Solar-powered vehicle charging station now available on Fort Hood; more coming

FORT HOOD, Texas – Electric vehicles are becoming more common not only amongst families, but also amongst the workforce and the Army as a whole.

In an effort to be more green, Fort Hood has created an Electric Vehicle Charging Station plan to have charging stations throughout the installation for both privately-owned and government electric work vehicles.

“Like many things, Fort Hood is on the cutting edge for the Army on the fielding of EV and charging stations,” said Kristina Manning, Real Property Planning Division chief, Fort Hood Directorate of Public Works. “We are excited to help bring this new technology to our Army-owned and leased fleet, as well as supporting privately-owned electric vehicles, as best we can. The plan is under development to determine the placement of the charging stations, however the purpose is to provide the locations for electric vehicle charging stations to support GSA electric vehicles. The first phase identifies the requirements to support light duty GSA vehicle charging.”

Light duty GSA vehicles include sedans and pick-ups smaller than 1500 pounds.

“This plan is important because it will help us understand the cost and enable us to compete for funding to build EV charging stations on Fort Hood,” Manning said. “This project allows Fort Hood to lead the way in bringing this technology to the local area.”

For privately-owned electric vehicles, there are new Solar BEAM charging stations in the parking lot of III Armored Corps and Fort Hood Headquarters, near the III AC Express.

“Providing charging stations for personal use supports our People First stance and contributes to the quality of life for our Soldiers and families by having charging options available for EV owners,” Manning said. “These charging stations are free because they are solar and do not use any electricity from the grid.”

They are considered Level 2 chargers, and charging times vary depending on the type of vehicle. Manning said they are just the beginning.

“This is a pilot (program) and there are other initiatives underway to provide more charging capabilities on the installation in the future,” she said. “In the near future, we are adding a credit card interface for the EV charging stations at the new museum. In addition, AAFES is going to build charging stations for POVs (privately-owned vehicles) at the Exchange.”