Drivers of electric and hybrid vehicles in Wayne County now have a new option for charging up their cars. Earlham College recently announced the installation of two new charging stations on the north side of its Richmond campus, adding to the growing infrastructure for electric vehicle owners in the area.
The Level 2, 11-kilowatt charging stations are available at a rate of 40 cents per kilowatt hour. Earlham College employees receive a discounted rate of 25 cents/kWh.
According to PlugShare, a website that lists driver-contributed information on charging stations, several other options exist in Wayne County. These include a two-station location in Hagerstown (price unlisted), a station at the Warm Glow Candle outlet north of Centerville (15 cents/kWh plus parking fees), eight Tesla charging stations at Meijer in Richmond (price unlisted), three stations at Home2 Suites on National Road East near I-70 (price unlisted), and two stations at the Cronin Toyota automobile dealership (price unlisted).
“I think it opens up people’s ability to consider buying an electric vehicle,” said Thea Clarkberg, Earlham’s assistant director of admissions. Clarkberg, who drives a hybrid electric vehicle, expressed her excitement about the campus charging stations, calling them “an investment in our future as a planet.”
The new charging stations were funded through Earlham’s Evans, Johnson, Nicholson Endowment Fund. The college hopes that the stations will be so well-used that more will be needed.
Nationwide, sales of electric and hybrid vehicles continue to climb. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, these vehicles represented over 21% of new, light-duty vehicle purchases in the third quarter of 2024.
Jamey Pavey, director of Earlham’s Center for Environmental Leadership, hopes the new charging stations will attract more community members to the campus. “Richmond does not have a lot of chargers, especially on the west side of town. I know some folks will start to use these chargers, and hopefully they’ll explore campus while they’re waiting on their car to charge.”
