OUC looks to increase electric vehicles on Central Florida roads

ORLANDO, Fla. — With demand for electric vehicles booming nationwide, Orlando Utilities Commission is working to expand EV-charging access.

Peter Westlake with OUC’s new products and services division said the utility company is leading the charge by building up its own fleet of EVs and increasing the number of charging stations it provides.

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“We now have an inventory of 300 chargers distributed around the town. We are one of the Top 10 EV-ready cities in North America because of it, and we have seen that drive adoption,” Westlake said.

Far from being done, OUC is moving ahead with big plans.

“We are going to build up to eight hubs across our service territory. The second one is going in at OCCC and we are in conversation with the airport right now and there will be five more after that,” Westlake said.

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Work is also underway at the Robinson Recharge Mobility Hub along Robinson Street near Garland Avenue.

Once complete, the hub will have 20 charging stations that will be able to charge EVs of all types.

The hub is set to open in early 2023.

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Along with building new infrastructure, OUC is helping put new EVs on the road with its Electrified Dealership Program.

The program allows local car dealers to take advantage of financial incentives for each eligible EV sold or leased, as well as specialized EV training for salespeople.

Christopher Green with Universal Nissan said under the program they have seen an increase in sales.

“Recently it has really taken off — in fact the highest reservations we have are for EVs” Green said.

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Westlake says that meanwhile OUC is constantly adding new EVs to its existing fleet, and combined with electric buses in service with Lynx it is closer to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

“We know that for every car we take away and transition to electric there’s about 5 tons of carbon that comes off every year, and that’s a lot,” Westlake said.

More information about the OUC Electrified Dealership Program can be found here.

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