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A massive electric vehicle charging station is set to open on Chicago’s West Side, with the grand opening happening at the end of this month.
Residents in the area said that the new stations mean they won’t have to take a long trip to charge their cars. City officials are calling it a move in environmental equity.
The station, called the Power Up Plaza, features 16 chargers for electric vehicles in West Garfield Park.
The plaza is not only helpful for drivers, but also meaningful to this community.
Resident and EV driver Aretha Berdell is happy to learn that the new charging stations are closer to her home.
“It’s literally six minutes away from my home,” she said. “It’s amazing, I don’t have to go all the way downtown to charge.”
The closest charging station is more than two miles away, as Berdell said can take about 20 minutes to drive to the nearest station.
The man behind the Power Up Plaza, Justin Clemons, said he grew up in the area and that EV stations are needed everywhere, especially in West Garfield Park.
Clemons said that the plaza is the first of its kind in the city.
“This access being here is, I think, monumental to show that we are part of the future as well,” he said.
City officials are calling this a big move in both equity and accessibility.
A spokesperson for the Chicago Department of Transportation said, “The Power Up Plaza reflects that vision for community-driven solutions that reduce pollution, support fleet electrification, and invest in communities overlooked for infrastructure investment.”
The grand opening is scheduled for the end of September, coinciding with the expiration of EV incentives, including federal tax credits for all vehicles.
The hope? To encourage people in the area to go electric.
“If you rent and want to own an EV car, it would be very difficult if you couldn’t charge it,” Clemons said.
“It’s in the community, and this way it encourages more people to be electric,” Berdell said.
The Chicago Department of Transportation is currently surveying residents to learn more about future EV projects.
Tara Molina is a general assignment reporter for CBS2 Chicago.
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©2025 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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