Electric vehicle owners in downtown Albuquerque can now charge up considerably faster, after Bernalillo County leaders unveiled a new Level 3 charging station this week. County officials say the fast-charger can take many EVs from empty to full in about 30 minutes, a dramatic improvement over standard chargers that can take hours.
According to KRQE, Bernalillo County leaders gathered at the Mid-Region Council of Governments on Copper to unveil the new station. The outlet reports the charger is a Level 3 station, which allows many electric vehicles to fully charge in 30 minutes. Separately, citizenportal.ai has described the planned station as being located on Fourth Street at Alvarado Square, so the precise address has not been reconciled between the two accounts.
The project was funded through a $500,000 grant from the New Mexico Department of Transportation, per the station's report. A partial Bernalillo County blog post, representing the county's own account of the opening, describes the new equipment as a Level III, 200-kilowatt charger with built-in capacity to add a second port when needed, according to Bernalillo County.
Funding and Cost Breakdown
Beyond the state grant, the downtown project carried a total estimated cost of about $607,000, according to citizenportal.ai. That reporting indicates the county planned to cover the remaining balance with a $56,900 local bond match and a $50,000 rebate from PNM. The same account noted the station was expected to meet a June 30, 2026 activation deadline, though the evidence available does not establish exactly when the charger became operational or confirm current public availability.
More Chargers Planned Countywide
The downtown station is not a standalone project. The county currently operates 24 EV charging ports and plans to add 14 more at four additional county facilities, the station's report notes. Details on timing and exact locations for those additional ports have not yet been established.
For now, the new downtown fast-charger stands as the county's latest step toward expanding EV infrastructure in the Albuquerque metro area, giving drivers another option for quick charging without needing to wait for a lengthy session at a standard station.
