Check Out the New Free EV Charging Stations at GJ's Las Colonias

Say hello to our new EV Charging Station at Las Colonias Park in Grand Junction. It's in place, awesome, and free to use.

The Grand Junction City Information Page on Facebook shared the news late yesterday afternoon. You'll find this EV Charging Station at the newer portion of Las Colonias, near the new water park.

Did I mention they are free? How did this come about? According to the Grand Junction City Information Page, the new Level II charger was funded in part by grants from the Colorado Energy Office and Regional Air Quality Council.

Okay, first question: What is a Level II charger? I didn't know for sure, so I Googled it. According to Google:

Level 2 charging refers to the voltage that the electric vehicle charger uses (240 volts). Level 2 chargers come in a variety of amperages typically ranging from 16 amps to 40 amps. The two most common Level 2 chargers are 16 and 30 amps, which also may be referred to as 3.3 kW and 7.2 kW respectively.

Well, that's clear as mud. Further investigation revealed these facts about Level II chargers. According to evtown.org:

Level 2 charging equipment is compatible with all electric vehicles and plug-in electric hybrid vehicles. Level 2 chargers have a cord that plugs directly into the vehicle in the same connector location used for Level 1 equipment.
Depending on the battery technology used in the vehicle, Level 2 charging generally takes 4 to 6 hours to completely charge a fully depleted battery. Charging time can increase in cold temperatures. Level 2 chargers are commonly found in residential settings, public parking areas, places of employment and commercial settings.

Give these a whirl. According to the Grand Junction City Information Facebook page, a ribbon cutting ceremony is planned for sometime in July.