FEBRUARY 22, 2023 – Electric vehicle drivers will soon be able to charge their batteries at one of two Fort Knox locations.
Following months of planning and infrastructure groundwork, eight charging ports are scheduled to be operational at each of the two sites on or around April 1. Fort Knox Directorate of Public Works Energy Program manager R.J. Dyrdek said a lot went into coming up with the best course of action.
“Our charging needs will be solved for years to come,” said Dyrdek. “We thought about the needs of the community not just in the now, but for the long-term.”
After assessing the utility requirements necessary, along with cost and community accessibility considerations, Dyrdek said it was determined that one charging location would be off Eisenhower Avenue across from Burger King and the other at Cadet Command’s Potts Motor Pool near Pickett Road and St. Lawrence Street.
Dyrdek said the charging ports located off Eisenhower Avenue will be fully accessible to all EV drivers, and the ones at the motor pool will be divided between public and government vehicle-only access. However, he explained the layout of the design will have a significant advantage.
“The eight ChargePoint stations at each location can be coupled together,” said Dyrdek. “They’re electrically connected in groups of two, so the eight can be used like four and provide the supercharge.”
A large part of the planning entailed deciding what level of charge would best benefit the community, according to Dyrdek. He said after evaluating the different levels and charging times required by each, there was one clear choice.
“We made the decision to get the Level III,” said Dyrdek, “This allows EV drivers to choose the supercharge level when connecting two together.”
Drivers will have the option to select receiving a level II or level III charge when they pull up to the charging stations, Dyrdek said. He explained choosing the maximum level also means maximum charging speed.
“When you plug in and pay with your credit card, you can select the supercharge and it will take less than 30 minutes on average to fully charge a vehicle,” said Dyrdek. “The big electric vans take about three hours total, but they would take about 72 hours on a home charger.”
The charging ports will be equipped with “smart head” technology, according to Dyrdek, meaning the charger communicates with the vehicle to manage the charge properly. He said although the final phase of construction is just around the corner, there is one other aspect of planning being finalized.
“We’re working out the rates right now,” said Dyrdek. “Drivers will pay according to the level of charging they choose and at a cost competitive with current electric rates.”
With electric vehicles now part of the Fort Knox fleet and the number of EV drivers on post growing, Dyrdek said this is a welcome addition to the installation.
“It now not only provides us the ability to charge our electric government vehicles on post,” said Dyrdek, “it allows the entire electric vehicle owning community to recharge right here at Fort Knox.”
Story by Jenn DeHaan
Fort Knox