The Town of Westport unveiled its electric vehicle charging station this week, becoming the first station in the nation to offer a pay-by-phone option.
The pay-by-phone feature allows users to monitor the charging progress of their vehicles and then pay for the charge via smartphone. The feature was installed by Maryland technology company Mobile Now LLC.
Connecticut has about 25 publicly accessible electric vehicle charging stations. The Westport location is the first to be installed under the Connecticut Light & Power car recharging research project, designed to judge how an influx of electric vehicles will impact the state’s power grid capabilities.
CL&P’s parent company Northeast Utilities plans to have 30 charging stations in New England contributing to the study.
The Westport location is a Level II, 240-volt charging station that can fully charge a Chevy Volt – Connecticut’s most popular electric vehicle so far – in about four hours, roughly half the time of a standard 120-volt outlet.
The cost for a complete charge in Westport is $3.
