PITTSBURGH, PA (December 30, 2021) Mayor William Peduto, the Public Parking Authority of Pittsburgh (PPA), and the Duquesne Light Company (DLC) today announced completion of the largest Electric Vehicle (EV) charging installation in Western Pennsylvania at the City of Pittsburgh's Second Avenue Parking Plaza. The installation included 15 dual-hose Level 2 chargers, which fully charge a vehicle in 6-8 hours, and will be able to charge 30 EVs simultaneously to service the City’s growing fleet of EVs.
Currently, the City fleet is charged using five level 2 solar charging units. This installation will allow for those solar units to be dispersed throughout the City for public use and lays the groundwork for future public-use chargers.
This project was made possible by a $135,000 Alternative Fuels Incentive grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and an $189,403 COVID-19 Restart Grant from the Pennsylvania Energy Authority.
The Second Avenue Parking Lot will become the City’s main electric fleet charging depot, where 70 electric vehicles will be converted and charged by 2026. The City fleet currently operates 26 fully electric sedans, with 70 additional EVs and multiple new charging sites planned for 2022-23 thanks to Mayor Peduto's investment of American Rescue Plan (ARP) dollars into electric vehicle purchasing. This forwards the City’s Climate Action Plan goals to reduce transportation-related emissions, increase vehicle electrification and convert to a 100% fossil-fuel free fleet by 2030.
Additionally, Mayor Peduto announced the City has received a $2.8M grant from the EPA's Targeted Airshed Grant to purchase 5 new electric recycling trucks and the associated charging infrastructure to be installed at the City's Environmental Services headquarters. This grant was received through the cooperation of the Allegheny County Health Department.
"This is an incredible moment for City government," said Mayor William Peduto. "Not only have we created the largest EV charging station in Western Pennsylvania, we are now adding electric recycling trucks to our fleet. These actions bring us one stop closer to our 2030 Climate goals."
