Some Va. rest areas getting electric-car chargers

Posted to: News Traffic - Transportation
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By Carolyn Shapiro
The Virginian-Pilot
© September 24, 2009

Dominion Virginia Power has agreed to install charging stations for electric vehicles at some state rest areas.

The New Kent Safety Rest Area, off Interstate 64, received the first station this month. It can accommodate up to four vehicles at a time and charges at 120 volts, though Dominion is expected to upgrade it to 240 volts. Drivers can charge their hybrid cars for free.

The Virginia Department of Transportation is working with Dominion to identify other rest areas or other locations that will get the charging stations. Through a partnership with Dominion, the state is not paying for the installations, though it will pay the electricity bill for the additional power usage at the sites.

The New Kent rest area was rebuilt in 2007 with an energy-efficient design, which is expected to reduce the state's cost to operate it.

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rest stops

Submitted by truthseeker on Thu, 09/24/2009 at 10:24 am.

People should just hold their water and not get all charged up. Soon the rest stop will be his and hers bushes, and a campsite type power pole anyway.

?????

Submitted by bambino914 on Thu, 09/24/2009 at 3:53 am.

I understand that the state won't be paying for the installation of this equipment, but they will be paying for the additional electricity. My thought: didn't we just close numerous rest stops? Assuming that the remaining stops are all the budget can afford, wouldn't one think the additional electricity costs would push the rest stops over budget and require the closure of at least one more? Or is this a situation where it was already alloted and there could have been one less closed? Unless the state is getting some sort of stimulus from the fed for this project, for which the article makes no mention, this is one of those things that can wait until our budget is a little more black.