Several contractors were busy installing an electric vehicle (EV) charging station outside the Giant supermarket on Rt. 412 in Lower Saucon Township Thursday. Details about the new parking lot charging station weren’t immediately available, however once operational it will likely be well-used by local EV owners who frequent the shopping center.
As more Americans turn to electric vehicles (EVs) for savings on gas and environmental reasons, the number of EV charging stations is expected to increase significantly.
So far the Saucon Valley hasn’t seen a proliferation of EV charging stations, but one in the Giant supermarket parking lot near Hellertown could be a sign of things to come.
On Thursday, contractors were working to install the charging station near the front of the store, which is located in the Creekside Marketplace shopping center on Rt. 412.
An emailed request for more information from the company’s public relations office wasn’t immediately returned Thursday.
According to an interactive map on the website PlugShare, a public EV charging station is located at JCL Automotive in Hellertown and a charging station for hotel guests only is located at Homewood Suites near the Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley in Center Valley.
In South Bethlehem, more than half a dozen charging stations are listed on the map.
PlugShare listings include specifications for individual charging stations as well as reviews and other information.
According to the map, two public Level 2 Volta stations are located at the Giant store at 2918 Easton Avenue in Bethlehem Township, where they are available for free use by customers between 6 a.m. and midnight daily. Another Volta station is available at the Giant on 25th Street in Palmer Township, while Whole Foods in Lower Macungie Township is another example of a grocery store chain that offers customers the use of a charging station.
A new sign next to the parking space where the EV charging station was being installed at the Hellertown Giant says there will be a two-hour limit for cars parked in that space.