DeKALB – The City of DeKalb recently got its first city authorized electric vehicle charging station with a free charging pilot project.

The station, promoted by the City of DeKalb and its Citizens’ Environmental Commission, is located in the Vaughn Parking Lot, accessible from both First and Second Streets, with two parking spaces reserved at the east end of Tom Sparks Auto, according to a Monday social media post. The site is one block from Lincoln Highway near the downtown shopping district.

The charging station was paid for by the City of DeKalb and the public works department supervised its funding and installation, the post read.

Charges from the station are free to the public as part of the pilot project, according to the post. Sufficient usage will determine whether additional units would be installed in the city.

Aside from the new unit, there also are electric vehicle charging stations on the Kishwaukee Water Reclamation District and on the first level of the Northern Illinois University parking garage on Normal Road. Use of the reclamation district’s station is free of charge, while drivers pay for usage at the NIU parking garage station.

All three stations are part of ChargePoint, the largest network of EV charging stations in the country.