Up to 30 state parks to offer free charging stations for electric vehicles

By Mike Fitts
mfitts@postandcourier.com

PROSPERITY — Free electric vehicle charging stations are coming to a majority of South Carolina's state parks by the end of 2023, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette announced Dec. 13.

Evette made the announcement at Dreher Island State Park northwest of Columbia, where a charging station with two outlets already is in service.

Stations already are operating at four other state parks: Myrtle Beach and Huntington Beach in the Grand Strand, Charles Towne Landing in Charleston, and Devils Fork in the Upstate.

Up to 30 parks should have free chargers by the end of 2023, said Duane Parrish, director of the state's department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism.

"It just makes sense to serve a growing market of electric vehicle users by making sure charging stations are accessible to them," Evette said.

The charging stations are being provided and installed free by Rivian, the electric vehicle company that rolled out two all-electric pickup trucks onto the market in 2021.

The state is paying for the electricity costs.

The charging stations should add about 25 miles of added range per hour, allowing visitors to visit the state parks and return at the end of their day to a recharged car, said Jim Chen, vice president of public policy for Rivian.

Rivian is working with several states to add chargers in state parks as a way of addressing gaps in EV charging networks, Chen said.

Adding these charging stations away from interstate highways, where they currently are concentrated in South Carolina, should help EV drivers feel more free to travel, said Nanette Edwards, director of the state's Office of Regulatory Staff, which is overseeing the state's efforts to boost its charging network.

"It should reduce the range anxiety for our citizens and visitors to our beautiful state parks," Edwards said.

The charging stations should show the state's commitment to environmental progress and provide an added incentive to visit state parks, Parrish said.

Most parks will have two charging spaces, but the busiest destinations will have four installed, and the chargers will be open to all vehicles, not just Rivian's trucks, according to Chen.

Evette said the chargers show that South Carolina continues to focus on electric vehicles as an increasing part of the future of transportation and an important economic growth catalyst.

Recent assessments have put South Carolina behind most of the Southeast, including Georgia and North Carolina, in installing publicly available charging stations.

A study from the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy advocacy group put South Carolina fifth among six Southeastern states for rolling out electric cars and chargers.

The state also has been working overtime to attract investment from automakers and manufacturers of the batteries for electric vehicles.

BMW announced in November that it is investing $1.7 billion in adding electric vehicle capacity to its Greer plant, among other major investments on the way or being pursued.

Follow Mike Fitts on Twitter at twitter.com/mikefittsat140. Write to him at mfitts@postandcourier.com.