Charge4Charge aims to help City invest in future electric vehicle charging infrastructure 

 

The City of Somerville is announcing that starting Monday, July 1, 2024 a fee of $0.25 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) will be implemented at all City-owned electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, aligning with neighboring communities including Boston, Cambridge, Medford, and Arlington.

Every month, 2,300 drivers charge at one of Somerville’s public electric vehicle charging stations. The new program, Charge4Charge, aims to incentivize space turn over, reduce misuse and vandalism of stations, and promote the longevity and functionality of Somerville’s public charging station network, ultimately encouraging the conversion to electric vehicles. This new fee structure is part of a larger public information campaign by the City to promote EV charging etiquette due to frequent reports of misuse and vandalism of the stations. 

 

“Every time a station is damaged, it is replaced with a new station – which can take over four weeks. We know how important it is to provide accessible, working, charging stations for both current and potential electric vehicle drivers. This is an important and necessary step for Somerville to support the transition to electric vehicles,” said Mayor Katjana Ballantyne. 

 

In addition to promoting more responsible use of the charging stations, Somerville’s Charge4Charge program will allow the City to offset costs associated with the charging network including maintenance, licensing, and purchasing new stations, and reinvest them into improving the public charging network. 

 

Investing in additional charging opportunities within walking distance of homes and key destinations could have a substantial impact on the feasibility of purchasing an EV for numerous residents, helping the City reach its ambitious Climate Forward goals.

 

For more information, including locations of Somerville’s EV chargers, please visit: somervillema.gov/electric-vehicles