Groton — The city’s first public-use electric vehicle charger has been installed in Washington Park, Groton Utilities and the city announced.

The charger, located on the corner of Meridian and Mitchell Streets in the park, is free to use and “can fully charge an electric vehicle battery in as little as two hours, depending on the capacity of the battery,” according to a GU news release.

“We are really excited to have this charger in the park — it’s an ideal location for people to drop by and enjoy the park while they charge up their car,” GU Director of Utilities Ron Gaudet said in a statement. “Electric vehicles are the future — they’re coming — so it’s important to us at Groton Utilities to be able to provide this service to our local community.”

GU said in the release that the charger is part of its Energy Conservation program that encourages people to find ways “to save money, energy and the environment through rebates on energy efficiency-related purchases, including Electric Vehicles, EV chargers, Mini split heat pumps and attic insulation, among other things."

GU said rebates are available, including through its own program, that lower the cost of an electric vehicle, and an increasing number of electric vehicle models allow people to drive more than 300 miles after a single charge, according to the release.

GU Manager of Communications and Community Outreach Dan Bouges said in a statement that the publicly owned utility wants "to do our part in helping make Groton the ideal location for people to live and work."

People interested in more information about the program, rebates and the charger can call GU Customer Service at (860) 446-4000.