A ribbon-cutting event was held on January 14th to officially open our new electric vehicle charging stations. On hand to welcome this exciting new addition to our community were Mayor Kirsten Holzheimer Gail, Ward 5 Councilwoman Christine McIntosh, Greater Cleveland Partnership Energy Services Director Andrew Smyser, and former Planning and Development Director Allison Lukacsy-Love (in her last official ribbon cutting for the City of Euclid). 

The new level 2 charging stations, made possible by a grant from the Greater Cleveland Partnership, are now available for public use in the parking lot between Euclid Public Library and City Hall. The chargers are accessible through the Chargepoint mobile app where EV owners can easily create an account and set up payment for using stations like ours nationwide. 

The cost to use the charging stations is 22cents per KWH, and the total cost or time needed to obtain a full charge varies based on battery size, EV model and current level of charge. Several local EV owners joined us for the event, trying the new stations with their various car models.

Angel Washington, who drives a fully electric Ford Mustang Mach-E said “I was so excited to see these chargers going in. It was scary when I first bought my car because I wasn’t sure when and where I’ll be able to charge again.” Washington now has an in-home charger installed, which she said was installed by a local electrician and she was reimbursed by Ford for the installation as part of their EV incentive program.

Another active proponent of public charging stations was Euclid resident Kevin Miller, who owns a Nissan Leaf and has been working with his Councilwoman Christine McIntosh to get charger access in Euclid. “I did some quick math and put dollars in and miles out, that led to me buying a Leaf,” Miller said. He’s owned his EV for three and a half years and says he’s spent a total of $118 on maintenance- $100 being an accessory battery.

“This project is a great example of our progressive theme, and our commitment to make Euclid a great place to live, work and visit,” said Mayor Kirsten Holzheimer Gail.

For more information on our new EV charging stations, visit www.cityofeuclid.com .