FOND DU LAC (NBC26) — If you live in Fond du Lac, you might have noticed something new in the parking lot at the park or the library: an electric vehicle charger.
“This is the wave of future for our fleets, whether it’s eventually electric buses or smaller vehicles," said Jordan Skiff, Public Works Director for the City of Fond du Lac. "We’re going to be in a position where we will probably have chargers in our own facilities.”
EV owners can now charge up in the city, thanks to three new charging stations at Lakeside Park, Hamilton Park and the Fond Du Lac Public Library. These Level Two charging stations can bring an empty battery back to 80 percent strength in four to eight hours. This could attract more people to the area, said Skiff.
“If you’re thinking about coming to an event here in Lakeside Park, I'm thinking about going to Walleye weekend, I’d like to take my vehicle, I don’t know if I can charge it while I’m there," said Skiff. "If this information is available to them where they know that we now have his charging stations, it’ll make them comfortable to do that.”
The chargers come from Alliant Energy. The company has been adding more and more EV chargers in Wisconsin, said Morgan Hawk, spokesperson for Alliant Energy.
“Fond du Lac’s really a prime location for these EV charging stations," he said. "It’s an excellent opportunity to accommodate these drivers, and we want to make this area more accessible to EV drivers throughout the entire state.”
The chargers will hopefully encourage more people to make the switch to electric vehicles, said Hawk.
“It will provide environmental benefits to the entire community, so fewer emissions. It’s really better environment for everyone to enjoy, not just everyone that is driving an EV.”
