$1 million in grant money is now available for EV charging stations

Gov. Phil Scott and the Dept. of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) announced the launch of a multi-unit Dwelling electric vehicle charging grant program to bring more home charging opportunities to Vermonters on Jan. 13.

A total of $1 million in funding is available to subsidize the cost of purchasing and installing electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at rental properties to provide residents with at-home charging access.

The grant program is an interagency effort between DHCD, the Agency of Transportation, Dept. of Environmental Conservation and the Public Service Department. Grants will be awarded up to $80,000 per site and $300,000 per applicant, with priority grant awards given to affordable housing projects.

“This program is another step towards electrifying the transportation sector,” said Scott. “Ensuring Vermonters have access to home charging options will support the transition to electric vehicles, which will benefit the environment and reduce transportation costs for Vermonters.”

The state expects 80% of EV charging will take place at home, where cars are parked for long periods of time. Lack of at-home charging is one of the largest barriers to EV adoption for residents of multi-unit housing. This funding will help to overcome this barrier to EV adoption for residents of multi-unit housing by piloting EV charging solutions that provide convenient, reliable, and affordable access.

While access to EV charging is not the only barrier to EV ownership among the renter population it will become increasingly important as the market for EVs matures. As EVs become more affordable, through market development, purchase incentives, and re-sale of used EVs, access to charging will be critical for all Vermonters.

“The EV market share has doubled over the last year, and this is just the start as more affordable models continue arriving in Vermont, availability of used EVs grows, and incentives bring down up-front costs,” said David Roberts, Drive Electric Vermont coordinator. “We are excited the program launching today will make it easier for Vermonters to make the switch to an EV by increasing availability of charging at multi-family properties.”

The deadline to apply is April 1, 2022. DHCD will host an informational webinar about the program on Jan. 26, 2022, from 10-11:30 a.m.