Springfield, Ill.— City Water, Light and Power’s first sets of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations have been installed and are now in operation at multiple sites across Springfield. When complete, the project will provide 40 charging ports across nine locations citywide. In an effort to advance Springfield's infrastructure to support clean transportation options, these ports are being deployed to sites where driving patterns match sites with potential for high usage. The first chargers are operational at University of Illinois at Springfield in Lot I, at Freedom Drive in Parkway Pointe and at West Wabash Avenue and Drawbridge Road. Remaining sites set to go into operation include the Lincoln Home National Historic Site, followed by three other downtown area locations.
“This project is another example of Springfield investing in infrastructure that supports both today’s residents and the future growth of our community,” said Mayor Misty Buscher. “By expanding access to EV charging stations across the city, we are helping create more convenient transportation options while continuing to position Springfield as a forward-looking capital city.”
The chargers, installed by B & B Electric under contract with Hanson Professional Services, are 240 volt Level 2 units capable of delivering 25 to 35 miles of range per hour. The charging rate is set at $0.26/kWh. Users will need the EVXY app (
https://evenergygroup.com/evxy) for payment. Each station includes a QR code with instructions and a phone number for assistance.
“We worked to identify locations across Springfield where these chargers would be in high demand and where infrastructure was ready to go,” said CWLP Chief Utility Engineer Scott Rogers. “As EV adoption continues to grow, this pilot project gives CWLP valuable experience operating charging infrastructure while helping meet increasing demand for public charging access.”
All CWLP EV charging station locations include:
• University of Illinois at Springfield Lot I (in operation)
• Parkway Pointe, 3400 block of Freedom Drive (in operation)
• W. Wabash Avenue and Drawbridge Road (in operation)
• W. Wabash Avenue and S. Park Avenue at Wabash Trail Parking
• Municipal Center West, Monroe Street
• BOS Center, Washington Street
• Lincoln Home National Historic Site, 7th & Edwards Streets
• Y block, 4th & 5th Streets
• Old State Capitol, 5th & Washington Streets
This project was funded by a grant from the Illinois Finance Authority's Community Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant, Subgrantee Opportunity. The total project budget is $786,000, with $629,000 covered by the grant. Funding to the Illinois Community Charging Program comes from a $15 million federal award to the Illinois Finance Authority under the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant Program. CWLP’s pilot is expected to be among the first charging projects in Illinois to go into service under this grant.
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EV charger at UIS Lot I
