The Orlando Utilities Commission on Tuesday officially joins the effort to make using electric vehicles easier with the grand opening of the Robinson Recharge Mobility Hub.
OUC plans at least seven more public electric vehicle, or EV, charging hubs in the coming years.
The utility says the new so-called superhub in downtown Orlando is one of the biggest in Florida. It has 20 high-speed chargers that can be used with all makes of electric vehicles.
The hub -- built in partnership with Power Electronics and with help from a $500,000 state grant -- was initially scheduled to open in 2021. But supply chain disruptions and design changes led to a "soft" launch last month.
Tuesday marks the official grand opening.
OUC New Products and Market Development Director Thom Nealssohn said EV drivers are already getting a charge out of it.
"We've been very excited to see that the station is already being utilized fairly regularly. I think we wrapped over 150 sessions a week ago," he said.
The utility reports 135 EV drivers have already used the hub -- some more than once.
Work could start this fall on a hub at the Orange County Convention Center and open early next year.
OUC is seeking federal grants and is planning six more hubs. It is also planning smaller stations within some neighborhoods, relying on congressional funding arranged initially by former U.S. Rep. Val Demings, D-Orlando.
OUC is also seeking federal grants for charging stations, tapping Central Florida's small share of the overall $7.5 billion in EV funding approved by Congress as part of President Joe Biden's infrastructure law approved last summer.
