County officials watches as Essex County Environmental Commission Chairwoman Jennifer Duckworth, fourth from left, uses one of the electric car-charging stations at Essex County Turtle Back Zoo. The new charging stations for electric cars were recently installed in the parking garage at Turtle Back Zoo and jurors’ parking garage at the Essex County Government Complex in Newark. From left are Freeholder Leonard Luciano, Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr., Freeholder Patricia Sebold, Duckworth, and Essex County Environmental Commission member Gray Russell.
WEST ORANGE / NEWARK, NJ — Essex County recently installed new charging stations for electric cars at Essex County South Mountain Recreation Complex in West Orange and the Essex County Government Complex in Newark. The charging stations are part of the county’s initiative to promote environmentally friendly alternatives and fulfill a growing need as electric vehicles become more popular.
“Over the years, we have attracted more and more visitors from around the Tri-State Area to Turtle Back Zoo and our South Mountain Recreation Complex. As electric vehicles become more popular, it will be important for us to have charging stations,” County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said in a release. “The charging stations make our facilities more attractive for visitors traveling long distances and hopefully will encourage more people to at least think about cleaner, environmentally-friendly vehicle options.”
“These stations are great for the area, especially as more and more people buy electric cars. I am very happy that Essex County can provide this service to the public,” Freeholder Patricia Sebold said, according to the release.
“The charging stations are a great way to promote alternative fuel vehicles,” Jennifer Duckworth, chairwoman of the Essex County Environmental Commission, said.
Two charging stations have been installed on the ground level in the Turtle Back Zoo parking garage at the Essex County South Mountain Recreation Complex in West Orange. Two other charging stations have been installed on the first level of the parking garage in the jurors’ parking lot outside of Veterans Courthouse in Newark. It is currently free for owners of electric motor vehicles to “fill up” at the four stations. There are no attendants at the stations; instead the county is relying on motorists’ courtesy not to monopolize use of the spaces.
Essex County Public Works installed the ChargePoint stations, one of the largest suppliers of systems to provide electricity for electric cars. Owners of electric motor vehicles would need a ChargePoint account to operate the electric “pumps.” If they need an account, drivers can sign up for one at the pump.
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