Montgomery County, Maryland, is introducing its first-ever regulations governing the installation of privately-owned car charging stations in driveways, garages and even on public rights of way.
There are an estimated 5,435 electric vehicles and 3,455 hybrids in Maryland’s largest county, and the numbers are expected to grow in the years ahead.
The Montgomery County Department of Transportation said Maryland is expecting 300,000 electric vehicles and hybrids on state roads by 2025, so the county wants to ensure it’s prepared.
“We’re trying to make sure we help our residents, but that we do it safely and the right way,” said Maricela Cordova, a program implementation manager with the county’s transportation department.
Cordova briefed residents Wednesday on the county’s newly-developed permitting process that will cover home electric vehicle charging stations.
“I live in a single-family home with a garage, and I charge in my garage when I need to,” said Joyce Breiner of Poolesville, who has owned electric vehicles for the past eight years.
She said she has owned the Nissan Leaf, Chevrolet Volt and Tesla Model 3.
Breiner’s situation is the simplest of the three permitting options, because she has an existing driveway or garage.
Permitting will also include the need for curb cutting for a driveway or parking pad for the electric charging station when there’s adequate space on the property.
“The most simple way is to install your charging station within your own private property, in your driveway or your garage…but we also want to be flexible with people who don’t have that capability,” Cordova said.
That’s why the county’s third option involves permitting for privately-owned electric vehicle charging stations installed on public rights of way, when there is no driveway and no room in the backyard.
Under the current rules, the county would permit a charging station on public land, but the parking space parallel to the charging station would not be reserved for only electric vehicles.
“If we’re talking about climate change, we want to change things,” said Andy Fraser of Kensington, who drives a Volkswagen e-Golf. “If we want to adopt EV’s, we need to make it easy, not just for people who have driveways and garages but for people who don’t have those options.”
At the briefing, county officials stressed that the permitting rules for home electric vehicle charging stations are a work in progress.
Officials said they are open to residents’ ideas and won’t reject any ideas that might safely work.
WTOP’s Dick Uliano reported from Bethesda.
