1000 New EV Charging Stations coming to KC

In January, KCP&L announced plans to build a large network of charging stations for electric vehicles in the region. This “Clean Charge Network” is slated for completion this summer, and will support more than 10,000 electric vehicles. The stations will be free for the first two years through partnerships with companies where stations are located, and able to charge any type of electric vehicle.

Each charging station will have two plugs. A mobile app will help drivers find the nearest charging station. Some of the stations will be rapid-charge, and Nissan, maker of the Leaf, is helping support the cost for those. In addition to KC, there will be stations in St. Joseph, Sedalia, Clinton, and other nearby areas.

This will be the largest installation of EV charging stations so far in the nation. This positive step should help reduce “range anxiety,” the biggest obstacle to wider adoption of all-electric vehicles.

According to Stephen Werts, Sierra Club member, who owns two electric vehicles, “Having a wider charging network will also improve the utility of smaller, less-expensive EVs and plug-in hybrids, which have limited-range batteries and are ideal for use in the city. We all benefit from increased EV usage through improvement in the air quality of Kansas City, with the cars creating zero emissions and the increasingly clean power plants that fuel them being outside the city center.”

Stephen invites any who are interested to attend the Prairie Village Earth Fair at Shawnee Mission East High School on March 28, where the Mid-America Electric Auto Association will be displaying and promoting electric vehicles.