Twin State Fords electric vehicle (EV) chargers were busy

ST JOHNSBURY — Twin State Ford’s electric vehicle (EV) chargers were busy after the eclipse. With southbound traffic at a standstill, drivers lined up to fill their EV batteries before continuing the long, slow trip home, said employee Tim Letourneau. They consumed two megawatts of electricity, enough to power 1,500 homes. Monday’s eclipse was, among other things, a stress test for the region’s emerging electric vehicle infrastructure. The good news is that the region earned a passing grade. Despite the number of eclipse visitors behind the wheel of electric vehicles, few (if any) ran out of power despite being stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic on primary and secondary roads for hours on end, according to officials in both states. However, the unprecedented number of electric vehicles traveling Northeast Kingdom and North Country roads exposed weaknesses. Because only 14 charging stations exist along Interstate 91/93 between Cannon Mountain and Canada, what few there are get crowded fast