Salida's Plugged In

The City is on track to be the first in the nation to open Rivian electric vehicle charging stations to the public. 

The installation of the eight new charging stations at 232 G St. has begun, and Rivian—the electric vehicle manufacturer installing the stations—has agreed to make four of them open to the general public. The City negotiated for the four universal hookups so as not to divide or alienate some electric vehicle users from others. 

The lease between the City of Salida and Rivian can be renegotiated after a decade, and at that point, the community could push Rivian to unlock all of its chargers.

As part of the lease agreement, they will also install six trees along the Monarch Spur Trail and will resurface the City-owned parking lot between 2nd and 3rd Streets with a slurry seal to ensure long-term viability of the parking surface. 

The charging station and other improvements are fully funded by Rivian and at no cost to taxpayers. The project is estimated to be completed and open for use this summer. 

This project will expand and improve Salida’s accessibility for electric vehicles for visitors and residents, and moves Salida one step closer to reaching its sustainability goals.