Metra’s Level 3, DC fast charger on the corner of 11th Street and Broadway in April 2025.
Kala Hunter
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify that users have to pay to use all these EV chargers.
Columbus’ city transit department has finished construction on 10 electric vehicle charging stations in Columbus, METRA announced Friday.
In efforts to electrify the city and cater to a growing electric vehicle market, the city said it would use money from a special 1% sales tax used to fund transportation projects, known commonly as TSPLOST, to fund this initiative.
In March 2024, Columbus City Council agreed to purchase and install the 10 charging stations for $934,899.58 from Georgia Power from the “growing demand for electric vehicle charging stations”, per the resolution. It was unanimously approved by the city council members present for the resolution.
The funding comes directly from the $25 million dollar River Valley Commission TIA/TSPLOST. This project represents about 4% of the total TSPLOST money for METRA.
The stations all come from ChargePoint, a company that makes EV chargers. One of the chargers is a “level 3” charger, or a DC fast-charger, which can charge anywhere from 10%-80% of the battery of the vehicle in a time frame of 25 to 52 minutes, depending on the vehicle’s battery capacity, according to Car and Driver.
The other chargers are all “level 2” chargers, which do not charge as quickly.
All chargers cost money to be used, according to Everett Fleming, the assistant director for METRA.
One of 10 EV charging stations installed by METRA throughout Columbus is at Shirley Winston park. Kala Hunter
Where are they? Parks and parking garages
11th Street and Broadway: One station, level 3
Columbus Civic Center: Two stations, level 2
Manchester Expressway Park and Ride: One station, level 2
Columbus City Hall: One station, level 2
City Service Center Parking Garage: One station, level 2
River Center Parking Garage: One station, level 2
Front Avenue Parking Garage: One station, level 2
Bay Avenue: One station, level 2
Cooper Creek: Two stations, level 2
Shirley Winston: One station, level 2
Two Chargepoint EV charging stations at Cooper Creek Park constructed in partnership with METRA and Georgia Power. Kala Hunter
More EVs showing up in Columbus
Since last August, when construction began to replace the EV charger on 11th Street and Broadway Avenue, and the Ledger-Enquirer last reported on the state of EVs in Muscogee County, registered EVs and charging stations have grown.
There are now 862 registered EVs in Muscogee County, the Department of Revenue reported. Last July there were 682.
Charging station location websites like Plugshare, EVHype and Chargehub show varying numbers on the amount of chargers installed in the area. But since last August, all have increased.
August 2024 EV charging stations: Plugshare 63, EVHype 42, Chargehub 85
“We need to reduce emissions and provide zero emission alternatives for citizens to connect to public transit,” Everett Fleming, interim director of METRA, said in an email.
This story was originally published April 8, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
Kala Hunter is a reporter covering climate change and environmental news in Columbus and throughout the state of Georgia. She has her master’s of science in journalism from Northwestern, Medill School of Journalism. She has her bachelor’s in environmental studies from Fort Lewis College in Colorado. She’s worked in green infrastructure in California and Nevada. Her work appears in the Bulletin of Atomic Science, Chicago Health Magazine, and Illinois Latino News Network.
