FPL adding more charging stations for electric vehicles in SWFL

With gas prices so high, more people are considering electric vehicles, but there are worries about the lack of charging stations. Florida Power & Light plans to fix this and even start a home charging program.

By the end of 2022, there will be around 1,000 charging stations across Southwest Florida. FPL says it has been installing charging stations for the last few years, with a focus on areas around highways. FPL’s fast chargers can fully charge your electric car in 30 minutes.

The company will also purchase and install chargers for nearly 200 electric school buses. FPL spokesman Peter Martinez says the company will continue to evolve car-charging technology.

“A lot of manufacturers are going with different battery technologies and that will certainly evolve,” Martinez said. “What’s nice is that, on the charging front, we’re actually ahead of the curve; the fast chargers that we’re using are somewhat future-proof. Right now, most vehicles currently on the market cannot charge at the speed that our chargers are rated for. Certainly, we are future-proof right now, but that could change over time and we’re ready.”

Some local businesses are installing charging stations to accommodate their employees, and FPL is about to launch a new home charging program in the summer of 2022 for less than the cost of a tank of gas. FPL will come out and install the charger in your home and you will get unlimited charging access on nights and weekends.

The company also aims to put more chargers in dense urban areas for those living in high-rise buildings, and you will see some stations around Florida Gulf Coast University.

Martinez says with more people considering electric vehicles nowadays, the company keeps thinking of ways to expand.

“Electric vehicles are on more people’s minds now,” Martinez said. “The price of gas going up… it’s an exciting time for electric vehicles, we’re in the beginning of a big shift in the auto industry. Like I mentioned, we have our EV chargers, we’re ready to expand and support our customers that are ready to make the switch.”

At the start of 2022, FPL launched its EVolution fleet program, which monitors how much electricity a customer is using and uses that data to provide ways to save.