Electric Car Charging Stations Installed
The town received a grant for two electric car charging stations.
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Chelmsford's two electronic car charging stations were installed yesterday after the town was one of 25 in the state to receive a grant from the Department of Energy Resources for the chargers.
The ChargePoint chargers are located at the Chelmsford Public Library's main branch and at Vinal Square in North Chelmsford. Many of those with an electric car already have ChargePoint cards, which are tapped against the charger to initiate service. There is also a help number on the charger if anyone has questions or needs help using the charger.
Voltrek, a company based in Andover, installed the chargers.
Right now the chargers are free to use for anyone with an electric vehicle, and will be for the next two years, for the length of the grant. After that users will have to pay to charge their vehicles.
rebeccamartinrebecca
8:19 am on Thursday, January 19, 2012
Have your teenager share the family car instead of owning his or her own. Be sure check "Clearance Auto" and also add if your son or daughter makes the honor roll or moves away to college. Both qualify for discounts with most companies.
Maria Karafelis
8:51 am on Thursday, January 19, 2012
Krista;
Can you tell me where the 2nd charger is? Also, you stated that the charging station is free for 2 years, do you know what the cost will be to the town after that?
Krista Perry
11:38 am on Thursday, January 19, 2012
It's on the common in North Chelmsford. After the two years, users will have to pay to use it, not the town.
Tom Gilroy
8:55 am on Thursday, January 19, 2012
Let me understand how this works. You purchase a "green car" and receive an incentive from the government. Another "green company" develops a recharging station with another goverent subsidy. The charging stations are installed with a government grant, another "government subsidy" and we the taxpayers pay the bill. And by the way, it is free for two years. What a deal for the free enterprise system.
Bill Gerber
9:08 am on Thursday, January 19, 2012
Interesting, and I suppose a reasonable start to address an emerging need that should grow over time. But electrical charging stations are something that individual owners can install for themselves at home, and to the extent that en route stations are needed, aren't they something that existing service stations should provide? E.g., if I were passing through Chelmsford and needed to recharge my "Leaf", how would I know to look for a charging station at the Library?
Krista Perry
11:42 am on Thursday, January 19, 2012
As I understood it, most owners of electric cars have the charge point cards already and you can look up either online or on your smart phone app where the nearest charging station is to you. Also as I understand it, many of the charging stations are not "free" - many are in parking garages in Boston or the like where you have to pay to park and therefore use the charger. The chargers at the library and on the north common offers people more incentive to go to a municipal charger that you don't have to pay to use.
Maria Karafelis
11:47 am on Thursday, January 19, 2012
thank you Krista for the clarification.
Alexei
1:01 pm on Saturday, January 21, 2012
Good idea, but it's not like a stop at a gas pump, where it takes about 5 minutes max to fill a tank. Most electric cars take between 3-8 hours of charge time. So, I guess it would be ideal if you plan on visiting the library, or grab lunch at Friendly's.