City to leverage private infrastructure to make EV charging more accessible for drivers: 'We are still in the early days'

Boston is boosting its reputation for being friendly to electric vehicle drivers by announcing plans to install new curbside chargers throughout the city.

Recharge Boston: Boston's Zero Emission Vehicle Program, an initiative from the office of Mayor Michelle Wu, aims to provide an EV charging point or EV car share within 10 minutes of every household. 

Some 250 charging locations will be installed in collaboration with two charging companies, and Wu also announced 60 city-installed chargers will be added at 15 locations, as the Boston Globe shared.

Boston is also calling on residents to suggest areas where an EV charging point would be beneficial, allowing the city to collect data about demand for places to refuel clean electric cars.

According to ChargeFinder.com, there are 396 charging stations in Boston, but there were 7,000 electric vehicle registrations for Bostonians at the beginning of 2024, according to the Registry of Motor Vehicles, per the Globe.

Some curbside chargers under the scheme will access power from nearby private buildings, with property owners earning passive income from the charging points via Itselectric, as Electrek detailed. Greenspot, another charging infrastructure provider, will reportedly also offer similar benefits.

"Boston's experience will test whether the market can support private sector companies trying to make a profit from charging," transportation director of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council  Eric Bourassa told the Globe. "We are still in the early days of figuring out the right business model. Cities need to test and see how these things work."

Boston aims to "safely absorb" as much carbon pollution as it's producing by 2050, and reducing planet-warming gases is key to this goal.

Making electric charging points more accessible should encourage more residents to avoid dirty-fuel-powered cars when purchasing their next vehicle, as a perceived lack of refueling stations remains a notable inhibitor among consumers looking to switch to EVs.

Such a change should help improve the health of locals, too, as a reduction in particulate matter and toxic gases produced by car exhaust pipes will reduce the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses.

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