For the past year, people traveling Grand County in electric vehicles could stop at the Foundry movie theater in Fraser to use a free charging station. However, drivers will notice that is no longer the case.
On Wednesday, Fraser’s Board of Trustees approved fees for the level two charging station at the Foundry. Starting Thursday, it now costs $1.25 per hour to charge vehicles and a $5 per hour penalty fee if the car stays connected for more than 15 minutes after finishing.
“We’ve provided the level two charging station at the Foundry for a little over a year now for free, and it has seen a lot of usage,” said Michael Brack, assistant town manager.
July saw the highest number of users at the station, topping 100 sessions, and the average use time was around 2 hours, Brack said. He added that average prices for level two charging stations ranged from $1 to $2.50 per hour.
On a monthly basis, maintaining the charging station costs the town anywhere from $130 to $210, he said.
The trustees agreed that whatever fee the town charges should be enough to break even and that a penalty would help ensure as many people have access to the charging station as possible.