Blink charging stations are open 24 hours a day at the Brentwood Municipal Center and the Brentwood Library.

By SUSAN LEATHERS
Brentwood Home Page
Charge! Nope, that’s not a call to use your credit cards though a lot of that type of action is taking place this holiday season.  

But if you have an electric car, you can charge away at two sites in the city  and, at least for the moment, you can charge your car for free. Late last week two charging stations, each with two chargers, were installed in Brentwood. One is in front of the Brentwood Municipal Building, 5211 Maryland Way, the other at the Brentwood Library, 8109 Concord Road.

City Engineer Mike Harris said the Blink stations became operable Monday, though a glitch has caused one of the stations at each site to not work correctly. Harris said the city is “a little bit ahead of the game,” by installing the stations now but “eventually people will know that they are here.”

The technology will soon be available via GPS systems or an app to show motorists where the charging stations are, much like drivers can find out where to find the closest gas station.

The City Commission approved Brentwood’s participation in a pilot program in September after Harris learned about Harris learned about the Electric Vehicle Project through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (AARA) funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.

The Blink stations are Level 2 chargers made by Ecotality, the Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation. The total cost to the city, not including the cost of the electricity itself, should be about $2,500, Harris said.

The stations are open and available 24 hours a day.