Electric Vehicles Chargers in New Greenfield Parking Garage
Eversource helped bring eight new electric vehicle charging stations to the new public parking garage on Olive Street in the town’s Bank Row Urban Renewal Area. The electric charging stations are part of Eversource’s EV “Make Ready” program, which was launched in late 2017 to increase the availability of electric vehicle charging stations throughout its electric service territory in Massachusetts.
The new units will be free for use through the end of 2018. Starting in January 2019 there will be a $1.25 per hour fee while the car is actively charging. This is to help offset the cost of electricity to the town, as well as the networking costs that track data on the use of the stations. At the end of the year, Greenfield will assess the uptake of these chargers and plans to again partner with Eversource to double the number of chargers to 16. Greenfield has offered no-cost EV charging in the downtown area for the past six years and those spaces will continue to be available.
The new chargers are made by ChargePoint and provide more capabilities than the existing units in town, including letting drivers know whether units are available and texting drivers when their charge is complete. Users will need a Chargepoint account to use the chargers. To learn more about signing up, go to the Chargepoint website. Most electric cars on the market today have a range from 100 to 300 miles per charge, and new models continue to increase in range while decreasing in price. There are up to $10,000 in incentives available for those who purchase or enter into a three or more year lease for an electric vehicle.
FREE Electric Vehicle Charging Still Available in Town Hall and Chapman Davis Lots.
The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) awarded the Town of Greenfield two electric vehicle charging stations that are located downtown and can charge up to four electric vehicles at a time. The downtown stations provide convenient locations along the Route 91 and Route 2 corridors with easy access to food, shopping and entertainment while the vehicles charge.
One unit is located in the Town Hall public parking lot and the other is located on the southwest corner of the Chapman Davis lot behind Wilson’s. The spaces are dedicated to electric vehicles that are actively charging and have a 4 hour limit, roughly the time it takes for a full charge. In order to encourage usage of the stations, DOER is providing signs that will direct Main Street traffic to the two downtown locations. Drivers pay the same rate as non-charging spaces for parking while charging and will be fined in accordance with the Town’s parking policy $10. for an expired meter. For non-electric vehicles that park in the dedicated electric vehicle charging spaces, the fine will be $35.
Greenfield Community College partnered with the Town on the grant and also received a single car charging station from Western Massachusetts Electric Company (WMECO). The GCC charging station is located on the main campus at the north end first floor entrance. The access code instructions will be available at the site.
The goal of the DOER grant was to encourage electric vehicle use by locating charging stations at key locations throughout Massachusetts aimed at addressing ‘range’ anxiety, the fear that the electric car will run out of charge (fuel) and strand the driver. Current available electric vehicle models have a range of up to 100 miles before they need to recharge, and several more models will be entering the market in the coming year, some available to lease for as little as $199 per month.
Locations of other charging stations in New England can be found at the DOER’s Alternate Fuel Data Center Website.
Posted: Wed, Dec 2, 2015 04:29 PM
Updated Wed, Jan 9, 2019 12:00 AM
