San Juan, Puerto Rico – February 20, 2024 – Velocicharge, a leader in the electric mobility revolution in Puerto Rico, is pleased to announce the completion of the largest expansion of its electric vehicle charging station network across the island. The expansion, which began in October 2023, has added over 16 new chargers in strategic locations around the island, taking electric vehicle charging infrastructure to a new level.
More Options for Electric Vehicle Drivers
The new charging stations are located at:
- Plaza Las Américas (San Juan)
- Plaza del Caribe (Ponce)
- Plaza Río Hondo (Bayamón)
- Céntrico (Guayama)
Existing Stations
- Plaza del Norte (Hatillo)
- Outlets 66 (Canóvanas)
- The Outlets at Montehiedra (San Juan)
- Shops at Caguas – Catalinas Mall (Caguas)
In total, there are now 32 chargers in 7 towns, impacting 5 regions of the island. The chargers range from Level 2 (7.7 kW) to Level 3 (DC Fast) at 50 kW and 120 kW, the latter being the only one of its kind and among the most powerful in Puerto Rico. It can charge a car from 0 to 80% in approximately 35 minutes. All installations were planned, supervised, and/or executed by Visotek Corp, the official distributor of ABB E-mobility solutions in Puerto Rico.
Operation Hours:
- Plaza Las Américas (San Juan) – 5am a 11pm – Lunes a Domingo
- Plaza del Caribe (Ponce) – 5am a 11pm. – Lunes a Domingo
- Plaza Río Hondo (Bayamón) – 5am a 11pm – Lunes a Domingo
- Céntrico (Guayama) – 24/7
- Plaza del Norte (Hatillo) – 24/7
- Outlets 66 (Canóvanas) – 24/7
- The Outlets at Montehiedra (San Juan) – 24/7
- Shops at Caguas – Catalinas Mall (Caguas) – 24/7
Convenience, Technology, and Customer Service
The company’s charging areas are located around the country’s main highways and in local areas (shopping centers). “One of the key factors is the convenient location of all Velocicharge stations. They are located in popular shopping centers where customers feel comfortable, safe, and can complete other tasks while charging. Studies already show us that 45% of customers have a coffee, eat, or visit a store while charging,” said Juan Alvarado, Velocicharge’s Marketing Director.
In 2023, the company also launched its own software, offering users an even more intuitive and complete charging experience with features such as:
- A renewed user interface in both Spanish and English.
- Notifications when the vehicle has completed charging.
- Ability to save favorite stations.
- See in advance if the charger is available or occupied.
- Explore the price per kW by location.
- Budget control.
- Different options to start charging (by time, by kWh, or by total).
- Automatic Charging
- Digital coupons with discounts or free charging.
- Double encrypted authentication for data protection.
- Among others…
“As recently as February, we introduced the Autocharge feature, which allows customers a unique level of ease of use. Once configured, it allows the charger to automatically detect the car and start charging, without the need to interact with the application. The reception has been very positive and it is the customers themselves who share their positive experience,” added Alvarado.
Unlike a conventional gasoline car, the charger and the car are in constant communication during charging. This is why the Velocicharge system is configured to notify the customer when the car has finished charging, offering a 15-minute grace period to make the charging area available for the next customer.
Thanks to this software, installations with global standards and machines with proven technology, the company already has over 10,000 successful charging transactions and over 2,600 active customers, who visit the stations an average of 3 times per month.
“Service is key to promoting customer confidence, which is why new surveillance processes have been created with shopping mall administrations to educate, guide, and protect charging areas from users who leave their car without charging. Likewise, with customer service to continue being empathetic in the process of understanding this new technology and its variables in each car model,” commented Antonio Soler, Operations Director.
Industry Overview: (Data obtained internally from surveys of active customers and data generated by users in the system.)
- Electric Vehicles in the country: 6,000 to 8,000 units
- Average Charging Cost: $19 to $23
- Average Charging Time:
- Level 2: 1.5 hours
- Level 3: 30 to 45 minutes
- The average time it takes to activate charging: 2 minutes
- 72% of customers choose a public charging station mainly for factors such as location on their daily route and it is close to their home.
- The average frequency that the user visits a station: is 3 per month.
- 19% of active customers supplement their daily charging with a home charger.
Next up
For 2024, the company aims to work with various elements such as end-user education, educational partnerships with car brands and institutions, new locations, and software updates that offer more and greater benefits in the charging experience.
“There’s a lot of misinformation at all levels, from end users, general contractors, electricians, salespeople, to government levels. It’s urgent to start a multisectoral educational message to promote the adoption of these new technologies, standards, and processes,” commented Carlos Vizcarrondo, CEO and Owner of Visotek and Velocicharge.
“With this goal in mind, we will be creating educational partnerships with leading companies and organizations in various segments in order to contribute and decrease resistance to change. Electrification is not only about cars but extends to public transportation, airports, delivery services, maritime transport, and more,” Vizcarrondo pointed out.
“The two most common doubts we receive are whether all installations and chargers are the same and whether the energy from the chargers comes from burning fossil fuel. We see many charger installations without the parameters and safety standards, we have even witnessed installations with units not suitable for the climate of Puerto Rico or not complying with quality regulations such as UL. In several instances, the chargers are connected to renewable sources, but not in others. One point that must be clear is that there is not a single formula for all scenarios. Instead, there can be various solutions that help with the goal of renewable energy. For example, several of our installations are powered by solar systems such as Céntrico in Guayama, The Outlets 66 in Canóvanas, and Plaza del Norte in Hatillo, these operate a large portion of their operations using the sun as a renewable source. Similarly, it cannot be lost sight of that an electric car, many of its parts can be reused, including the batteries, and that it does NOT generate emissions. In a traditional car, not only does it use gasoline as a non-renewable source, but many of its parts are not reused and in the end, it still contributes to emissions to the environment. Technologies continue to evolve and gradually solutions in favor of the environment are added to the equation,” Vizcarrondo elaborated.
The biggest challenge
“The expansion of the Velocicharge network represents a significant step towards a more sustainable future for Puerto Rico. However, there is still a long way to go. The biggest challenge lies in the union of local companies and organizations in favor of making the electric vehicle industry viable. Education is key: from end customers to builders, developers, agencies, and car dealers, everyone needs accurate information. In Europe and the United States, car brands have created alliances to build infrastructure and educate the public, something that has not yet been seen at the local level. Fortunately, some dealers and car companies have already joined Velocicharge, taking a crucial step. However, greater participation is needed to generate consumer confidence, reduce resistance to change, combat misinformation, and encourage the development of more local companies. Facilitating access to electric vehicle charging helps reduce the country’s carbon footprint,” Vizcarrondo pointed out. 
