Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Ev Charging topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Beaufort County staff presents mobile solar EV charger for fleet use and public access
Summary
A Beaufort County staff member said the county purchased a mobile, solar-tracking EV charger with ARPA funds to support fleet operations, emergency response and resident charging north of the Broad River; the unit charges two vehicles and produces about 5.3–5.7 kW.
A Beaufort County staff member presented a mobile, solar-powered electric-vehicle charging station intended to support county fleet operations and provide public charging north of the Broad River.
"This unit was purchased off of ARPA funding, designated for infrastructure, EV charging, and EV charging infrastructure," the staff member said, noting the purchase was funded through the American Rescue Plan Act.
The staff member described how the unit operates: "The way this device works is it's GPS guide that follows the sun throughout the day," they said, adding that energy is collected in an onboard generator that, when charged, runs the EV charging ports and an emergency panel.
On performance, the staff member said the station currently delivers about "5.3 to 5.7" in power output, which they said provides "roughly from 15 to 20 miles per hour" of driving range depending on the vehicle. The staff member said charge times vary by vehicle.
Beaufort County residents are allowed to use the station, the presenter said, to improve utilization and to collect data on EV charging demand north of the Broad River. "At the moment, this device is able to charge 2 vehicles at a time," the staff member added.
The presenter said there are limited maintenance costs: the county has a five-year maintenance plan with the vendor and staff plan to extend that coverage in 2028. The staff member emphasized the unit's low installation footprint: "It's completely mobile. There's no utility cost. There was no digging, no trenching involved."
The staff member also said utilization has risen sharply since installation: "Based on this past week, the utilization has skyrocketed and there is a demand North Of The Broad River for EV chargers." The presentation concluded with staff indicating they will continue to monitor usage and gather demand data to inform future deployments.
