Ask the Mayor: Can’t I Charge My Hybrid at Public Stations?

Mayor Alan Arakawa answers some of the questions submitted to his staff.

Submit your own questions about County of Maui programs, services, operations or policies to Mayor Alan Arakawa at AskTheMayor@mauicounty.gov, 270-7855 or mail them to 200 S. High St., 9th Floor, Wailuku, HI 96793.

Questions submitted will be considered for inclusion in the “Ask the Mayor” column.

EV Stations Hawaii app icon. Courtesy photo.

Aloha Mayor,

Q: What’s the deal with electric vs plug-in hybrid cars parking at electric vehicle charging stations? I get harassed regularly when I’m at Costco or Target from people driving electric vehicles, telling me I can’t park there because I can still use the gas backup in my hybrid, and that they need to “plug in right now!” My car has electric

My car has electric vehicle plates and as far as I know is totally legal to park and charge at these stations just like any electric vehicle, but what does the law say?

A: State law says that these charging stations are for “electric vehicles,” then defines an electric vehicle as one which “draws propulsion energy from a battery with at least four-kilowatt hours of energy storage capacity that can be recharged from an external source of electricity,” according to Hawaii Revised Statutes 291-71.

As long as your vehicle fits that definition you should be fine.