As the number of people driving eco-friendly vehicles is on the rise, the City of Lanesboro, Minn., is being proactive in offering charging stations for electric vehicles within city limits.
As environmental stewards, the operators of these vehicles look for EV chargers in the places they visit and often plan trips around the locations of such charging stations.
Although the City of Lanesboro has had the EV charging stations in their sights for quite awhile, it has just recently came to fruition.
“It’s a project that was looked at several years ago, and unfortunately the funding was not available at the time,” states Michele Peterson, Lanesboro City Administrator.
“We wanted to bring additional resources to our community for those that live here as well as visit here,” says Peterson.
The two, two car, Level 2 chargers are installed and ready for use at the Poetry Parking Lot, otherwise known as the Bass Pond parking lot, just off of County Road 8, which is conveniently located close to the downtown area.
Lanesboro Public Utilities was able to purchase the chargers using conservation improvement funds. The cost for the two units was $16,700 and the installation cost was $5,300.
“The installation did cost more because there was significant rock where the electrical needed to be placed,” explains Peterson.
The chargers were purchased from Chargepoint and local contractor Huntington Electric installed them.
The City of Lanesboro had received requests for the EV Chargers from local lodging establishments, as the chargers are very popular with those who travel, as well as some local residents.
There seems to be a little confusion and some misconceptions about the cost to use the chargers, with some people thinking that using the chargers is free. Use of the chargers is not free. The City of Lanesboro charges the same per kilowatt hour as they charge the electric customers in town which is $0.1471 per kwh. Users of the EV chargers can pay using a Chargepoint app on their phone.
Chargepoint, the brand of EV Chargers purchased by the City of Lanesboro, states on their website, www.chargepoint.com, “We help drivers make the switch to electric by offering connected charging wherever they work, shop, eat and play,” which is a very important point for those who drive electric cars. Having charging stations available is vital in order to use the vehicle as intended by the purchaser.
“By 2020, 75% of new cars sold will be connected to the internet. By 2040, 35% of vehicles sold will be electric. It’s time to get ready for the future of transportation, which will be electric and connected — to drivers, mobile apps, charging spots, businesses and the rest of our everyday lives,” states the website.
Charging time varies depending on how low the battery is but the Chargepoint Level 2 chargers can get drivers on the road fairly quickly.
“Our Level 2 Commercial chargers charge at a maximum rate of 25 RPH (miles of Range Per Hour). CT4000 stations can fully charge some vehicles in less than four hours,” states the Chargepoint website.
Aside from commercial EV chargers, Chargepoint offers residential chargers as well, which is a very convenient option for some.
There are many reasons people are choosing to purchase electric vehicles at a fast-growing pace. Although the initial cost may not be small, the long-term investment is promising.
Saving money on gasoline is probably the number one reason for buying an electric vehicle. Saving time not stopping at gas stations and dealing with fluctuating gas prices are an added bonus, as the cost of electricity does not experience such unpredictable price changes. The cost of charging an electric vehicle can virtually be eliminated if a solar system designed for the roof of the vehicle is installed.
Becoming more environmentally friendly is another incentive for driving an electric vehicle. By reducing the emission of carbon dioxide with hybrid electric cars or eliminating emissions with all electric vehicles, drivers are reducing their carbon footprint.
As the use of electric vehicles continues to expand they may very soon become the norm and chargers may be needed in more areas. “At this point we do not have plans to install additional units. However, I think ultimately we will have to see how these two go, and plan from there,” states Peterson.
For those who are already driving electric vehicles, whether local residents or tourists, the new chargers located in Lanesboro will surely be appreciated.
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