GREENFIELD — The Greenfield Public Library has become a welcome stop for electric car drivers, so the library recently installed two vehicle chargers, each of which can charge two vehicles. The new chargers, from ChargePoint Inc., are upgrades from previous chargers that are in the city already.
The library chargers will have new features, including letting drivers see if there are available chargers and texting drivers when their vehicle is fully charged, as well as a faster charging rate than their older counterparts. The new and improved chargers also will be installed at the Greenfield Fire Department. The current City Hall units are also due for replacement.
Wherever drivers plug their cars in, they will be charged 28 cents per kilowatt hour, which will cover the city’s electricity and networking fees. The parking garage currently charges $1.50 an hour but will be converting its cost to 28 cents per kWh on Sept. 5.
“The city is committed to leading in sustainability and welcomes expanding charging solutions for the increasing number of electric vehicles on the roads. We have long supported EV charging infrastructure and installed our first chargers downtown as part of a (state) grant program to combat ‘range anxiety’ in 2011,” said Mayor Roxann Wedegartner in a statement. “At that time, few models existed, and they had less than 100 miles of range. We’ve seen a dramatic increase in usage at the chargers and have come up with a fee that aligns with those in the region and to cover the city’s costs.”
