EV charging pilot established in three local towns

Pictured: Two public EV chargers have been installed in the Chincoteague public parking lot behind the Village Mall. A second set of chargers have been installed in Onancock in a public lot behind the Corner Bakery. A third set of chargers should be installed in Cape Charles prior to the end of this year.

A&N Innovative Solutions, a subsidiary of A&N Electric Cooperative, is establishing a public electric vehicle charger pilot program in three Eastern Shore towns.

Innovative Solutions is partnering with the cooperative’s power supplier Old Dominion Electric Cooperative to install two single-port, tandem pole-mounted chargers in Chincoteague, Onancock and Cape Charles. The units are level 2 electric vehicle chargers.

The chargers in Chincoteague and Onancock are installed and are now live. Innovative Solutions plans to install the Cape Charles chargers prior to the end of this year.

The pilot phase will help test the local market, gather data on charger use, load profiling, general operations and ongoing maintenance needs.

“A&N Innovative Solutions is excited to help support a local community need with this public EV charger initiative,” said Innovative Solutions spokesperson Jay Diem. “We’re looking forward to learning more about what the public EV charging landscape will look like through this pilot phase.”

The initial rate to charge at one of the units will be 45 cents per kWh with an additional $1.50 per hour parking fee.

The EV chargers in the pilot have been mounted on a utility pole about 10 feet from ground level. To use the charger an EV driver will scan a QR code placed below the units, which would lower the charging port to allow for vehicle charging.

The level 2 chargers will allow a vehicle to charge between 18-28 miles of range per hour.

They have been strategically located close to restaurants, shopping and other amenities.