The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) is installing 42 electric vehicle (EV) charging station wayfinding signs in Bethesda, Silver Spring and Wheaton to make drivers aware that they can easily find opportunities to charge their environmentally friendly vehicles.
“I’m proud to share that Montgomery County has one of the most aggressive climate action plans nationally,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “It lays out a roadmap to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in every sector possible. Transportation is the second leading cause of GHG emissions in the U.S., responsible for 42 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions. We need to do all we can to prioritize and facilitate electric vehicle usage to help reach our climate action plan goals.”
The signs are being placed in and around public parking facilities that currently have EV charging stations. Wayfinding is a comprehensive signage system communicating the location of various destinations. The project's goals are to assist current EV owners in locating charging stations and to create public awareness of the County's charging infrastructure.
There are currently 20 Level 2 charging stations available within County-owned parking facilities in Bethesda, Silver Spring and Wheaton. The charging stations are available for public use and cost .13 cents per kilowatt (kWh). Level 2 charging stations take about four hours to fully charge the average electric vehicle.
“Letting the public know that these charging stations are available is important to encourage the use of electric vehicles,” said MCDOT Director Chris Conklin. “The County has committed to a zero-emissions goal by 2035 and it is going to be a multifaced approach that gets us there.”
For more information on the EV stations and a location map visit, https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/dot-parking/ElectricVehicle.html.