The Hawaii Department of Transportation chose the perfect kahu to conduct Wednesday morning’s blessing for its new electric vehicle charging station on Kuihelani Highway in Kahului.

During his blessing, Kahu Kalani Wong said he has been driving electric vehicles for 12 years and calculates they have saved him from buying 7,000 gallons of gasoline. It’s hard to hear a number like that and not do the math of turning gallons into dollars and cents. Wong later joked its almost enough to buy a new car.

The charging station at the Kahului Park & Ride lot near Kuihelani’s intersection with Puunene Avenue features four 150 kW DC fast chargers with Combined Charging System (CCS) and CHArge de MOve (CHAdeMO) ports. The station funded by the federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program is the first in Hawaii. An additional 10 are planned for the state, with one scheduled to be built in West Maui. The location of that site has not yet been determined.

According to a release from the DOT, design and construction of the NEVI station at the Kahului Park & Ride cost $3 million; with $2.4 million coming from federal funds and $600,000 from the state highway fund.

“The NEVI program seeks to accelerate the adoption of EVs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, help the U.S. lead global transportation electrification efforts, and build out alternative fuel corridors through construction of a national network of electric vehicle chargers,” the release said.

Maui EV drivers can use the chargers for free through March 10. Starting March 11, users can pay for their charges through the EV Connect App at evconnect.com/ or by credit card at the charger. Charger availability can also be checked at the EV Connect App. Rates have not yet been finalized.

DOT Highways Division Dep. Director Robin Shishido said the Level 3 DC fast chargers can recharge EV batteries in as few as eight minutes to as many as 30, depending on the type of vehicle and its ability to accept the charge. He said the charging stations are a step toward the state reaching the goals of the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative. Enacted in 2008, the initiative calls for tapping natural resources and reducing Hawaii’s dependence on fossil fuels, with complete energy self-sufficiency by the year 2045.

In its release, the DOT said the NEVI program was authorized under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which authorizes $1.2 trillion for transportation and infrastructure spending nationwide with $550 billion toward new investments and programs. To qualify for NEVI funding, EV charging stations must meet criteria such as having EV charging publicly available 24/7 and being no more than one mile away from the nearest U.S. Department of Transportation designated Alternative Fuel Corridor.

The DOT also quoted several federal and state officials.

“Hawaii is leading the way to bring drivers across the island more affordable, accessible and reliable vehicle charging,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “The Biden-Harris Administration is proud to support Hawaii as it builds out a federally funded EV charging network, delivering good paying local jobs, lowering costs, and bringing healthier communities across the Aloha State.”

“The Biden-Harris administration is proud to open the first federally-funded electric vehicle charging stations in the State of Hawaii- bringing the cleaner air, lower costs, and jobs that EVs are delivering,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Hawaii has been a strong partner in President Biden’s effort to build a nationwide network of EV chargers so that all Americans can feel the benefits – in their lungs and in their wallets.”

“Providing drivers with the opportunity to choose alternatives to vehicles with traditional internal combustion engines is a critical part of the strategy to get Hawaii to a clean energy portfolio by 2045,” said Hawaii Department of Transportation Director Ed Sniffen. “When we began planning our department’s conversion to EVs we calculated an estimated annual reduction in CO2 emissions of 8,700 pounds per vehicle, which is roughly the amount of energy used by an average American home in half a year. We’re excited to have federal support for the electrification of transportation.”

The DOT had a pair of its EV vehicles parked at the station to demonstrate how the chargers work. Shishido said the DOT currently operates a fleet of 43 Tesla cars and 45 Ford F-150 Lightning trucks statewide. He said the DOT has seen considerable savings on maintenance costs with the vehicles.

* Staff Writer Matthew Thayer can be reached at mthayer@mauinews.com.