This National Drive Electric Week, Ameren Missouri is announcing that more than 160 electric vehicle (EV) charging ports have been installed across its Missouri service territory so far in 2023 thanks to more than 40 businesses participating in the company’s Charge Ahead program.
“The Charge Ahead program has stimulated the development of EV charging station infrastructure within our service area,” said Greg Lovett, manager of energy services at Ameren Missouri. “These new stations are beneficial for businesses, too, allowing customers and employees to conveniently charge their vehicles at hotels, grocery stores and many other locations. We’re eager to continue our partnerships throughout the state to support widespread adoption of electric vehicles.”
EV charging stations
Ameren Missouri’s Charge Ahead program has been offering incentives since 2020 to businesses seeking to install EV charging stations at various locations. The incentives include up to 50% of the total project cost, or $5,000 for Level 2 ports and $20,000 for Level 3 ports (also known as DC Fast Chargers).
The maximum number of qualifying ports at each premise will vary based upon the business type
The maximum number of qualifying ports at each premise will vary based upon the business type. More than 2,000 EV charging ports can be found throughout Missouri. “This has been one of the easiest experiences with this kind of project for us,” said Heidi Wilcox, CEO of First Call Hospitality. “We were pleased with the outcome at our Hampton Inn location in St. Charles and plan to do more installations at other hotel locations in Missouri.”
Supporting cleaner environment
In addition to supporting a cleaner environment, these charging stations can bring in additional revenue for businesses or be a complimentary service that may bring in new business, increase customer dwell times or attract new tenants. The Ameren Charge Ahead program has over $1.5 million in funds still available to incentivize customers who are planning to install EV charging stations at public and multifamily locations.
National Drive Electric Week, Sept. 22 through Oct. 1, is a nationwide celebration to raise awareness of the many benefits of all-electric and plug-in hybrid cars, trucks, motorcycles and more. On Tuesday, Sept. 26, Ameren Missouri will be teaming up with the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis to host a ‘Ride and Drive’ event in the Garden’s parking lot from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This event is free, open to the public and will offer educational demonstrations relating to EVs and EV test drives through a variety of makes/models. Pre-registration is highly encouraged.