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Barnstable County Installs Five New Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Prospective car buyers at the Cape’s first-ever electric vehicle show in September had a chance to look under the hood of a Volkswagen e-Golf.
Eve Zuckoff
Prospective car buyers at the Cape’s first-ever electric vehicle show in September, 2019 had a chance to look under the hood of a Volkswagen e-Golf.";

Barnstable County officials want to get more electric cars on the road. 

 

With the help of grants from the state’s Department of Environmental Protection and Eversource, Barnstable County has installed one charging station in the Orleans District Court Parking lot, and four at the Barnstable County complex to be used by the public and county employees. Each Level 2 charger can charge two electric vehicles (EVs) at a time.

 

“Non-EVs are restricted from utilizing these charging station spaces, which will be painted and equipped with appropriate signage,” according to a press release from the county. 

 

The county will also use part of the funds to lease two electric cars, furthering state’s goal to get 300,000 electric vehicles on the roads in the next few years. 

“When the opportunity for this program came up it was the perfect use to convert an administrative vehicle from a gas-guzzling, four-wheel drive pickup truck to a fully electric sedan,” said Don Reynolds, director of Facilities for Barnstable County. 

 

Reynolds said he hopes the chargers will encourage more Cape residents to buy electric. They could also draw more visitors to the region.

“Folks that might have them at home, if they’re adventuring up 6A … there’s a place now here on the north side they can stop in, grab a charge, have a stroll in the village, [and] grab a bite to eat,” he said. 

 

Charging costs about $1.80 per hour.

 

On Martha’s Vineyard, two new charging stations almost ready for use in Aquinnah. 

Eve Zuckoff covers the environment and human impacts of climate change for CAI.