Who should pay?

[JLawson]

There's a debate where I live about who should pay to install and maintain new public charging stations. Maybe I'm biased since I'll benefit from it, but I thought it would be categorized as a utility. Many taxpayers aren't happy about that. How does it work in your city?

 

[Kells]

I think there's been a mix of charging stations that are run as a private business, some that are run by Tesla, and some that are sponsored by the public.

 

[Dole]

I think that, ultimately, it's the electric car drivers who pay for the charging facilities. I was always under the impression that we were paying for more than just the cost of electricity.

 

[JLawson]

That's kind of what I thought, Dole. My town is in desperate need of another public charging station. As our population has grown, so has the number of people who drive EVs. There was a proposal to have the city install a new station, with the idea that they'd recoup their initial outlay and then some, since we'd be paying to use it. You won't believe the number of people who were furious that some of their taxes were going to be earmarked for this. Now it might not happen.

 

[Arkansas]

That's awfully shortsighted of them, because EVs are the wave of the future. Each year they become more popular, and more common to see out on the road. You might ask your local government to look for grants that can offset the expense, @JLawson. It couldn't hurt to try.