Madison Gas and Electric: Vehicle charging station network complete, operating as electric cars hit the road

Madison, Wis., Sept. 12, 2012—Electric car owners now have access to one of
the Midwest’s largest electric vehicle (EV) charging station networks
located throughout the greater Madison area. Madison Gas and Electric (MGE)
recently completed a network of 26 public charging stations for EVs just as
local dealers are rolling EVs onto showroom floors.

EV owners now have the freedom and convenience of traveling greater
distances worry-free because of MGE’s charging station network. Stations
also are easy to find with an EV’s onboard computer and smart phone apps
that show station locations and whether a station is in use.

MGE customers thinking about buying an EV can get advice about charging
their cars at home by contacting MGE. The company has been studying and
gathering data on EV use and operation since 2009.

MGE’s charging station network was partially funded with a U.S. Department
of Energy grant and is the largest public system of its kind in Wisconsin.

EVs provide benefits such as:

A greener driving alternative for people who want to plug in instead of
fill up. EVs use no gasoline and have no tailpipe emissions. Plug-in
hybrid EVs use less gasoline and have reduced tailpipe emissions because
they run on a combination of electricity and gasoline.

Reduced fueling costs. An EV costs 3 to 5 cents per mile in electric
mode, while a gasoline car with a fuel economy of 27.5 mpg costs about
14 cents per mile, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

According to the U.S. Federal Highway Administration, the typical 60- to
100-mile range of current EVs is sufficient for more than 90% of all
household vehicle trips.

For more information, visit www.mge.com/environment/electricvehicles/.

MGE generates and distributes electricity to 139,000 customers in Dane
County, Wis., and purchases and distributes natural gas to 144,000
customers in seven south-central and western Wisconsin counties. MGE’s
parent company is MGE Energy, Inc. (Nasdaq: MGEE). The company’s roots in
the Madison area date back more than 150 years.