HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — The township's first electric vehicle (EV) charging station was unveiled on Aug. 3.

The Hillsborough Township Charging Station is the first public charging station on public property and the third public charging station in Hillsborough.

Hillsborough Township Mayor Shawn Lipani cut the ribbon on the two-port Level 2 EV charging station by ChargePoint, which is located at the front (main)parking lot at the Municipal Complex.

The charging station was installed with the funding from an $8,000 grant, "It Pay$ to Plug In Electric Vehicle Charging Grants Program," that was awarded to the township.

"The Township hopes that with this first EV charging station on public property in Hillsborough, it will assist electric vehicle owners in their travels and encourage more drivers to invest in energy-efficient vehicles. Thank you to all the employees who made this come to fruition," said Lipani.

The rate for charging electric vehicles at the Municipal Building is $1.50 per hour for the first three hours and $5 per hour for additional hours. Based on the battery type, charger configuration and circuit capacity, Level 2 charging adds about 10 to 20 miles of range to a plug-in electric vehicle per hour of charging time.

Per the recently passed Township Ordinance #2022-05, it is unlawful for any person to park or leave a vehicle in a space designated for the recharging of electric vehicles unless the vehicle is connected for electric charging purposes. Any vehicle violating this requirement is subject to a fine and/or towing at the owner's expense.

Currently, there are 80,583 EVs registered in New Jersey, with more than 4,000 registered here in Somerset County, and that number is only expected to grow within the next few years, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

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