Stewart’s Shops | About Electric Vehicles and our Charging Stations

May 18, 2024

29 5 minutes read

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You can find our EV charging stations at these locations: CLICK HERE.

About Electric Vehicles (EVs)

EVs have a multitude of factors that spark consumer interest.

EVs are quiet, they drive well, and have good pickup. EVs are more energy efficient and cost about 50-70% less to operate per mile than gasoline powered cars (nyserda.ny.gov). They are also better for the environment because they don’t produce any tailpipe emissions.

What’s the difference between Electric Vehicles and Gasoline Powered Cars?

EVs operate with a battery powered electric motor while gasoline powered cars operate with an internal combustion engine. A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle or PHEV is a combination of the two.

Energy Initiatives

Many states, including VT and NY, have electric energy initiatives to drive consumer interest for EVs. In 2022, VT put $10 million into EV incentive programs (accd.vermont.gov)! NYS has a goal to be ready to accommodate one million plug-in EVs by 2025 (nyserda.ny.gov). This is where Stewart’s Shops can help!

How to Charge an EV:

The way you charge an EV is very similar to the way you fill up a gasoline powered car.

Pull up to the charging station.
Make payment using your card or EV app.
Remove charging plug and connect to your EVs inlet.

With our Level 3 Direct Current Fast Chargers (DCFCs) your EV should be fully charged in 20-30 minutes. The perfect amount of time to go into the Shop, grab a drink and a bite to eat!

How are NY & VT adapting to the introduction of EVs?

Electric Vehicles (EVs) are getting a lot of attention right now.

Many people are starting to notice a consumer preference shift from traditional gasoline cars to EVs. Will there be an immediate shift? We do not believe so, but Stewart’s Shops is still thinking ahead and taking the necessary steps to prepare for this shift to EV.

Infrastructure

As of 2022, there is not enough infrastructure in NY and VT to accommodate the change that’s coming. We believe Stewart’s Shops is a community leader in Upstate New York and Southern Vermont, and as such it’s our responsibility to prepare our areas for this EV shift by partnering with NYPA and Tesla.

The Reality of EV

For gradual change to happen there are a few necessary steps that need to be taken.

There needs to be more education around EVs and their impact.

This shift to EV needs to be affordable for everyone, including the supporting businesses.

Providing charging for EVs today is not economical without huge subsidies.
A typical installation of 4-8 Fast Charging posts is over $500,000!
Demand charge for electricity drives up locations operating costs.
There needs to be enough electrical grid infrastructure to support charging and to eliminate demand charges.

Understanding Demand Charge:

Commercial electric bills have a demand charge, meaning all kWhs used for a month are priced at the highest level of usage (or demand) during a month. This cost is charged to the business who’s providing the electricity (Stewart’s Shops). The EV market is highly subsidized, therefore the consumer pays a consistent price and does not see this demand charge.
When EVs plug in, the demand for electricity spikes, and the cost of all electricity a business uses spikes. This can dramatically increase a location’s power bill for the month while only charging a few EVs! The current costing structure penalizes charging providers for EV customers to charge during business hours when they need it the most.
That’s why charging slowly overnight at home is the most convenient and economical method for EV owners.

Stewart’s Shops Has an EV Plan!

Change is inevitable. We watch for these changes and trends to best accommodate our customers & communities.

Being a strategic company, all our shops are EV ready.

Does this mean we will be installing EV charging stations at every shop? Not necessarily. Our current goal is to reduce range anxiety in our market area. What is range anxiety? Range anxiety is the stress an EV driver feels when traveling with a fully electric vehicle. It can be daunting to drive an EV when you are unsure of the distance between charging stations. This is where Stewart’s Shops can help!

Stewart’s Shops EV Plan

In terms of a 5 Year EV Plan, we will continue to strategically place EV charging stations at our shops. Many of our shops are in the perfect locations to reduce range anxiety. We have shops with chargers in remote locations like Keene, Potsdam, and Chestertown. There are also shops located in more urban areas like Clifton Park and shops right off the highway like Saratoga Springs and Clinton Corners. Click HERE to see our full list of charging stations.

What kind of charging stations do we offer at our shops?

At our EV accommodating shops we have either NYPA or Tesla charging stations, or both. It’s never a bad idea to check our EV Charging Station List in regards to the type of charger they have at their location. As of 2022, we have 13 shops with EV charging stations with goals of 10 more store placements over the next 2 years. You can find our EV charging stations at these locations: CLICK HERE.

Charger FAQs:

What kind of chargers do we have at our shops?

All our chargers are Level 3 Direct Current Fast Chargers or DCFCs. What is a Level 3 DCFC? EV Chargers come in three main types: Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3.

Level 1 charges the slowest and take about 24 hours for a full charge. These chargers are usually found in homes.
Level 2 chargers take up to 8 hours to fully charge an EV. These are the most common chargers within the United States and can be found in a variety of locations.
Level 3 chargers are referred to as DCFCs because they can charge an EV in about 30 minutes! Our shops are equipped with this type of charger. Stewart’s Shops makes your life easier.

NYPA and Tesla chargers are both DCFCs. NYPA is a universal charger while Tesla is not. As of right now, Tesla chargers only charge Tesla vehicles.

How long does it take to charge?

Depending on the make and model of your vehicle, on average EVs take about 20-30 minutes to get to full battery with a Level 3 charger. This is the perfect amount of time to sit in the shop booth, grab a coffee and quick bite to eat!

How much does it cost to charge?

Price to charge depends on many factors such as time of day, number of vehicles charging, and amount of charge you need. Stewart’s Shops does not directly set these rates.

Click HERE to view our EV Charging Station List. You can see where they are located and the type of Level 3 DCFC the shop has (Tesla/NYPA/Both).