LG&E, KU unveil plans for first public electric vehicle charging station in Louisville
Representatives from Louisville Gas & Electric (LG&E) and Kentucky Utilities (KU) gathered with local officials recently to unveil plans for the Louisville area’s first publicly available electric vehicle (EV) charge station.
LG&E and KU currently have 19 public charge stations in their service territories, but the majority of them are located at automotive dealerships.
The new charging station, to be located in the 1100 block of East Washington Street, will be the first of 20 easy access public stations installed across the service territories by LG&E and KU through their new Electric Vehicle Charging Station Program.
The program, approved in April by the Kentucky Public Service Commission, will provide convenient charge locations to EV drivers for a small hourly fee throughout the service area.
“Building additional charging station infrastructure across Kentucky will help meet the growing needs of electric vehicle drivers and provide greater access to regional charging stations for our customers who are concerned about their transportation environmental footprint,” Paul Thompson, chief operating officer of LG&E and KU, said.
Charging stations will provide convenient quick-pay options for customers and use digital display screens. They will also be equipped with charging plugs that lock when they are not in use and provide an estimated power range of approximately 25 miles per hour of charging.
Yum! Brands became the first of the utilities’ commercial customers to host a privately owned charging station on its property for employees of its Louisville campus.
