20 Level 2 Chargers Installed at Department of Transportation HQ

Photos by Paul Braren

20 EVSE L2 Chargers at DOT

An EV charger installation at DOT headquarters in Newington is now open. The location is 2800 Berlin Turnpike. The 20 level 2 chargers are from EVSE, LLC, an Enfield, CT based manufacturer. The chargers have J-1772 connectors. They are 40-amp units and there is a 4-hour parking limit. That amount of time should get most vehicles ~140 miles of charge.

These chargers are currently open to the public and the price is right (free)! We do not know how long either of these conditions will last. The chargers are at the DOT building, not in a downtown parking lot, so not the most convenient for someone who does not have business at DOT or the immediate area. But we’ll take more chargers anywhere we can. This location is noted in PlugShare with a number of happy check-ins over the free juice.

One of the features of these chargers is auto-coil. When the cord is disconnected from the vehicle, there is a mechanism to automatically retract the cord into the housing of the charger, which is clearly seen in the photo of charger number 20 below. This is a valuable feature. Many older chargers have cords that need to be manually wrapped, which is a nuisance that people frequently don’t bother doing. The cord ends up flopping on the ground, subject to damage from becoming overly entangled with itself, snow or ice, or cars driving over it. That is the best way to get out-of-service chargers. Whether it is auto-coil or other systems that do a similar thing, this is a best-practice with EV chargers.

The Rivian R1T in the photos has a camper package. This is a third-party package that fits the Rivian. Rivian camper packages have seen lengthy delays.