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In a first for Milwaukee County, two new fast-charging stations for electric vehicles have opened at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Nissan and ABB Inc. installed the two fast-chargers on campus at UW-Milwaukee, one in the parking structure at the Engineering Math Sciences building and another at the Klotschke Center parking structure.

There is no cost to use the charging stations, other than the cost to park.

ABB Inc. in New Berlin manufactures the fast-charging stations. Another is planned for ABB’s new building at the UWM Innovation campus in Wauwatosa.

Unlike traditional charging stations, which can take four to eight hours to charge a vehicle, fast-charging stations can charge the vehicles in 30 to 90 minutes.

Vehicles compatible with the new charging stations include the Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi I-MiEV.

The fast-chargers units installed at UWM are suitable for students, staff and faculty who are going into the Klotsche Center & Pavilion for a workout or running to a class, said Heather Flanagan, ABB’s marketing communications manager for electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

“It’s all about what makes most sense in each particular use case,” said Flanagan in a prepared statement. “For example you wouldn’t require a high-voltage quick charge unit at home. But they become much more necessary around town to enable greater driving range.”

The new stations are the third and fourth fast chargers in the state, with the others at ABB's plant in New Berlin and in Madison.