ORLANDO – The Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC—The Reliable One) hosted a grand opening ceremony for the Robinson Recharge Mobility Hub, one of the largest electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in the state, at 10:30 a.m. on July 25, 2023. Located on 129 W. Robinson St. in downtown Orlando, the facility features 20 high-speed EV chargers that can be used for all makes of EVs.
Speakers at the ribbon-cutting ceremony included Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Orlando City Commissioner Regina Hill (District 5), OUC Board President Britta Gross and OUC General Manager & CEO Clint Bullock.
“The Robinson Recharge Mobility Hub marks our single most substantial investment in building robust EV charging infrastructure in Orlando,” said Bullock. “We’re extremely proud of this project, as convenient access to high-speed EV chargers makes EV ownership more attractive, and more EVs on the road will mean a greater reduction in CO2 emissions. The site further complements OUC’s efforts to ensure Central Florida remains a national leader in EV readiness.”
The hub, which is equipped with six 240-kilowatt (kW) and 14 120kW Level 3-rated charging dispensers, is part of OUC’s $45 million commitment to support the transition to transportation electrification. Funds from a $500,000 grant from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) were used to partially pay for the hub. EV charger manufacturer Power Electronics, the City of Orlando and Orange County helped secure that grant. OUC and Power Electronics covered the remaining project costs and OUC donated property for the hub. CHA Engineering oversaw site engineering while Aireko Construction built the facility. The site utilizes Orlando-based NovaCharge’s ChargeUp application for point-of-sale transaction management.
In 2022, DEP awarded the OUC-led EV hub partnership a second $266,800 grant to build a high-speed EV charging facility at the Orange County Convention Center South Concourse parking lot. Construction is anticipated to begin this fall. The site will initially offer six 240kW Level 3-rated charging dispensers, but could add as many as 12 Level 3 chargers in the future. OUC plans to facilitate the launch of six more charging hubs by 2030.
