Charging an electric vehicle: Plug it in and…oh, it’s done!

by Robert Yang | July 2, 2019

The Hawaiian Electric Companies have DC fast charging stations on Oahu, Maui, Molokai, and Hawaii Island!

Have you ever used one of our DC fast charging stations located in various areas around the island? If you’re an electric vehicle owner, you’ll appreciate how easy it is to charge and go.

Most electric vehicle (EV) owners charge at home. The EV comes with a 120v charging cable that plugs into common household outlets, or sometimes there are built-in charging stations at condominium/apartment complexes.

If you don’t have a charging option at home or at work, you can always charge it at our DC fast charging station. Just treat it like a gas station pit stop!

For me, I live in a condominium complex and have neither a charging station nor an outlet available near my parking stall. If I decided to purchase an EV, what would be my next best option? I could charge my vehicle at a public DC fast charging station, which is similar to taking my car to a gas station.

But is a public charging station easy to use? Do you have to download a mobile app to simply charge an EV? I wanted to see for myself whether the Hawaiian Electric Companies’ DC fast charging stations were user friendly. I decided to take a spin in a Nissan LEAF from our pool of work vehicles, and drove to one of our recently opened station located at the Pearl City Times Square Shopping Center.

This was the first time I had ever driven an EV. It was quiet and easy to operate, and charging the EV was one of the easiest and most straightforward things I’ve ever done! Most full battery electric vehicles have a DC fast charging option.

How it should look like when your CHAdeMO cable is plugged in properly.

Here are the steps to charge an electric vehicle at one of our DC fast charging stations — without a mobile app:

1. Turn off the vehicle and pop open the fast-charging port. The button is normally located near the area under the dashboard or by the driver’s side front door.
2. After opening the port, unhook the charging station cable and plug it into the EV.
3. Make sure the cable is snug. Go over to the station and insert your credit card. Remove the card when prompted.
4. After your credit has been authorized, select the “CHAdeMO” or “CCS” option based upon your EV’s manufacturer specifications. (Both CHAdeMO and CCS are different fast charging standards for electric vehicles. Depending on your electric vehicle, you should select the one that is compatible with yours. Generally, the Japanese and Korean EVs, such as the Kia, Mitsubishi, Nissan, use CHAdeMO. The American and European EVs, such as BMW, Chevy, use CCS.)
5. Wait until the vehicle is fully charged or charged to a percentage you’re comfortable with.
6. Once you’re done, go to the charging station screen. Tap anywhere on the screen until it allows you to select the “Stop Charging” icon at the top left.
7. After the screen indicates that charging has stopped, you can unplug the cable and return it to its original location on the station. (Note: You won’t be able to unplug the cable if you haven’t completed Step 6. The cable will be securely locked. Please do not forcefully unplug it or it could potentially damage both the cable and EV port.)
8. Close the charge port and that’s it!

You can also watch our IGTV episode “How to Use Our Electric Vehicle (EV) Fast Charging Station” to learn how to operate the station.

One thing I found surprising was how fast the EV charged. I guess that’s why it’s called a DC fast charging station! The EV was at about 70 percent battery life when I had initially arrived, and it took roughly 10 minutes to get it to a full charge.

Recently, we added our 10th DC fast charging station in Haleiwa. Be sure to stop by when you’re adventuring through that side of the island!

What I really enjoy about these stations, other than the ease of use and how quickly it charges the EV (estimated to charge 43 miles of range per 15 minutes), is that they are conveniently located in commercial areas with plenty of options to help kill time. For me, I walked across the street to the Waimalu Shopping Center, grabbed an iced coffee, and returned to a fully charged EV. And now we have a new DC fast charging station in Haleiwa Town Center to help with range anxiety if you want to visit the North Shore in an EV.

All of our DC fast charging stations can be found on our “HECO” mobile app or website at www.hawaiianelectric.com/goevstations.

If you’re considering an electric vehicle or already own one, an easy way to find a DC fast charging station on Oahu, Maui, Molokai and Hawaii Island is to download the “HECO” mobile app or visit www.hawaiianelectric.com/goevstations.

Robert Yang is a digital communications and social media specialist at Hawaiian Electric Company.