Groton ― Groton Utilities has announced that four electric vehicle chargers are available for the public to use for free outside the city’s Municipal Building to help with the transition to electric vehicles.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at noon Wednesday, April 17, after the Groton Utilities meeting. City Mayor Keith Hedrick and Groton Utilities Director Ron Gaudet will speak during the ceremony.

The chargers, on the left-hand side outside the building, are currently free by using the ChargePoint app, according to a news release.

The units were funded through Groton Utilities’ allocation of Connecticut Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative conservation funds, which are savings from conservation measures, the release stated.

The release cites that an average vehicle emits four times as much carbon dioxide as an average electric vehicle. The chargers are “quiet, lower cost of maintenance, kind to the environment and they help lower our dependence on fossil fuels.”

“Upwards to 80% of people drive less than 40 miles a day for their commute, and with more and more EV models having a single-charge range of more than 300 miles, it is increasingly possible to go through a week on a single charge,” the release states. “Electric vehicles still cost more than a standard car, but with an abundance of rebates available it is relatively easy to substantially lower the purchase cost.”