RALEIGH -- The city introduced two electric-car charging stations Tuesday, the first of many sprouting up across Raleigh as electric and hybrid cars become more common. Officials showcased the recharging stations in front of City Hall on Hargett Street. A third station is scheduled to be installed near the convention center next week.
The plan is for Raleigh to have at least 30 stations by September, most of them downtown in public parking garages or near N.C. State University's Centennial Campus. Those will be part of a bigger wave that will bring more than 350 recharging stations to North Carolina, most of them financed by federal stimulus money.
Raleigh's efforts are part of a partnership the city formed last year with Indianapolis and Portland, Ore. Mayor Charles Meeker said the move will make Raleigh a leader in electric vehicles in the Southeast.
"We're trying to get ahead of this, but also trying to anticipate consumer demand," Meeker said. "There are a lot of people interested in green activities right now, and this is certainly one of them."
The recharging stations, with 9-foot cords, will provide free electricity, though drivers will need to pay the parking meter.
The parking spaces in front of City Hall are not reserved for drivers with electric cars, so anyone will be able to use them for now.
Meeker said the pods are meant for drivers who fully charge their cars at home but want to recharge for an hour or two to get a few extra miles of power while they're downtown.
Raleigh's initial stations are being donated by Eaton Corp., an Ohio-based company with operations throughout the Triangle and the state. They would have cost about $3,000 each had thecity paid for them, said Nelson Daniels, Raleigh's sustainability technician.
Assistant City Manager Julian Prosser said the company's offer to donate its technology helped Eaton's product get selected for the initial rollout.
Auto technology companies are eager to have their products on Raleigh streets by summer, when the city will host the annual electric car conference of the Electric Power Research Institute, a nonprofit, utility-industry think tank.
The Triangle is seen as a future proving ground for electric and hybrid vehicles. NCSU installed a station on its Centennial Campus this year so prospective students can take campus tours in an electric car.
City of Raleigh staffers use 10 hybrid cars for city work, and they expect to get 10 additional electric cars next year.
