Charging stations for electric vehicles arrive at Kampgrounds of America campsites

In North American campsites, the level of interest in electric vehicles is rising, today mostly cars, tomorrow maybe even recreational vehicles. During its annual convention, Kampgrounds of America (KOA), the largest campground chain in the USA (520 facilities), announced a program for the implementation of level 2 chargers designed by Jamestown Advanced Products in some of their campsites in the United States and Canada. Charging stations will be gradually available starting from January 2022.

According to KOA’s latest research, one in five campers have an electric vehicle in their household, compared to 12% of non-campers. The national average for electric vehicle ownership is around 7 percent. That is why the group is excited to offer this amenity to those who own electric vehicles and go camping with a tent or rent mobile homes, bungalows and so on, or use recreational vehicles.

Each unit will be able to charge an electric vehicle while also providing the amperage for the RVs through an available outlet. The Level 2 chargers utilize a 240-volt electric supply and can charge the vehicle up to 10 times faster than a level 1 (120-volt) charger.

Charging stations will allow to add 50-, 30- or 20-amp outlets for a complete solution that meets all power needs. No prior knowledge is required for installation as each unit arrives pre-wired and installs similarly to standard RV power outlets that campground owners are familiar with. Each unit will also include a universal access charging socket and 7.6 meters of cable. Registered campers will have priority access to the charging stations.

“KOA is always looking for innovative ways to make our properties more environmentally friendly and reduce our carbon footprint. This amenity is a first-of-its-kind for a campground network, and we could not be more excited to offer EV chargers as an amenity to campground owners and guests alike”, said Toby O’Rourke, president and CEO of Kampgrounds of America. “It’s an important step in promoting sustainability in the outdoor industry and making it easy for electric vehicle owners to enjoy their favorite activities such as camping, road tripping and RVing”.