‘Faster is definitely better’: GRTC and Dominion Energy showcase five new electric charging stations for public ride-hailing service

GRTC debuted five new charging stations at its headquarters, installed by Dominion Energy, that will faster charge the vans used for GRTC’s free microtransit on-demand service, LINK.

The chargers come from Dominion’s Fleet Charging program, which installs and maintains charging stations for fleets. The program offers chargers at no cost to low income residents and underserved communities.

The LINK vans used to take 6 to 8 hours to charge with the factory chargers they previously had. Now, it takes 1 to 3 hours with the new Level 2 chargers.

“It’s just about access,” said Adrienne Torres, GRTC’s chief of staff. “So now having these vehicles, electric as well as the gas, allows us to be able to operate in those zones [that] did not have service at all before.”

LINK currently operates in set zones in five neighborhoods – Ashland, Azalea, Cloverdale, Powhatan and Sandston – that are not as connected by transit to other areas within the Greater Richmond region, said spokesperson Ashley Potter. The service, which began in October 2023, allows riders to request a ride that will pick them up and drop them off at their desired location by calling customer service or using the GRTC app, as long as they are within the zone.  

“You can hail it over and they'll pick you up and take you to the store, to the library, to work in that zone, or connect you to one of the bus lines,” Potter said.

GRTC has a total of 22 LINK vehicles, including the five electric vehicles, which cost $160,000 each. Torres said that while the company is still determining which zones would better utilize the electric vans, GRTC will most likely place the electric vans in the Ashland and Cloverdale zones. If the vehicles work well in the selected zones, Torres said the company would consider dedicating more zones to the vehicles. 

The company is also expecting to expand its Sandston zone to neighborhoods within Richmond, like Fulton Hill and Rocketts Landing, by June 30. That was discussed at the May 20 board of directors meeting. 

Torres also said the company is working with Dominion Energy to discuss adding more chargers in the zones, as they are currently only available at GRTC headquarters.

GRTC leases the chargers through a 10-year contract with Dominion. Currently, the chargers are of no cost to GRTC, said program manager Brady Quinn.

Operators are currently undergoing training on how to learn how to effectively drive the electric vans.

“Faster is definitely better,” Torres said. “The quicker that it can be charged, then the more it can be in service and the service can be more reliable.”

Contact Reporter Victoria A. Ifatusin at vifatusin@richmonder.org

(Dominion Energy is a sponsor of The Richmonder, but did not influence or review this story.)