Mayoral Musings: Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Incoming

Mayor Garry Herbert•

Lansdale is a commuter town. We are full of people and families who, either out of necessity or for convenience, own multiple vehicles in order to get through their daily routines. As technology continues to change and develop, Lansdale continues to keep pace with those needs in order to better serve our residents.

This year, pending approval from borough council on Wednesday, our community will be installing our first-ever municipal electric vehicle charging stations, in order to encourage the continued use of electric vehicles in and around Lansdale.

These charging stations represent more than just a “welcome sign” to anyone who owns an electric vehicle. They highlight our commitment to a sustainable future in Lansdale. We want to showcase to residents and visitors alike that we can help build a better, greener future together. If we can do that, even a little bit, by encouraging the use of electric and hybrid vehicles, then we are all be better for it. This initiative piggybacks the on the addition of solar panels to several municipal buildings to off-set the cost of operation. Together, they represent our first few steps into a greener community.

Building a forward thinking and sustainable Lansdale begins with small projects that allow us to take bigger steps in the future. The development of new green infrastructure gives us the opportunity to learn and gain hands-on knowledge about the technology, while also allowing us to generate data on their usage and how we might be able to improve these services going forward. This is a small, but crucial, step toward helping our community grow in a sustainable way.

Additionally, everything is better when it is free. The borough is receiving 100 percent of the funding for this project in the form of rebate vouchers, meaning we will see the full cost of equipment and installation returned to our coffers after the work is completed. As always, we need to be fiscally responsible when we take on new endeavors, and I am proud that our electric department was able to do this project in a way that makes sense for our community.

Each station will be able to charge two vehicles at a time at 9.6 kW. Essentially, a vehicle would be able to generate 40 to 50 miles of range per hour of charging at the station. According to NPR, the average commute is around 26 minutes. This means our chargers will easily be able to help our commuting community reach their destination without concern. Use of the stations will be free of charge and will be located throughout the borough at the locations listed below.

Construction and installation is expected to be completed in the spring throughout the month of May. Charging station locations include: