WICHITA (FoxKansas.com) -- The city's first electric vehicle charging station is slated to open this week in downtown Wichita, a milestone on the road to make cars greener and more environmentally friendly.
The facility, operated and maintained by Westar Energy, was set to open Thursday at 100 N. Broadway. Owners who drive electric vehicles, such as the Chevrolet Volt, Nissan Leaf and Ford Transit, will be able to use the public electric vehicle charging station.
According to a broadcast report, the downtown Westar facility will be rated as a Level 2 center, meaning it will be able to provide a 240-volt charge for vehicles. A Level 2 charger is more robust and able to provide a faster charge than a standard household 120-volt outlet. Westar does not plan to charge customers for the service.
"EV’s have the ability to help reduce our dependency on foreign oil by using a fuel we generate right here in Kansas, electricity,” said Jim Ludwig, a Westar executive told KWCH-TV.
Electric vehicles have been gaining in popularity in recent years. Most major automobile companies offer such vehicles or are planning to introduce them in coming weeks. Cadillac, the luxury American automobile brand, has also announced its plans to introduce an electric vehicle in the next few years.
Westar, which has eight electric vehicles in its fleet, currently operates a similar charging facility in Topeka but has plans to expand the service to Emporia and Lawrence.
FoxKansas.com Staff Writer Alfred Charles contributed to this report. He can be reached at acharles@nptvgroup.com.
