Gov. Pat Quinn and State Rep. Bob Rita (D-Blue Island) arrive in a Mitsubishi electric car, a car built at a plant in Normal, Illinois, for a press conference on Thursday at the Illinois Tollway Oasis at near O'Hare airport.
(Chicago, IL) – March 30, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn and other officials yesterday announced the availability of electric car fast-charging stations at four Illinois Tollway Oasis locations, charging stations that will soon be available at all seven Tollway Oasis locations.
“We want Illinois to be the greenest state in America,” Quinn said.
Through the “Chicago-Area Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project”, 26 fast-chargers have been already installed, with 73 total fast-chargers planned.
“Today, the Tollway is taking steps to ensure that electric vehicle drivers on our roadways have the same convenient access to electricity as other drivers have to fuel,” said Illinois Tollway Executive Director Kristi Lafleur.
“Electric vehicle owners must know that their travel on the Illinois Tollway will speed their journey and not hinder it,” said State Rep. Bob Rita (D-Blue Island), Chairman of the House Tollway Oversight Committee. “With these stations, we will indeed speed their trip.”
Motorists can now charge an electric vehicle in under 30 minutes using the current fast-chargers at 7-Eleven sites at Tollway Oases along the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) at the Des Plaines Oasis and on the Tri-State Tollway (I-94/I-294/I-80) at the Lake Forest Oasis, O’Hare Oasis, and Chicago Southland Lincoln Oasis.
Before plugging in to one of the Tollway’s fast-chargers, drivers must purchase a payment card from 350Green ( www.350Green.com/cards). The $21 card includes three 15-minute sessions at fast-charging stations.
The City of Chicago is overseeing the project’s installation of 280 charging stations overall to increase accessibility to electric vehicle charging.
Gov. Pat Quinn promotes the use of electric cars during a press conference on Thursday at a new charging station located at an Illinois Tollway Oasis near O'Hare airport.
With a budget of $8.8 million, including $1.9 million in public funding and $6.9 million in private investment, charging stations are being installed mostly in areas with dense residential and worker populations and in high-traffic areas.
“This project is an excellent example of Mayor Emanuel’s commitment to promoting sustainability throughout the city of Chicago, while maximizing the positive economic impacts and job creation of these efforts,” said Karen Weigert, Chief Sustainability Officer at the City of Chicago.
“With this announcement, the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois have the largest and most advanced fast-charging EV infrastructure in the U.S.,” said Mariana Gerzanych, co-founder and CEO of 350Green.
“Whether you are at a mall, a drugstore or now on the open road, electric vehicle drivers can take comfort in knowing a charging station will be just around the corner.”
Gov. Pat Quinn
Perhaps given the history of the Chevy Volt (personally a bad name for anything electronic) they should have refueling stations (electrocution stations) installed at every firehouse in the state, right next to the defibrillators required by state law. that no one knows how to use.
Posted by Jim Sather | March 30, 2012, 6:33 PM