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.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, Fraser\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve 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,\u201d said Michael Brack, assistant town manager.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
On a monthly basis, maintaining the charging station costs the town anywhere from $130 to $210, he said.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n