MAINE, USA — Efficiency Maine has announced it will install new electric vehicle charging stations in parts of Aroostook and Washington counties.
Twenty new DC fast-charging plugs will be installed at eight stations across the counties by the end of 2023, according to Molly Siegal, Efficiency Maine Program Manager for Electric Vehicle Initiatives.
“In these regions of the state, there are not a lot of fast chargers,” Siegal explained. “There are a number of level two chargers, which are a little bit slower.”
The new DC fast chargers will be able to charge an electric vehicle in 20 to 30 minutes. Current chargers can take two hours to fully charge an electric vehicle. These new stations will be set up on U.S. Route 1 in Fort Kent, Presque Isle, Danforth, Calais, Machias, and between Madawaska and Van Buren; Route 11 in Ashland; and Route 9 in Beddington.
“The goal here is for somebody to be able to travel all the way from north to south and east to west in our state in an electric vehicle without experiencing what’s called range anxiety or having to worry about draining the vehicle's battery,” Siegal said. “The other goal is to be able to serve local residents in these areas so somebody could feasibility own an electric vehicle in one of these towns and counties.”