Nine months after becoming the first major U.S. city to announce an electric vehicle charging network, Houston, Texas is finally installing its first charger.

NRG Energy subsidiary eVgo installed its so-called “Freedom Station” Wednesday at the H-E-B Buffalo Market grocery store at the intersection of Buffalo Speedway and Bissonnet Street.

The station allows for two cars to charge simultaneously, presumably while patrons shop for groceries. The station uses one 480-volt DC fast charger that can charge electric vehicles at the rate of about 160 miles of range per hour, or about 30 miles in a quick 10-minute charge, and one less-powerful 240-volt Level 2 charger that can charge at the rate of about 25 miles of range per hour.

Three more Freedom Stations will be installed within the next two weeks at the Shops at Houston Center in downtown Houston, the Walgreens at 19710 Holzwarth Street and the Walgreens at 8942 West Sam Houston Parkway North.

Twenty-five additional Freedom Stations are scheduled for installation around Houston by the end of the year and 25 more are scheduled for 2012.

Sources

“Houston Public Car Charging Stations Launch This Week,” FuelFix, Sept. 7, 2011.