The City of Pasadena announced the grand opening of the Marengo Charging Plaza, 155 E. Green Street. With a total of 44 chargers—24 Superchargers installed by Tesla and 20 fast chargers (Tritium RT50/50kW DC Fast Chargers) installed by the City of Pasadena—the Marengo Charging Plaza is the largest public electric vehicle (EV) fast-charging plaza in the nation.

Since the city launched the PowerUp Pasadena campaign in 2018, Pasadena has offered some of the most generous rebates to purchase/lease new or used EVs throughout the state.

The city’s utility, Pasadena Water and Power (PWP) has more than doubled the installation of public EV charging infrastructure within the city in the past year and ​a half, and received the distinction of having the highest percentage of EV drivers among all southern California electric utilities.

The fast-chargers make it possible for EV drivers to charge up and add up to 100 miles in less than 30 minutes. Within its first months of operation the Plaza captured more than 7,000 charging sessions per month.

Pasadena is focused on placing EV chargers at central locations throughout the city’s 23 square miles that will help drivers support their daily commute and extend their electric range to reach further destinations.

The support of public-private partnerships was an effective way to advance EV infrastructure and provide the technology needed to benefit the community. With the help of grants from the California Energy Commission and Southern California Air Quality Management District, and revenues from the Low Carbon Fuel Standard program, the city was able to construct the entire project without the use of rate payer dollars.

To support the grand opening of the Plaza, there is currently no fee to charge on the city’s 20 fast chargers and to support the take-out service of restaurants during the challenges surrounding COVID​-19, the plaza is temporarily offering a 20-minute grace period.