Lynnwood catching up on electric vehicle charging rules

EV charging stationBy Bill Sheets, The Daily Herald

Anyone in Lynnwood who had electric-vehicle charging equipment installed in their garage the past few years did so not quite legally. It’s not that the equipment or stations were illegal, exactly. It’s just that Lynnwood had not met its obligation under state law to have regulations in place by July 1, 2010, to specifically allow charging stations for electric cars.

Now, the city is getting around to it. The ordinance will allow people to install level 1 and level 2 chargers at home. A level 1 charger, which carries about 110 volts, charges a car from empty to full in eight to ten hours. A level 2 charger, approximately 220 volts charges a car in four to six hours. Electric-car manufacturers usually provide home chargers to customers as part of the deal.

Most public charging stations are level 2 but faster, more powerful level 3 chargers are becoming more common. At 440 volts or more, a level 3 station can fully charge a car in 30 minutes. Under Lynnwood’s ordinance, these would be allowed in commercial, industrial, public and mixed-use areas.