ST. CLAIR CO, Ill. — If the state of Illinois intends to meet a goal of having at least one million electric vehicles on the road by 2030, it will need to put at least 10,000 chargers into circulation. That effort took a small step forward Thursday when Gov. J.B. Pritzker and others announced 55 chargers would be placed at state parks and Department of Natural Resource sites. One of the first is already in place at Frank Holten State Park in St. Clair County.
EVBox, an Illinois-based manufacturer of the chargers, donated the stations, which provide about 75 miles per each hour of charge. They use the same amount of electricity as a dryer or an electric stove.
Drivers will not have to pay a fee for using the charging stations at state parks.
The state reports approximately 120,000 electric vehicles already on Illinois roads, but officials cite recent studies that show concerns about a lack of charging options is deterring more use. About 1,200 of them are currently open to the public in Illinois.
The state is also using a federal grant that will be used to make charging stations available every 15 miles on state highways.
In addition to Frank Holten State Park, three other DNR locations already have the donated chargers including the Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area near Carlyle, the Washington County State Recreation Area near Nashville along with the Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area in Cass County.
“With this initiative we'll get more people out to enjoy nature while reducing air pollution that comes from internal combustion engine vehicles and in the context of this beautiful state park we're preserving and protecting our environment for our children," Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said.
Officials are hoping that being conscious about the environment will bring rewards through increased tourism.
“These EV chargers are yet another convenience we can offer to an electrical vehicle driver as we encourage them to visit Illinois’ scenic parks and historic sites. Our hope is that visitors and tourists will stop at an Illinois state park, have a picnic, hike a trail while their car charges for a couple of hours before they head to their next destination. And hopefully their experience is delightful enough that they’ll tell their friends about it and so on and on they too will visit our beautiful parks,” IDNR Director Natalie Phelps Finnie said.
Drivers can locate available charging stations in the St. Louis region at EnjoyIllinois.com