Hawaiian Electric to upgrade several electric vehicle charging stations on the Big Island

Hawaiian Electric recently completed work at its Hilo office on the first of several electric vehicle fast charger upgrades happening across the island.

Crews replaced the original fast charger at the Hilo office and added a second one, doubling charging availability at the site, according to a press release from the power company. Two more charging station upgrades are scheduled to be completed this month and April, both of which will include the addition of a second fast charger, resulting in a total of three new fast chargers on Hawai‘i Island.

Work on the charging station at Hawaiian Electric’s Kona Office is expected to be completed March 14, while upgrades at the Waimea KTA charging station are scheduled to start today and run through April 4.

As part of the upgrades, the power company is installing 50 kW Tritium fast chargers, “designed for durability” and featuring modular power architecture for enhanced reliability. According to the release, Hawaiian Electric’s fast chargers can provide a typical EV with over 40 miles of additional range in just 15 minutes.

Hawaiian Electric also operates fast chargers on Hawai‘i Island at the Punalu‘u Bake Shop and the Puna Kai Shopping Center.

Hawaiian Electric began deploying fast-charging stations more than a decade ago under a pilot program approved by the Public Utilities Commission aimed at “developing a critical backbone of reliable, utility-owned chargers across the company’s service area.”