Electric car purchases are on the rise, and with longer charged batteries, people can drive greater distances. But one thing has been missing to reach the North Shore – a station where car batteries can be plugged into and the car recharged so one can cruise the North Shore.
That should be changing in the near future.
In the November newsletter produced by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), new charging stations have been installed between Duluth and the Twin Cities.
According to the article, “Interstate 35 now has a series of fast-charging stations that can charge an EV in about 30 minutes. Forest Lake, Pine City, Sturgeon Lake, and Duluth all host stations. EV drivers can travel with confidence knowing an opportunity to charge is not far away. Plans are in the works for additional charging stations beyond Duluth to allow future travel by EV along the North Shore.”
In October, the final link in Minnesota’s first EV “charging corridor” was completed with the opening of the Sturgeon Lake station. Representatives from project partners – MPCA, ZEF Energy, Lake Country Power, Great River Energy, and Doc’s Sports Bar & Grill (where the station is located) – were on hand to mark the occasion.
This spring Minnesota Power installed a 54-kilowatt solar carport along with charging stations in Canal Park in Duluth. The carport hosts eight Level 2 stations that can charge an EV in 2 to 6 hours and one fast-charging station that can charge an EV in 30 minutes.
Electricity from the solar array feeds directly into the charging stations when charging an EV. Excess power is supplied back to the grid.
Minnesota has plans for highway charging corridors that will eventually allow drivers to travel through EV throughout the state. The U.S. Department of Energy is also designating national charging corridors to encourage travel by EV nationwide. To learn more about Minnesota’s first EV charging corridor and other upcoming corridors, visit PlugIntoMN.com.
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