EAST ST LOUIS, Ill. (WAND) - When you visit a state park in the future, you can charge your electric vehicle while you camp or stop for an afternoon hike.
Governor Pritzker joined the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and local leadership to announce a donation of multiple electronic vehicle chargers from the electric mobility company EVBox to the state. The company’s 40 Level 2 electric vehicle (EV) chargers will allow visitors to Illinois state parks to conveniently charge their electric vehicles. The chargers will be available at Illinois state parks, historic sites, museums, beaches, and other widely used public areas.
“I am proud to announce that the Illinois Department of Natural Resources has installed the first set of electric vehicle charging stations at four Illinois state parks with the help of our partners at EVBox,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This is a milestone that brings us closer to reaching our ambitious goals of encouraging a reduction in fossil fuel emissions, advancing further electric vehicle adoption by making charging more convenient, and making it easier for people to explore all that our incredible state parks have to offer.”
Three of the chargers have been installed in state parks that are within 60 miles driving distance of St. Louis: Frank Holten State Park in East St. Louis, Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area near Carlyle, and Washington County State Recreation Area near Nashville. A fourth charger was installed at Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area in Cass County in central Illinois.
"We know the future is electric and we're committed to making sustainable transportation more accessible, not just for Illinois residents, but visitors too," said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. "By bringing EV chargers to these sites, we are supporting our clean energy goals so more and more people can enjoy Illinois!"
These are the first EV chargers made available for public use by the State of Illinois. The state will not charge a fee for drivers to use the chargers.
Additional EVBox chargers will be installed at IDNR sites around Illinois, including Starved Rock State Park in LaSalle County, Giant City State Park in Jackson County, Shabbona Lake State Recreation Area in Dekalb County, William Powers State Recreation Area in Cook County, and more.
To help advance electric mobility in their home state, EVBox, based in Libertyville, teamed up with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). Together, they worked on a plan designed to significantly boost the availability of charging stations statewide.
“It’s an honor to be part of the effort to electrify Illinois’ beautiful state parks and support Governor Pritzker’s ambitious vision for a greener, more sustainable future. On behalf of EVBox, we’re thrilled to mark the first of several donations of EV chargers to be installed across the state parks” said Dan Fedor, EVBox’s North American Senior Business Development Manager. “Together, we’re making EV charging more accessible and helping to preserve the environment for generations to come.”
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