Osawatomie is getting the word out that they are on the cutting edge of providing charging stations for EV travelers as they cross the state of Kansas. As part of the 2023 Electric Report, compiled by and provided to Osawatomie City Council by Utilities Director Terry Upshaw, Osawatomie’s 12 level 2 EV charging stations have been utilized over 60 times since the first station came online August 2023. Data collected by the stations, which are operated by Chargepoint, show frequent visitors from Paola and Johnson County, and many more from across the country. Osawatomie has the only publicly accessible charging stations in Miami County and their 12 stations account for over 2% of the available chargers in the state of Kansas.
EV users are charged per kilowatt hour they are plugged in, and an additional cost is incurred for “idle charging,” or remaining plugged in once charging is completed.
The chargers have been paid for through a federal grant program and some private donations, so the city can make it known to travelers that Osawatomie is a city on the cutting edge of technology.
