ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — The City of Rockford has installed two additional electric vehicle charging stations in downtown Rockford, near the Embassy Suites hotel.
The City partnered with Blink Charging Co. to install the new Level 2 chargers, which can add approximately 46 miles an hour to an EV battery, depending on the car’s capabilities. Each station allows two vehicles to charge simultaneously.
The R1 Regional Planning Council established a program in partnership with Blink to help governments in Northern Illinois purchase EV charging stations at a discount rate.
“In Rockford, we are focused on sustainability and stand in support of advancing needed transportation alternatives for our region,” said Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara. “We were excited to take advantage of the procurement program developed by our partners at R1 (Planning Council), and to be one of the first municipalities in our region to deploy EV charging infrastructure. We hope that investments like this will continue to help strengthen our community’s future EV readiness.”
Blink is a nationwide leader in EV charging equipment and networked EV charging services, enabling EV drivers to charge at thousands of locations throughout the United States.
According to PlugShare, an EV charging mapping service, Rockford already has several public Level 2 charging stations:
- Nicholas Conservatory, 1354 N. 2nd Street
- Swedish American Hospital, 1418 E. State Street
- ComEd, 123 Energy Avenue
- Machine Shed Restaurant, 7475 E. State Street,
- Thunder Bay Grill, 7652 Potawatomi Trail
- Hilton Garden Inn, 7595 Walton Street
- Swedish American Cancer Center, 3535 North Bell School Road
- Swedish American Creekside Medical Center, 3505 N. Bell School Road
- Javon Bea Mercyhealth Riverside, 8201 E. Riverside Blvd
- Pig Minds Brewery, 4080 Steele Drive
- Belvidere Oasis, on I-90
The area also offers several DC Fast Charging stations that can add up to 100 miles of range within 15-30 minutes, depending on the vehicle:
- Electrify America, Sam’s Club, 7151 Walton Street
- Tesla Supercharger, Woodman’s Grocery Store, 3155 McFarland Road (Tesla only)
- Tesla Supercharger, Cherryvale Mall, 7200 Harrison Avenue (Tesla only)
