James Rosenberg II, director of business development Asia Pacific for Blink, uses a dedicated Blink card during a demonstration in the operation of the island’s first Blink charging station hin the parking lot of Triple J Enterprises’ main headquarters in Upper Tumon Aug. 19, 2022.
Julius Santos, Triple J social media manager, describes the features found on the 2022 Kia EV6 electric sports utility vehicle after its unveiling at Triple J Enterprises’ main headquarters in Upper Tumon Aug. 19, 2022.
James Rosenberg II, director of business development Asia Pacific for Blink, uses a dedicated Blink card during a demonstration in the operation of the island’s first Blink charging station hin the parking lot of Triple J Enterprises’ main headquarters in Upper Tumon Aug. 19, 2022.
Julius Santos, Triple J social media manager, describes the features found on the 2022 Kia EV6 electric sports utility vehicle after its unveiling at Triple J Enterprises’ main headquarters in Upper Tumon Aug. 19, 2022.
Triple J on Friday unveiled the first fully electric vehicle for sale at its Tamuning dealership — the Kia EV6 — and cut the ribbon on the first Blink charging station for the island’s electric vehicles.
Triple J partnered with Blink Charging Company to install as many as 100 electric vehicle charging stations islandwide during the next several years.
The goal is to install about 25 stations here by the end of the year, said James Rosenberg, Blink’s director of business development for Asia Pacific.
The first charging stations likely will be installed at the island’s major shopping centers, Rosenberg said, adding Blink is working with the Guam Power Authority to identify locations that have an adequate power supply and also are convenient for motorists.
Rosenberg on Friday demonstrated the first charging station, installed in Triple J’s parking lot fronting Marine Corps Drive near the Kmart intersection.
The charging station has a 23-foot-long cable with a universal connector used by most electric vehicles. Motorists pay for the charge using a credit card, Blink card or the Blink app, which also will help motorists locate the nearest available charging station.
There currently are about 60 registered fully electric vehicles in Guam, Rosenberg said, noting only about 1% of Guam vehicles are fully electric or plug-in hybrids.
That number has started to grow.
Triple J Enterprises Senior Vice President Jay Jones said one Kia EV6 SUV has been sold and the other one at the dealership is about to be sold. Several more are now being shipped to Guam and are available for purchase, he said.
The all-wheel-drive EV6 Wind sells for $60,000 and Jones said Triple J will offer a lower trim level that will sell for about $50,000.
“We’re very excited about the EV6. It’s the first full electric vehicle that we’ve been able to offer here at Triple J,” Jones said, adding global supply problems delayed the arrival of the vehicles for months. “It’s an exciting time for all of us to be here and to witness the transition to a completely different kind of automobile.”
Triple J social media manager Julius Santos said the EV6 can accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds. It also is able to park itself in narrow parking spaces, allowing the driver and passengers to exit the vehicle before it self-drives into the space.
“When you look at the vehicle overall, you’ll see a very futuristic and stylish design to it, which complements this very practical, very functional SUV, giving it a very sleek and sporty look,” Santos said.
The EV6 Wind SUV is charged through a port in a door at the right rear of the vehicle, near the taillight.
Rosenberg said it costs about $40 to fully charge an electric vehicle, which allows a motorist to drive about 300 miles.
He said public charging stations, like the Blink stations, are important to motorists because they can charge a vehicle much faster than home charging stations. It can take more than three days to charge an electric vehicle at home using a typical level 1 charging station, Rosenberg said.
In comparison, charging an electric vehicle’s battery from 10% to 70% at a level 2 Blink charging station takes about four hours, he said. Manufacturers discourage owners from fully charging their batteries, he said.
Rosenberg said businesses that agree to install Blink charging stations are responsible for extending the power supply to a parking spot, where the charging stations will be installed for free.
Reach reporter Steve Limtiaco at slimtiaco@guampdn.com.
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