Electric Vehicle Charging Station To Be Installed In Berkeley

BERKELEY, NJ — Berkeley residents who drive electric vehicles will soon have a place to charge in Berkeley.

Berkeley Township received an $8,000 grant to add an electric vehicle charging station at town hall.

This will be Berkeley's first electric vehicle charging station, with the next nearest stations in Toms River and Forked River.

“There’s a lot of incentive out there for green vehicles and we were pleased we got this grant,” Mayor Carmen Amato said during a council meeting in February. “Not only will this be available for use for township vehicles...It’s also available for anybody who needs a quick charge on their way around, so it’ll be available to the public as well.”

Officials said the charging stations will be available to the public to use for free.

"Until we see how much demand there is for the use, the administration thought it would be a nice service to offer out there to somebody whose stuck out there without any charge," said administrator John Camera.

The “It Pay$ to Plug In” grant was awarded by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

The program provides grants to offset the cost to purchase, install and maintain electric vehicle charging stations in New Jersey. Electric vehicles reduce greenhouse gases and improve air quality, according to the New Jersey DEP.

Amato said the grant will pay for most of the installation, which includes one charging station with two chords allowing two vehicles to charge at once.

The charging station is expected to be installed this spring.

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