Garrett Neese/Daily Mining Gazette Houghton City Manager Eric Waara cuts the ribbon at a ceremony honoring Houghton’s electric vehicle charging stations. The chargers, installed in January, draw around 20 vehicles a day.

HOUGHTON — Houghton’s new electric vehicle chargers have seen steady usage since they were activated in January.

The city held a ribbon-cutting Thursday to formally celebrate the two ChargePoint stations, located at the parking deck at Isle Royale Street & Shelden Avenue.

Two 62.5-kilowatt stations are available, each with standard and Tesla heads. They can fully charge a vehicle in as little as 20 minutes.

The chargers usually see about 20 cars a day, said Houghton City Councilor Robert Megowen. It’s seen regular use from both locals and tourists, including a pickup truck that stops in two to three times a week.

“What’s neat about it is they can walk down and go to Jimmy John’s, go to the Suomi,” he said. “It’s really centrally located.”

With the direct current pairings, one car charging can go twice as fast by drawing on power from both stations, said Paul Marttila of U.P. Engineers & Architects. City Manager Eric Waara came up with the idea to have four spots, Mattila said.

“When one’s done, they can just swap the cord,” he said.

The chargers have been great news for many visitors to the area, Marttila said. He gave the example of a business traveler from Wisconsin who visits several times a year.

“Previously he wouldn’t take his electric vehicle because he was coming from Wausau,” he said. “Now he knows these are here, and he’s pretty excited.”

Drivers pay Upper Peninsula Power Co.’s residential kilowatt-hour charge plus a $1 city fee for maintenance.

A $110,000 grant from the Department of Energy, Great Lakes and Environment (EGLE) covered the equipment. Houghton and Upper Peninsula Power Co. (UPPCO) paid for the installation.

While they’re enjoying downtown, drivers can check on the status of the car’s battery through an app.

More chargers could come eventually. The city has discussed adding chargers on the deck by the Ambassador, though no firm plans have been made, Megowen said.

“We’re always looking to make a step forward,” he said.