Newport Beach plugs in 20 new chargers around town for electric car drivers

Electric car drivers in Newport Beach have 20 new opportunities to recharge their rides.

New public charging stations placed at four city facilities around town are available on a first-come, first-served basis for $1.85 to $2.10 per session.

City officials celebrated with a ribbon-cutting Tuesday afternoon at the Newport Coast Community Center, one of the four sites.

The project features “Level 2” and quicker “DC Fast” charging stations. A Level 2 station typically can charge an empty battery in three to eight hours. A DC Fast station can do it in 20 minutes to an hour.

Newport Beach officials look at an electric-powered vehicle Tuesday at a new charging station at the Newport Coast Community Center.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer )

Public and private money covered the $170,000 total cost. The funding consisted of an $85,000 grant from the Air Quality Management District, $69,000 from car charging network EVgo and $16,000 from Newport Beach’s general fund.

The station sites are:

• Newport Beach Civic Center, 100 Civic Center Drive (nine stations: two DC Fast and seven Level 2);
• Marina Park Community & Sailing Center, 1600 W. Balboa Blvd. (two stations: both Level 2);
• Oasis Senior Center, 801 Narcissus Ave. (two stations: both Level 2);
• Newport Coast Community Center, 6401 San Joaquin Hills Road (seven stations: one DC Fast and six Level 2).

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