McHENRY — The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center had two electric vehicle fast-charging stations installed by Potomac Edison, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp.
The stations are among the first such units the company has installed in its Maryland service area.
Fast-charging stations, also known as direct-current fast chargers, can provide an 80% charge for most vehicles in less than an hour, enabling drivers to recharge during the day or on a break. Each of the fast-charging stations at the visitors center can accommodate one vehicle per station. Charging time is limited to a maximum of four hours.
The Garrett County Chamber and Visitors Center also had one Level 2 charging station, which can accommodate one vehicle for charging and deliver 8 to 24 miles of range per hour of charging, also installed by Potomac Edison. The maximum amount of charging time for the Level 2 charging station is also four hours.
There is a fee to use the stations: 30 cents per kilowatt hour for DC and 16 cents per kilowatt hour for AC.
The new stations are part of Potomac Edison’s EV Driven pilot program, a five-year Maryland Public Service Commission-approved program designed to benefit the state’s environment by reducing auto emissions and support Maryland’s goal to reach 300,000 zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2025.
Over the last two months, Potomac Edison has also installed new dual-port Level 2 stations at Garrett College in McHenry and at Oakland municipal parking lot, located at 108 East Oak St.
Electric vehicles offer a clean, efficient alternative to gasoline-powered vehicles, averaging as low as one-third the cost-per-mile of gasoline. Depending on the battery capacity, EV driving range can vary from about 80 miles up to 280 miles or more. The installation of public charging stations through the EV Driven program will help reduce “range anxiety” for EV owners, as well as provide key data to help determine future implementation efforts throughout Maryland and other areas served by FirstEnergy’s utilities.
The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce is the largest professional business association in the region with 550 members representing every industry in the community. The mission of the chamber is to organize, support and represent Garrett County’s business community in advancing common interests and additionally to promote Garrett County’s hospitality and recreation industry by attracting visitors to the county through comprehensive marketing. The Garrett County Chamber also serves as the destination marketing organization and Heritage Area Management entity for the county.
For more information about the Chamber of Commerce, call 301-387-4386 or go to visitdeepcreek.com.
