April 21, 2016Hempstead opens free electric car recharge stations for residents

Hempstead town residents zipping around the Long Beach Barrier Island can now recharge their electric cars for free in the beach hamlet of Point Lookout.

The Town of Hempstead unveiled its free electric charging station at the town-owned East Marina, just east of Loop Parkway, to offer 24-hour service to plug in electric cars.

Hempstead officials have opened three solar carport charging stations, which can charge up to six vehicles at a time, at no cost to residents. The town stands to receive a $4,000 annual credit for the solar power generated at the lot, town spokesman Mike Deery said.

The charging stations cost $200,000 and were funded by federal grants paid to the Flushing-based Green Power Technologies and Island Park-based EmPower Solar. The town also has a hydrogen charging station at its Conservation and Waterways office to charge the town’s electric vehicles.

Each electric car generally needs about four hours to completely charge. The charging stations include 120V or 240V plug-ins that connect to an outlet similar to the opening to a vehicle’s fuel tank.

The marina is located across the street from the town’s Point Lookout Town Park and next to a small downtown area of restaurants in Point Lookout, east of Long Beach.

“Why not recharge and relax at the beach or at a local restaurant while your car recharges at the town’s electric powered car recharging station?” Hempstead Town Supervisor Anthony Santino said.

Residents must first register with the California-based provider ChargePoint at its website, ChargePoint.com. Electric car drivers are required to have a credit card on file, although they will not be charged for connecting at the Point Lookout station.

The electric charging station can also be activated with an app or using any credit card with a RFID chip. The station is open to all Hempstead Town residents.