Lake Forest to Install Vehicle Charging Station

People who drive electrical vehicles will soon be able to charge them in Lake Forest.

Installation of a charging station is scheduled to begin this week in the parking lot directly behind City Hall between Oakwood and Forest Avenues on the north end by First Baptist Church of Lake Forest.

Signage and special green pavement striping will indicate its location, and the station will contain one dual-plug switch with retractable cords. Users will be charged $1 per hour, with the City of Lake Forest receiving 57 cents per hour and the remaining 43 cents going to ComEd and the service provider.

Customers will be able to pay for the charge with a credit card and will be able to choose how many hours of electricity they would like to purchase. Installation is expected to be complete by the end of November. 

The $18,625 project will be paid in part by a $8,587 grant. The rest of the cost will eventually be made up by user fees, the city said in a press release.

“The charging station was identified in the City’s Strategic Plan as a method for advancing environmental stewardship initiatives,” Mayor Don Schoenheider said.  “I’m excited that Lake Forest is a community leading this effort.” 

The City of Lake Forest jointly bid this project through its affiliation with the North Shore Electricity Aggregation Consortium. In 2012, the consortium initiated a referendum on electricity purchasing to reduce Lake Forest residents' electric bills.

Contact Matt Havlik at havlikm@cityoflakeforest.com or (847) 810-3677 for more information.