Beginning in 2023, significant funding will be available from Maryland and the Federal government for local governments and private property owners to install EV charging. To take advantage of this opportunity and accelerate the transition to EV ownership, DEP is developing a plan to expand the availability of EV charging throughout the community.
The survey, which will be open through May 15, is available at Montgomery County Community EV Charging Survey (surveymonkey.com).
To join the April 13 webinar, which will start at 7 p.m., go to Meeting Registration - Zoom. To join the April 14 webinar, which will start at noon, go to Meeting Registration - Zoom.
DEP also has created the Charge Montgomery Story Map interactive tool to explore where EV charging is currently located, where EVs are registered and the factors that will drive new charging infrastructure.
“The County’s Climate Action Plan has a goal to transition to 100 percent zero emissions by 2035 and having residents, government operations and businesses transition to EVs is an important part of the plan,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “An important part of having people move to EVs is having charging station access. We are working to create opportunities to build charging stations, but we need to know how residents think we can help. Completing this survey will help in determining the decisions that will be made as we move forward.”
EVs charged in Montgomery County on Pepco’s electric grid reduce emissions by 70-75 percent, demonstrating that switching to an EV is one of the biggest ways to reduce the County’s carbon footprint.
The market for electric vehicles is growing rapidly, with plug-in vehicles making up more than 12 percent of newly registered vehicles in 2022. There are currently about 600 EV charging plugs in the County, including 100 “Fast Charging” plugs. However, more charging infrastructure is needed to meet the current demand and allow more residents to feel confident making the transition to electric vehicles. To overcome “range anxiety”—a fear of running out of battery—drivers need to know that they can easily charge their vehicle nearby to where they live, work and visit regularly.
Many new EV charging stations installed by the private sector will be located based on existing EV ownership patterns. However, the County’s Climate Action Plan aims to ensure that EV charging is distributed equitably across the County. This means proactively finding sites in the County’s Equity Focus Areas.
For more information on DEP’s actions in the move to EVs, go to https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/green/zev/index.html.
