Home & Garden

'Juice Bar' Gives Electric Vehicles A Place To Recharge In New London

The recharging station unveiled at Water Street Parking Garage on Jan. 17 is one of many that are popping up across Connecticut. The state's goal is to have them no more than 15 miles apart.

Thinking of buying an electric car but worried you might run out of juice? Now there's a place to charge your car in New London. 

On Friday, the city unveiled a "Juice Bar" at the municipally-owned Water Street Parking Garage that will allow people with electric vehicles to recharge. This is one of many such charging stations that are popping up across the state. New London's position as a transportation hub for rail, road, and ferry service, and the garage's proximity New London train station, ferry docks, and the highway makes it an ideal location, noted Paul Wessel of the Connecticut-based Green Parking Council.

Mack McCleary, Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, said that the state's goal is to have charging stations for electric vehicles no more than 20 minutes apart or 15 miles away from any location in Connecticut by the end of the first quarter of 2014. 

"We look forward to becoming the first state in the nation to do it," McCleary said at the official "plugging in" ceremony. 

McCleary said that "range anxiety" stops many consumers from buying electric vehicles, because they worry they won't be able to recharge their cars when they need to. "Having electric vehicle charge stations is key to eliminating that," he said. 

Speakers at Friday's ceremony included Kip Bochain, chair of New London Parking Commission, Paul Wessel, former director of the Green Parking Council of America, New London Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio, Alex Kragie, Chief of State of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and Mack McCleary, DEEP Deputy Commissioner.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here