Publicly available EV charging stations on Green Street, Concord

Next time you are in downtown Concord, you may see some exciting new technology available to drivers of electric vehicles (EVs): battery charging stations! These Level 2 charging stations, which can provide up to 35 miles of range per hour of charge, are now available to the public at the State-owned parking lot at 33 Green Street.

Investments in EV charging infrastructure by states, utilities, EV charging equipment providers and others continue to grow, with companies like Electrify America leading the charge with a $1.2 billion investment. Per the Alternative Fuel Data Center’s Station Locator Tool, there are currently 114 publicly accessible, non-proprietary EV charging sites in New Hampshire.

Automakers are making major electrification commitments and announcing many exciting new models, including electric pick-up trucks and SUVs. According to the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, the median range of all of the EVs offered for sale or lease in the U.S. in 2020 was more than 250 miles per charge. More than 40 different EV models are available in the Northeast alone, and consumer interest is growing.   

In New Hampshire, EV registrations increased from about 1,300 in 2016 to over 4,800 in 2020. As the number of EVs on New Hampshire roads increases, the buildout of charging infrastructure will be essential to support travel in and around our great state. As you may know, New Hampshire received approximately $31 million from the Volkswagen (VW) Settlement and New Hampshire’s VW Beneficiary Mitigation Plan committed 15% of that allocation, the maximum allowed, to the buildout of EV charging infrastructure. 

A competitive solicitation seeking the installation, maintenance and operation of Level 2 EV charging stations at the Green Street lot was released in April of last year. A New England renewable energy company, Revision Energy, was selected to complete the installation, maintenance and operation of two dual-port Level 2 charging stations. What’s more, their project proposal comes at no cost to the State, which leaves these funds available for future charging projects. The project was recently completed and the charging stations are now available for use by visitors, residents and employees in downtown Concord.