Chris Spychalski of North Andover has owned his Toyota EV since 2018, and uses the car’s electric load to charge appliances, including his lawn mower. He was one of nearly three dozen electric vehicle drivers to take part in “Get Charged Up” EV Expo on Oct. 15 at the Amazon parking lot on Otis Street. (Photo/Maureen Sullivan)
WESTBOROUGH – The Westborough Sustainability Department is looking to create more public electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, but rising installation costs and uncertainty about funds could slow the effort.
The department has completed the first step: a new roadmap identifying potential locations for electric-vehicle charging stations. The work was funded by a state grant this past year.
The town has two EV charging stations at the Westborough Golf Club, each capable of charging two vehicles at a time.
Leila Ahmed, Westborough’s sustainability coordinator, said the town charges 28 cents per kilowatt-hour. A typical electric car with a 40- to 100-kilowatt-hour battery would cost $11 to $28 to fully charge, and it would take 4 to 10 hours to do so.
“That’s pretty below average for what other towns charge,” she said. “At the last Town Meeting, we got approval to develop a revolving account for all the revenue we receive from the charging station.”
Ideally, Ahmed said the department hopes to install a charging station every year, but it may take longer. Ahmed said that four years ago, installing a level-two charging station that can charge two cars simultaneously cost between $5,000 and $10,000. Now that cost has doubled, if not tripled.
“It’s just a slow learning process, waiting to see when it makes the most sense to purchase the chargers, as state and federal incentives, grants, and policies change,” she said. “It’s not the easiest climate to be pursuing green energy because everything is just really expensive right now.”
There are four other public EV charging stations in Westborough that aren’t owned and maintained by the town, including the First United Methodist Church at 120 West Main Street, which charges 7 cents per kilowatt.
Another way the department is expanding its EV infrastructure is by seeking input from residents and continuing to educate residents about electric vehicles.
On September 20, Sustainable Westborough will host the annual EV Expo. The free event will be held in the parking lot of the Amazon Robotics Innovation Hub at 50 Otis Street in Westborough from 2 to 5 p.m.
“This event is to connect residents who are curious about electric vehicles with experts and dealerships who sell EVs to answer any of their questions,” she said. “People can also test-drive any of the vehicles.”
These EV Expos have been held since 2023 through partnerships with the Rotary Club of Westborough, Sustainable Northborough, the Hopkinton Sustainable Green Committee, the Town of Grafton, and the Massachusetts Clean Cities Coalition.