Destination Charging

I started Adopt a Charger, because as an original owner of a 2002 Toyota Rav4 EV, I dreamt of driving emission free to Leo Carrillo State Beach. This scenic location in Malibu is over 80 miles round trip from my home, and a test in the confidence of the range for my aging nickel metal hydride battery. I organized a number of drive and ride events, where I would hear from Sierra Club tree huggers, the exact demographic to consider an electric vehicle, “I would get an EV but I want to go to Yosemite and the charging infrastructure is not there”.

When I started Adopt a Charger, the American Recovery and Reinvestment funding grant recipients were crowding EV chargers in commercial trading zones in major cities, where most of the EVs were located. There is no business case for National and State Parks, where the stations get seasonal and sporadic use. This is where the Adopt a Charger non profit model makes sense. Executing at these sites is expensive, and grant funding is not aimed at these locations.

We also targeted long dwell time destinations like museums, universities and medical centers where drivers routinely drive 40+ miles, and are parked for 2-3 hours - enough time to add a legitimate amount of range.