Hilton Head Island charging its way into an electric car future

Hilton Head Island is plugging in to the future of clean energy with a new requirement that will add an electric car charging station at every new development that sprouts up on the island in the coming years.

The new rule is designed to put the island at the leading edge of the still blossoming electric car industry and was an obvious step forward with the town's growing focus on preserving the environment, town planners said.

"We keep talking about being progressive, being sustainable and being green," land-management ordinance official Teri Lewis said. "Well, what about requiring an electrical car charging station?"

Under the town's new land management rules, which were revised and approved in October, every new multifamily and nonresidential development built on the island will be required to construct at least one electric vehicle charging station within 100 feet of the building's primary entrance, according to the rules.

The new stipulation is so progressive, in fact, that it's likely the first of its kind in the Palmetto State, according to the South Carolina Municipal Association.

Although larger communities in Charleston, Columbia, Greenville and Spartanburg have dozens of stations sprinkled throughout them, it doesn't appear those cities have explicit requirements for including the stations, association spokeswoman Casey Fields said.

On Hilton Head, though, it seemed like a "no-brainer" to go one step further and require the stations with new developments, said Planning Commission member Jim Gant, who helped rewrite the land management rules.

"If we really are a progressive community ... we ought to take a position that we support electric vehicles," Gant said. "The discussion was about that simple. It just made sense to everybody, and we didn't think it was an onerous requirement on anybody."

WHERE THE STATIONS ARE NOW

There are only eight public electric vehicle charging stations throughout Beaufort and Jasper counties, according to PlugShare.com, a website that maps available stations to help electric car owners plan trips.

They include a single charger at the state welcome center on I-95 near Hardeeville. Another is located at the Kangaroo Express at exit 8 off I-95 in Hardeeville. There is also a charger at Point South in Yemassee.

There is one at Hilton Head Nisson and one at Hilton Head BMW along U.S. 278.

Chargers can also be found at the Westin Hilton Head Island Resort and Spa and at the Hampton Inn.

There is a charger in front of the Palmetto Electric Cooperative offices on Mathews Drive on the island.

LEARNING TOGETHER

The new rules will not be without some trips and kinks, though, said Gale Brown, who is opening a Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen on William Hilton Parkway this summer.

Brown's restaurant is the first new development on the island under the new rules, and its plans include one devoted parking spot as a charging station.

The cost isn't prohibitive for Brown's project -- a few thousand dollars, depending on which model charger she settles on -- but annual maintenance figures to be significantly more at $5,000 to $10,000, Brown said.

There are still many questions about exactly what kind to get and how it will be used, too, she added.

How long would people need to be at the restaurant to get an adequate charge?

Is the restaurant liable if a car is damaged using the charger?

How will Brown keep guests of the hotel next door from using the charger overnight, or should she?

Brown hopes to answer those questions before her restaurant opens in June. The idea is new territory for her, other new business owners and town leaders, she said.

Brown admits it's a bit odd the new rule's guinea pig is a drive-through heavy fast-food chain. However, if the town waits another two years, it would likely be stuck behind the curve, she said.

"(Not having all the answers) is the fun part. It's exciting," Brown said. "We all like to be challenged to think a different way and embrace it. It's a good thing for the town and maybe we can learn together how do we do this the right way."

Follow reporter Zach Murdock on Twitter at twitter.com/IPBG_Zach and on Facebook at facebook.com/IPBGZach.

Related content:

Popeyes to fire up the fryers on Hilton Head Island by June, owner says, Feb. 10, 2015

Corporate brands build differently on Hilton Head, Jan. 17, 2015

Development on Hilton Head brings out differences in mayoral candidates, Oct. 25, 2014

Sweeping land-management changes endorsed by Hilton Head panel, June 25, 2014

This story was originally published February 20, 2015 at 3:37 PM with the headline "Hilton Head Island charging its way into an electric car future."