The Los Angeles Zoo, in partnership with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) and nonprofit organization Adopt a Charger, Inc., will install six free Level 2 Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations, and one DC (Direct Current) Fast Charger in a section of the Zoo’s public parking lot.
The project, which began in May, was completed on October 29. Project officials said they “hope to promote sustainability and improved air quality while addressing the need for additional public EV charging stations” throughout the city of Los Angeles.
“As our nation’s car capital — we have the highest per-capita car ownership rates in the U.S. — Los Angeles can really move the needle on electric vehicle adoption on a meaningful scale,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “By installing more publicly-available charging stations for E.V.s, we’ll make it easier for Angelenos to switch from gas-powered polluters to zero-emission vehicles —benefiting our environment, promoting a clean economy, and creating new green jobs.”
Garcetti’s Sustainable City Plan set a goal for Los Angeles to reach more than 1,000 publicly available EV charging stations by 2017.
“LADWP is pleased to bring these EV chargers to the L.A. Zoo in support of Mayor Eric Garcetti’s goal to expand the city’s EV charging infrastructure,” said Marcie Edwards, LADWP general manager.
Other Los Angeles locations that have already installed Electric Vehicle charging stations on their property include LADWP, Department of Recreation and Parks, Los Angeles Public Library, and Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA). However, only three City properties offer the DC Fast Charger, the fastest type of charging currently available for public use: LAWA, LADWP, and now the L.A. Zoo.
“The addition of electric charging stations in the Zoo’s parking lot is a project that aligns with the Zoo’s mission to support programs that preserve biodiversity and conserve natural habitat,” said John Lewis, Los Angeles Zoo director. “We wanted to give our guests more environmentally-conscientious options for their vehicles while they are exploring the Zoo.”
“I am grateful to LADWP and the South Coast AQMD for sponsoring the Adopt a Charger installation at the Los Angeles Zoo,” said Kitty Adams, executive director of Adopt a Charger, Inc. “You just need to look at the smog in the air to realize Los Angeles has a problem and electric vehicles are the solution. Thanks to the L.A. Zoo, over 1.6 million visitors will see plug-in cars charging, and be able to interact with owners to learn the benefits of driving electric.”
Level 2 electric vehicle chargers are a 240-volt source of electricity that can charge a vehicle in three to five hours while the DC Fast Charger is a 480-volt source of electricity that can charge an electric vehicle in 20 to 30 minutes. Zoo guests, as well as the general public, can now utilize the free electric charging stations during the L.A. Zoo parking lot hours, 5:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., as long as they own an electric vehicle with the necessary outlet.