Region Lacks Public Electric Vehicle Charging Facilities; More Are In Planning Stages

Experts say Americans have been reluctant to buy electric cars, with the more environmentally-minded opting to go with hybrid vehicles. One reason often cited is the lack of charging infrastructure.

That’s certainly the case locally.

Chatham and Brewster currently have no public EV charging stations. Harwich has three public charging locations, while Orleans has four. All four towns have private charging stations, including at Chatham Bars Inn and Ocean Edge in Brewster, which are restricted to guests only. The majority of the Cape’s charging stations are clustered around Yarmouth, Barnstable and Falmouth.

Expect that to change soon, however. Chatham currently has plans to install nine public EV charging stations — some may be in place by the summer — while other towns are also considering adding charging stations in public locations.

First, a brief primer on EV charging stations. There are three levels of chargers: level 1 uses a regular 120-volt household current; level 2 uses more robust 240-volt power. Level 3 or DC fast chargers use 480 volts. Level 1 is how an EV would be charged at home using a regular outlet. It has the slowest charging time, providing a six-mile or so range for an hour of charging, depending on the vehicle. Level 2 provides about double the range per hour of charging as level 1. DC fast connections can charge an EV battery to about 80 percent in about 30 minutes. Most charging stations include two charger plugs. Charging times can vary considerably depending on the vehicle’s battery.

Most public chargers in the area are level 2. Proprietary Tesla chargers are typically DC fast chargers that may or may not work with other electric vehicles (Tesla was planning to open these to other EVs, which would probably require special adapters). The Cranberry Plaza on Route 6 in Orleans (where Stop and Shop is located) has a 12-plug Tesla “Supercharger” station, one of thousands the company installed around the country.

Most public EV charging stations require payment, charging by the kilowatt hour. The charge can vary; the charger at the Orleans District Court, for instance, costs 30 cents per kilowatt hour, while the charging station just down the road at Depot Square at 4 Old Colony Way charges 42 cents per kilowatt hour. Charging stations at Cape Cod Tech in Harwich cost 25 cents per kilowatt hour. Most commercial charging stations are operated by companies like Chargepoint. (Rates are from the Plugshare website and were current as of early February.)

Two charging stations at the state-operated park and ride on Route 124 in Harwich are free.

Orleans is currently working on adding two fast-charging stations at Depot Square and three dual-port stations at Nauset Beach, according to Director of Planning and Community Development George Meservey. He said the town is also investigating adding charging stations at 139 Main St., across from town hall, and at the public parking lot at 44 Main St.

Brewster has asked the Cape Cod Commission for assistance in evaluating possible EV charging station locations, according to Town Manager Peter Lombardi. The availability of charging stations is identified in the town’s local comprehensive plan as a strategy to help advance the town’s climate mitigation goals, he wrote in an email.

The town of Chatham has three electric plug-in hybrid vehicles used by the natural resources department, by the police department’s school resource officer, and as a pool vehicle shared by departments. The town has one all-electric vehicle used for building inspections. An additional EV vehicle is being sought, and the town’s water and sewer operator has one EV. There are two EV charging stations in the staff parking lot at the annex which aren’t open to the public.

A public charging station is planned at the annex, but more likely to be installed first are charging stations at the former Eldredge Garage property on Main Street. Four stations are planned with a mix of level 2 and 3 chargers. Work is currently underway on a new parking lot and visitor building, which could be ready by the summer, Principal Projects and Operations Administrator Terry Whalen recently told the energy and climate action committee. The town has applied for a $22,000 state grant to help cover the costs of the stations, and has been working with Eversource and the state department of environmental protection’s electric vehicle incentive program, Whalen said.

Another five charging stations, also a mix of level 2 and 3, are planned for the Chatham Airport. Voters will be asked to appropriate $44,000 for the chargers at the May annual town meeting, but as with the chargers at the Eldredge Garage property, the town has applied for grants to offset the cost. A charging station is also planned at the town offices parking lot.

Users will pay a fee for using the town EV chargers, but the cost and the operating vendor have yet to be decided upon. “That’s a policy discussion that hasn’t happened yet,” said Whalen. Officials are researching rates charged by other Massachusetts communities and will bring an EV charging station policy to the select board in the near future, he said.

Chatham Energy and Climate Action Committee chair Robert Wirtshafter, and EV owner, said maintaining the chargers in working order will be important.

“As an electric car owner, I know every time I go to an electric car charging place, there’s at least one facility not working,” he said. Maintenance contracts will be part of the ongoing discussions, Whalen said.

In a followup interview, Wirtshafter said the committee has been working for several years to get the town to install EV charging stations.

“There should be more chargers,” he said. “We really, clearly, don’t have enough infrastructure.”

His vehicle has a 250-mile range, enough to go from Chatham to Boston and back without needing a charge, and he said it is “inevitable” that EV owners wanting to travel to the Cape will need access to more charging stations. With financial incentives and the environmental benefit — EVs produce no toxic exhaust — electric vehicle ownership will grow, he said. He bought his, a VW ID, for the environmental benefit, but found that the vehicle is less expensive to own because it requires no maintenance and the cost of a full charge is considerably less than a full tank of gasoline. Tires are the only thing that have to be replaced, he said; they wear out faster because EVs are heavier than conventional vehicles due to their batteries.

“And it’s more fun,” he said. “There’s nothing more responsive than an electric car.”

Chatham, Orleans, Brewster and Eastham are planning to partner with the Cape Light Compact to hire a shared energy manager to help oversee EV charging station initiatives, among other duties, according to Brewster Town Manager Lombardi.

Public Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Harwich

Park and Ride, Route 124, two charging stations, free.

Cape Cod Technical High School, Route 124, two charging stations, fee.

Wequassett Inn and Resort, Route 28, two Tesla stations, on level 2, charge unknown.

Orleans

Cranberry Plaza, Route 6A, Tesla Supercharger station, fee.

Cape Cod Rail Trail parking lot, 4 Old Colony Way, one charging station, fee.

Orleans District Court, 237 Rock Harbor Rd., one station, fee.

Focalpoint Studio, 139 Route 6A, two charging stations, fee.

Eldredge Park, 70 South Orleans Rd., two charging stations