EV charging station opens, 1st of 16 to be installed by Minnesota Power

DULUTH, Minn. — Minnesota Power celebrated the first of many Electric Vehicle fast chargers being installed across the region.

A network of 16 fast chargers is planned to be finished by the end of the year.

The goal is to reduce Range Anxiety – the fear of running out of battery because no chargers were nearby.

“There will be four DC fast chargers in the Duluth area once this project is done, and the remaining 12 chargers will be spread throughout Northern Minnesota, from international falls down to silver to Silver Bay, down to Hinckley and over to Park Rapids. So when this project is complete, no Minnesota Power customer will be further than 30 miles from a public fast charger.” said Katie Fry, Manager of Customer Programs and Distribution Services for Minnesota Power.

These fast chargers can fully charge an EV in about 30 minutes.

Minnesota Power Chose commercial locations so EV owners could get groceries or shop while they charge up.

This also increases accessibility for EV owners that are unable to install a home charging station.

“I actually work pretty close by to this charging station, and so it’s very nice to have something close by as an EV owner. I actually do have a charger at home. So, I mostly charge at home at night, but there will be times during the week, maybe where either I forgot to charge at night, or maybe I’ve had some extra driving throughout the day, and it’d be a great spot to stop and charge” said Jonathan Thornton, Local EV Owner

This specific charger is in the parking lot of the Burning Tree Plaza Super One.

Each of the 16 charging sites will feature fast chargers equipped with a minimum of two charging plugs.

Most locations also will include a Level 2 charger, offering a cost-effective alternative for EV owners or serving as a backup if the DC fast charger is in use.

Progress update on the project is on Minnesota Powers website.