Mayor Pete Buttigieg and the City’s Office of Sustainability will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony for its first electric vehicle (EV) charging station on Wednesday, April 11 at noon. The ribbon cutting celebrates the installation of the station at the southeast corner of Jefferson and Lafayette Boulevards in downtown South Bend. Members of the media, and EV owners and enthusiasts are encouraged to join.
“As a mid-sized urban community, South Bend is ideal for electric vehicles,” said Mayor Buttigieg. “More and more people are switching to these cleaner and more efficient cars, and the City is planning its infrastructure for a greener future.”
“Electric vehicles reduce air pollution and greenhouse gases, improving air quality in South Bend. This pilot project, along with our involvement in regional and statewide EV planning efforts, are early steps in creating a network of vehicle chargers to support this clean technology,” said Therese Dorau, director of sustainability.
The dual-port Level 2 EV charger serves two dedicated on-street parking spots across from the County-City building. Parking and charging are free for a two-hour maximum. Electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles must be plugged in during the two-hour parking period or risk getting a parking violation. Non-electric vehicles parked in the EV spaces will also be ticketed. These parking restrictions will go into effect on Monday, May 21.
###