Car charging is now an option at the Cape May-Lewes Ferry Terminal in New Jersey.
Two new Level 2 dual-port Electric Vehicle Charging Stations are in the public parking lot near the terminal building.
“We're pleased to be able to complement what we have already at the Lewes Ferry Terminal with two new, newly installed, operational electric vehicle charging stations at the Cape May Ferry Terminal, DRBA spokesman Jim Salmon said. "We were able to get a grant from the State of New Jersey’s electric vehicle charging grant program.”
Salmon says that $12,000 grant came from the “It Pays to Plug In” program.
The stations were installed over the summer and became operational in November.
Two charging stations have been available at the Lewes Terminal since 2015.
Salmon says having charging stations on both sides of the Ferry makes the ferry a more friendly option to drivers using electric vehicles.
“I think it’s important to be able to offer these types of amenities for our customers," Salmon said. "You know the electric vehicles…there’s some hesitancy to use them on long trips for fear of not being able to charge your vehicle. And having charging stations at both ends of our Ferry system is an important amenity for those customers who are traveling.”
They are available on a first-come, first serve basis. Users are charged per kilowatt hour used based on local market rates.
Salmon says it’s not known how many people driving onto the Ferry actually own electric vehicles, but ridership on the Cape May-Lewes Ferry rebounded during the busiest months of 2021, compared to 2020.
According to a Delaware River and Bay Authority report, more than half-a-million passengers rode the ferry between May and October this year and 171,600 vehicles also made the crossing.
