Electric Vehicle charging is spreading across New England, making it easier to drive electric and reduce our dependency on fossil fuels. Through a combination of federal grants and state efficiency programs, ReVision Energy has been selected as the designated installer for many of these charge ports, and we'd like to highlight some of them in this column.
In 2019, ReVision Energy and ChargePoint won a bid from Efficiency Maine to install DC Fast Chargers (DCFC) and Level 2 Chargers at seven sites statewide, including the Kennebunk North, Kennebunk South, and West Gardiner service plazas on the Maine Turnpike.
ReVision initially installed two 50 kW CPE-250 DC Fast Chargers at both Kennebunk service plazas. These DC Fast Chargers can add 200 to 250 miles of range per hour. This infrastructure was Maine's first significant investment in long-distance EV travel corridors. In 2022, the project expanded, adding two ChargePoint Express Plus 150 kW DCFC units at each Kennebunk location. These units are the first public application of ChargePoint’s fastest charging technology in the United States.
These chargers make driving through Maine in an EV exponentially easier, allowing drivers to charge their cars while visiting the service plazas. The chargers are three times as fast as the older 50 kW versions and many newer model EVs can take advantage of them to compress charging times.
The success of this two-phase project proves the effectiveness of partnerships in expanding EV infrastructure and emphasizes the potential for public and commercial EV charging facilities.
“Tons of open spaces and they all appear to be working. This is one of my favorite charging spots. It's clean, well lit, and just outside the large rest stop on the Maine turnpike.”
“Clean service area, fast charging, in our VW ID.4.”
