Staff photo
Electric vehicle ownership is on the rise in Charlottesville. But despite the increased demand for public charging stations, two of three EVgo locations in the city have been decommissioned.
After quietly disabling the Barracks Road Shopping Center and Water Street parking garage locations weeks ago, EVgo confirmed their removal through the company’s EVgo ReNew program. “As part [of] the ReNew program, these legacy chargers will be decommissioned,” said EVgo in an August 15 email. “EV drivers can charge at the nearby EVgo station at the Southside Shopping Center at 32 Mill Creek Dr.”
The closure of the Barracks Road and Water Street locations is a 75 percent reduction in EVgo stalls in Charlottesville, and on August 18, EVgo confirmed the stations have been permanently decommissioned and won’t be replaced.
Only two vehicle chargers are available at the 32 Mill Creek Dr. location, which is eight minutes from the Water Street Garage and 15 minutes from the Barracks Road Shopping Center. The now-decommissioned stations had six stalls available, cumulatively.
Charging stations run by other EV companies, including ChargePoint, Tesla, Blink, and Shell, are available in and around the city. Still, city leaders are working on an electric vehicle charging plan, according to Charlottesville Climate Program Specialist Tray Biasiolli.
“There’s definitely been an uptick in local EV ownership over the past few years, and I imagine the expiration of the tax credits at the end of [September] is pushing yet more folks to purchase one before that deadline,” says Biasiolli. “Unfortunately, the growth in public charging has been much more gradual.”
Biasiolli is currently reviewing a draft plan from consultants, and gave a rough timeline of October for its release. Once published, he says the plan will “serve as a bit of a guidebook but it will be up to the city, as well as businesses, residents, and property owners, to implement any of the recommendations.”
