Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Coming To Mentor

MENTOR, OH — Two electric vehicle (EV) charging stations will soon be installed in Mentor.

The first EV charging station will be built at Garfield Park and is being funded by the Ohio EPA with some municipal dollars. Matt Schweikert, Mentor's director of public works, said the location was chosen because of its proximity to I-90.

That station is awaiting a power drop from FirstEnergy and the arrival of hardware used in construction of the station, Schweikert said. The Garfield Park station should be up-and-running prior to the second city-owned EV station.

The second EV charging station will be constructed at Mentor City Hall using Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency funds. That station will be built between spring and summer 2022.

"We'll use these as test sites and see how much demand there is for them. Part of the appeal is it costs us very little money," Schweikert told Patch.

A city spokesperson said they would consider the success of these two EV stations and then consider where else in Mentor stations could be added.

"This is a tiny first step and we are in the process of identifying other potential locations on city-owned properties, as well as need," a Mentor city spokesperson told Patch.

Areawide EVs

The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency plans to construct 48 EV stations throughout northern Ohio in 2022.

Once the stations are finished, they should be available for use by the general public.

"Funding for the program, totaling $3 million, is being provided by NOACA through its federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) program, which aims to improve air quality and reduce congestion on the region’s roadways," the agency said in a statement.

NOACA believes the electric vehicle charging station program could improve air quality in northern Ohio.