The Time Has Come…The First American Gas Station Has Converted To An EV-Charging Station

Times are changing, and so are buildings that are currently gas stations. Depeswar Doley opened RS Automotive opened in Takoma Park, Maryland back in 1997. And now, it’s the first U.S. gas station fully converted to an electric vehicle charging station, according to NPR.

After over two decades of fluctuating oil prices, bad contracts and break-ins at his place of business, Doley decided it was time for a change. He took out a personal loan, pulled out the underground tanks and thought he would just operate the repair shop side of his business.

He received a call from the city asking “would he want to transform the station into a fully outfitted charging center?” They also offered a $786,000 grant to pay for the conversion.

Doley accepted the offer and got to work. With EVs becoming increasingly popular, he thought it would be a wise investment. Sixty-six percent of the charging revenue goes to Doley, while the Electric Vehicle Institute gets 33 percent. There is a base cost of $2.50 to charge, plus an extra $0.20 per minute. Doley supplies the power, while EVI keeps up with the maintenance of the chargers.

Doley has said the majority of his customers at the moment are police cars and electric taxis and that there have been about 8 to 12 customers per day over the course of the past week. That may seem like a low number, however, he is willing to wait for the EV life and technology to catch up to the general public.

It’s reported that while the average charging wait time is anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes, people that own EVs can still charge the majority of their batteries at home. Charging stations are intended to fill vehicles enough to get drivers to their destination.