Delray Beach To Open Charging Stations For Electric Vehicles
DELRAY BEACH (CBS4) - Drivers in Delray Beach who are going green by driving an electric or hybrid car like the Nissan Leaf, Toyota Prius and the Chevy Volt now have a new place to recharge their rides.
On Wednesday the city joins Miami Beach, Dania Beach and West Palm Beach in offering public charging stations.
An official 'Grand Opening' of the three new charging stations at the Banker's Row Parking Lot on the corner of NE 1st Avenue and NE 2nd Street will be held at 5:30 p.m, according to the Sun-Sentinel. Six spots will be marked in the parking lot for electric vehicles.
The equipment and funding for the project were donated by Plug In Florida, a local nonprofit organization.
Charles Whalen, the executive director of Plug In Florida, owns two electric cars. He and Plug In Florida put up $3,500 for each of the three charging stations. He also plans to cut the city a check for $500 for the first year in electric costs.
Whalen said costs will be closer to the $100 range, but he "wanted to make sure taxpayers don't pay a cent."
"Plug In Florida is giving this way on a charitable basis. These electric charging stations are not geared for electric car drivers living in Delray. We have our electric charging stations at our homes," Whalen said in a statement. "This is for an opportunity charge. It's for people that are coming from outside the city that can charge while they go to get a bite to eat, shop, go to Old School Square or attend a business meeting."
Whalen said city sustainability officer Richard Reade was instrumental in making the car-charging lot a reality.
Reade worked with Florida Power Light (FPL) to customize an existing power box for the car-charging stations.
Source: The Sun-Sentinel
