The Peterborough Select Board has approved an EV charger installation plan in the downtown core. The new EV site located in the Riverwalk parking lot includes four level two EV chargers. As per Assistant Town Administrator Seth MacLean, the chargers may go live as soon as October 2021.
In 2020, Peterborough voters approved the stations via a 2020 warrant article, and the city set aside $35,000 for the chargers. However, the city and the Peterborough Energy Committee needed to determine how much it will cost to purchase and run the chargers.
Further to this, the Committee noted they will not give away electricity for free but have not determined the cost to charge as of yet.
The Committee approved a suggested partnership with ChargeLab to rent chargers to the city. The upfront cost is $16,198 for the chargers. With an additional $4,440 per year after year one for operation and maintenance.
Charging rates are still up in the air. ChargeLab takes an 8% fee. However, the city is struggling to find a break-even point due to the unknown popularity of the chargers. A decision is due before the chargers go live later in the Fall.
Source: Ledger-Transcript
