By Melissa St. Aude | Casa Grande Dispatch
The distance of more than 100 miles between Phoenix and Tuc-son is too far for most electric vehicles to make a round trip on one charge and a lack of quick and efficient chargers along the route has made the journey out of the question for some drivers of alternative energy cars.
But a new Blink DC fast charger in Casa Grande should change that and encourage drivers to consider electric vehicles for lon- ger trips.
The new Blink DC fast charger is the first such charger on the route, and it’s
strategically placed so that drivers traveling from Phoenix to Tucson or the other direction can stop and recharge before continuing on. Located at Discovery Market, 2128 E. Florence Blvd, the 480-volt Blink DC fast charger can revive an electric car battery from 0 to 100 percent in less than 30 minutes.
“With this fast charger, people can stop in, charge their car and get a bite to eat while the car charges,” said Mike Mennenga, owner of Discovery Market.
Two other Blink chargers at the station and others in the area take several hours to fully revive a battery.
Leisa Brug, director of the Governor’s Office of Energy Policy, spoke to a small crowd gathered Friday for the opening of the quick charging station. She said a lack of charging station infrastructure is a set-back for electric vehicle drivers when plan-
ning trips.
“This infrastructure is critical to get from Tucson to Phoenix,” Brug said.
Another Level 2 charging station is in Picacho, but it is manufactured by a company other than Blink.
If you’d like to discuss energy issues, contact Court Rich, Co-Chair of Rose Law Group’s Renewable Energy Department at crich@roselawgroup.com
