Stamford Gets Third Electric Vehicle Charging Station

Considering the , the electric vehicle market has never looked more promising.

In preparation for what appears to be the inevitable arrival of electric cars, the , following the lead of other Fairfield County Towns, has been working with Connecticut Light & Power to get installed in strategic locations throughout the city.

This past Thursday the city reportedly unveiled its third electric vehicle charging station, located at the Summer Street garage. This is in addition to two existing stations located at the Bell Street Garage and the Government Center unveiled last year.

According to a report in the Stamford Times, Stamford Mayor Michael Pavia, Congressman Jim Himes (D-4) and manager of technology integration at Connecticut Light & Power Einat Dorobantzu were on hand for the unveiling of the new charging station.

The charging stations are being rolled out gradually by CL&P and parent company Northeast Utilities as part of a two-year research project to perfect the experience drivers have when using the plug-in stations. In October officials said all three charging stations in Stamford were to be installed by December.

Last summer under the same pilot program. Other towns participating include Torrington, West Hartford and Mansfield, along with UBS in Stamford.

Initially the charging stations will be free to all users. However, eventually they will be switched over to a payment system, possibly using a smartphone application, with rates averaging around $3.00 for every two hours of charging.

Questions remain, however, as to how many electric vehicles will sell in the area over the next few years, and how much the charging stations will actually be used. There also remain questions as to who is ultimately financially responsible for building the infrastructure needed to prepare for the arrival of electric vehicles.

To see a full list of charging station locations in Connecticut, click here.