Electric vehicle drivers have a new spot in Downtown Gainesville to charge their cars. Indigo Energy and the Norton Agency teamed up to bring one electric vehicle charging station to the Hunt Tower parking lot.
This will be the first charging station in Downtown Gainesville, aside from the station behind the Hampton Inn.
“We saw a big gap there, a big need,” Colson Rivers said, an account manager with Indigo Energy. “And so we wanted to start with our community and serve them first.”
Installation wrapped up on Tuesday, and the parking space was resurfaced for the electric charging station. The charging station is open for public use and has two charging plugs. This makes it possible to charge two electric vehicles at once.
It is a level two charging station, which makes charging quick and efficient. The charging station is also designed to endure inclement weather, and the charging connectors are safe to use in any weather condition.
“This is probably the fastest one in the state of Georgia,” Rivers said. “So that's going to move a car through in probably about a few hours is what they need to get topped up.”
It costs $3 an hour to charge a vehicle, and drivers can conveniently leave their vehicles in the space as they enjoy the Gainesville square. Indigo Energy determined the Hunt Tower building is a centralized spot for electric vehicle drivers to charge their cars.
Norton Agency manages the Hunt Tower building, and Norton Agency director of brand management Emilie Cisco said the partnership with Indigo Energy will make the office suites a modern workplace.
“Knowing that, where people are going and the popularity of these electric or hybrid cars and knowing that our tenants are going to start asking for it, this is now something that we can offer our tenants as we open up opportunities there,” Cisco said.
Hunt Tower had to eliminate two regular parking spaces for the charging station, but Cisco said the charging station was a worthy step-up.
The charging station cost $15,000 to install, and Rivers said the low-entry barrier will make it possible for the company to expand its stations. Indigo Energy plans to install an electric vehicle charging station in Dawsonville behind the City Hall.
“We're working with apartment developers, office developers, hospitals, cities, parking decks, hotels, even some convenience stores as well,” Rivers said. “And those gas station-type chains, grocery stores… This is for all different kinds of verticals.”
As electric vehicles rise in popularity, more charging stations will be needed to accommodate the demand.
Rivers said many people are discovering that day-to-day electric vehicle maintenance is typically less expensive than traditional combustion cars. Electric vehicles eliminate the need for oil changes and transmission fluid, and they also have fewer parts than combustion cars.
“It has about 1/10 the parts of a combustion car, so there's a lot fewer things that can go wrong,” Rivers said.
