Route 7 is now an EV Corridor as officially designated by the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). These alternative fuel corridor (electric is only one of them) designations are intended to raise awareness among current EV owners and the public at large of the access to nearby charging. This is part of a strategy to promote interstate cooperation and a national build out of charging corridors. All corridor designations have to be re-certified every 5 years. This designation currently applies to the section of Route 7 from the I-95 interchange to New Milford.

Along with the designation, the ceremony held at Fodor Farm in Norwalk also acknowledged the donation of a level 2 charging station by JuiceBar, a Connecticut manufacturer (based in Norwalk) of EVSE.

The presenters were (left to right):

Tammy Thornton, Wilton Go Green

Barry Kresch, President, EV Club of CT

Senator Bob Duff (Majority Leader)

Carlo Leone, CT Department of Transportation

Mayor Rilling of Norwalk

Daphne Dixon, President of Live Green CT

First Selectman Dunn of Brookfield

First Selectman Marpe of Westport

Senator Will Haskell (Transportation Committee co-Chair)

Paul Young of JuiceBar

2 new level 2 charging stations installed at NCC

The Westport Electric Car Club joined officials from Norwalk Community College, the State of CT and Town of Norwalk for the ribbon cutting marking the official unveiling of 2 new level 2 electric vehicle charging stations. In the photo, NCC President David Levinson is flanked by State Senator Bob Duff and Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling.

NCC President David Levinson announced plans by NCC for its campus to be carbon neutral by 2025. With that as background, two electric vehicle charging stations have been installed at the NCC West Campus. These stations were funded by a CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) grant that was obtained for the college by Eric Gribin, the Director of its Building Efficiency and Sustainable Technology (BEST) program.  The grant was supplemented by a donation from Karl Chevrolet of New Canaan.

These charging stations, as described by Tracy Babbidge, the Bureau Chief for Energy at DEEP, are 2 of 265 such installations across 55 towns throughout the state that have been funded by DEEP grants. Ms. Babbidge noted that transportation emissions account for 40% of emissions statewide. The efforts made by the state have earned it a 5th best ranking among all states for energy efficiency, improved from 9th three years ago.

These charging stations are open to the public, and per the terms of the DEEP grant, charging is offered free for 3 years. According to State Senator Bob Duff, 90% of CT residents should now be “range confident,” as opposed to being concerned about range anxiety.

Norwalk’s Mayor Rilling noted that this brings the number of public charging stations in the city to 7, and that Norwalk has accumulated credits to get another 3.