New fee coming to electric vehicle charging stations in Albemarle County

ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. (WVIR) – If you drive an electric vehicle in Albemarle County, you will soon notice changes at the charging station in the form of a new fee.

Much like a tank of gas the cost comes with every use. It will depend on how long the vehicle is charging and how much energy it takes to charge it.

“The primary reason for this is to help recoup some of the operating costs that the county has incurred for running the units,” Albemarle County Deputy Chief of Operations Cai Mowry.

Mowry says the cost to keep these stations up and running is only increasing as EV’s become more popular.

“The monthly costs is starting to exceed five getting closer to $6,000 a month just for electrical costs, in addition to the nominal fees that go along with the charges themselves,” Mowry said.

The county will no longer be responsible for that cost. Wednesday night Albemarle County’s Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to add a fee to use the charging stations.

“When we installed the EV charging stations, we weren’t allowed, localities were not allowed to charge for the service,” Interim Director of Communications Abbey Stumpf said. “That Virginia code has since been amended, which now allows for municipalities and localities to start charging for the EVs.”

Stumpf says the new change will also help the county continue it’s climate action efforts.

“It is a growing trend in the vehicle industry, and we just want to make sure that we’re providing the opportunity that also aligned with our climate action plan, recommendations and actions,” Stumpf said.

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