*Strasburg Ramada to offer electric car charging station

By James Heffernan -- jheffernan@nvdaily.com

STRASBURG -- A local businessman has teamed up with a Florida company to put a charge into the Ramada Inn on the north end of town.

Car Charging Group Inc. has signed a deal with SJTS Developers LLC, led by Jerry King, to provide an electric vehicle charging station in the parking lot of the hotel at 21 Signal Knob Drive.

The agreement marks the Miami company's initial entry into Virginia and its first with a member of the hospitality industry.

The satellite-linked ChargePoint station was installed last week, though the unit is not yet online.

King, whose daughter, Jerri Miller, runs the Ramada Inn, said the goal is to lure travelers for an overnight stay while they recharge their vehicles, which can take up to eight hours.

The unit, which is about the size of a service station air pump, consists of a standard electric vehicle connector and fixed 18-foot cable. It accepts Master Card, Visa, American Express and Discover.

For further developments, visit nvdaily.com or read the print edition of The Northern Virginia Daily.