EV charging station opens in Guadalupe

The City of Guadalupe and the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District commemorated the opening of the areas first electric vehicle (EV) charging station Thursday morning.

Located in a city parking lot at 880 Guadalupe Street, right along Highway 1, the town hopes the station will attract regional and traveling electric vehicle drivers visiting the citys downtown area and encourage residents to consider driving electric vehicles.

“This is an example of Guadalupe thinking outside the box, moving forward,” says Mayor John Lizalde. “Looking to the future, hopefully more people will visit, spend time here.”

Located along iconic Highway 1, the station will shore up a 47 mile gap between Lompoc and Pismo Beach for EV and hybrid vehicle drivers.

“Driving an electric vehicle, you don’t want drivers to have anxiety about where they are going to plug in,” says Aeron Arlin Genet, an air pollution control officer with the county. “It’s a great addition.”

Guadalupe was able to secure a $10,000 grant through the county to pay for the two spot charging station.

The best part? To encourage everyone to move towards energy efficient vehicles, charging will be free.