into a Nissan LEAF.
Mayor Frank Chillura gets ready to plug into a Nissan LEAF.

Temple Terrace’s EV charging station will be accessible around the clock and can be used by drivers of the Nissan LEAF, as well as models from other automakers capable of charging on either the CHAdeMO or SAE Combo standard. Temple Terrace will charge 30 cents per kilowatt-hour for use of the device. A typical charge-up runs $3 to $9.

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