ILLINOIS – Officials have installed new electric vehicle charging stations at four Illinois state parks, including three within a short drive of St. Louis.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has installed the state’s first set of EV chargers at the following locations….
Frank Holten State Park (East St. Louis, Illinois)
Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area (Carlyle, Illinois)
Washington County State Recreation Area (Nashville, Illinois)
Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area (Cass County, Illinois)
These are the first EV chargers that the state of Illinois has made available for public use. The state will not charge a fee for drivers hoping to use the chargers.
The state of Illinois has partnered with electric mobility company EVBox to make the new EV charging stations a reality.
“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,” said Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker via a news release Thursday.
Visitors at the four aforementioned Illinois state parks with Level 2 electric vehicle chargers can charge their electric vehicles while camping overnight or stopping for an afternoon visit.
EVBox has offered 40 EV chargers through its partnership. These will be placed at Illinois state parks, historic sites, museums, beaches, and other widely used public areas.
“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.”
Illinois says there are plans to install EVBox chargers at 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, among other locations.
