The town of Westport, Conn., has unveiled its first electric-vehicle (EV) charging station and has become the first town in the nation to offer drivers a pay-by-phone option, Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P) has announced.
According to CL&P, the Level II, 240-volt charging station can fully charge a Chevy Volt in four hours. Chevy Volts can also be charged using a regular 120-volt wall socket, but charging takes roughly double that time, the utility notes.
The Westport charging station equipment is manufactured by Clipper Creek Inc. and outfitted with a Liberty PlugIns keypad for authorized use. Parking-pass holders at the commuter lot may currently charge their EVs for free. The pay-by-cell feature – Park NOW! from Mobile Now LLC – is in place and will be activated by town officials at a future date.
Westport is the first municipality to install a charging station as part of CL&P's EV research project, the utility adds.
