Harrisonburg, VA—4/8/15 —Virginia Clean Cities is proud to announce the immediate availability of a publicly accessible electric vehicle charger. This charger will enable owners of electric and plug-in electric vehicles traveling through Harrisonburg and Rockingham County or working and meeting at Technology Drive offices to recharge their vehicles quickly and conveniently. This equipment is designed for workplace and destination charging and can recharge an electric vehicle in 6 hours, with approximately 30 miles of driving range per hour of charging.
This charger was supported by Virginia Clean Cities at JMU and by John Serrell and was installed by Dean Brothers Electric. The Center for Wind Energy at JMU is a partner in this effort.
This type of electric vehicle charger is 240 volts and 30 amps and has two connectors to refuel up to two vehicles at the same time. Electric Vehicle Chargers are commonly called Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment or EVSE. Including the public charger at Harrisonburg Electric Commission, are around a half dozen chargers in the Harrisonburg area today and electric vehicles can recharge on any available dedicated GFI outlet.
“We are proud to be providing an additional value added service at this leased building for community benefit.” Said building owner and President of Village Auto Center, John Serrell, “This is a step towards the future and for future generations.” Serell’s daughter performed the inaugural plug-in.
Virginia Clean Cities, an alternative fuels and air quality non-profit, assisted with acquiring the equipment. “This is an important step for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. With 200 EV charging locations in Virginia and more than 500 public charging outlets, this Charger helps round out the regional EV network and promotes cleaner air, economic vitality, and is a good step for energy security,” said Alleyn Harned, Executive Director of Virginia Clean Cities.
Virginia Clean Cities is pleased to serve as an ambassador to support the Workplace Charging Challenge, a Department of Energy (DOE) initiative aiming to achieve a tenfold increase in the number of U.S. employers offering workplace charging in the next five years. The Workplace Charging Challenge is helping fill the current infrastructure gap for plug-in electric vehicles. Employers involved in the Workplace Charging Challenge range considerably in size, industry, and geography, but strive for a common goal to advance the nation’s economic, environmental, and energy security by supporting electric vehicle technology and reducing petroleum use in transportation.
Charger locations can be found online at www.afdc.energy.gov/locator/stations/ and at www.plugshare.com/
About the Virginia Clean Cities Coalition
Virginia Clean Cities is a regional nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing our energy, economic, and environmental security through petroleum reduction and clean transportation. Virginia Clean Cities is a state and federally recognized coalition stakeholders staffed in partnership with James Madison University. Virginia Clean Cities operates dozens of domestic fuel and environmental education and deployment projects for federal, state, agencies and private partners. To learn more please visit www.vacleancities.org.