Committee: Environment
Cost: $350,000
Location: To be determined based on need and impact assessments.
Short Description: Install electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at three city-owned parking lots and other locations designated by the City. More public chargers support EV adoption, which improves air quality and benefits our environment.
Long Description: With the state phasing out sales of gas-powered vehicles by 2035 and more Cambridge residents replacing their cars with electric vehicles, public access to easy charging is more important than ever. Many Cambridge residents do not have access to off-street charging, and the city has a goal of adding 100 charging ports by 2027. New Level 2 EV charging stations funded by PB10 will be placed in city parking lots and on city streets, with locations to be determined by the City. Each of the new charging stations can charge two cars at once. Level 2 Chargers are space efficient and are compatible with the present electrical infrastructure. Because each EV charging location requires construction to connect to a municipal electrical supply, we typically aim to locate 2 charging stations (4 total charging heads) at the same location. Due to the construction costs, locating 2 charging stations near each other is more efficient than spreading out the charging stations. Access to public charging stations will encourage more use of electric cars, and help move our City towards cleaner, more efficient energy use. When implemented, these new charging stations will benefit the environment, improve local air quality, and help make the use of electric cars more equitable in Cambridge.
A Level-2 charger in Cambridge. Photo credits to Marc Levy, Cambridge Day.