The Prince George's County Council voted Tuesday to increase the number of electric vehicle charging stations across the county.
There are now more than 100,000 electric vehicles (EVs) on the roads in Maryland, but it can be a challenge to find a charging area, which the council hopes to change.
"I know many, including myself, wanted to purchase an electric vehicle but didn't," Prince George’s County Council Member Wala Blegay said, citing concerns about being able to find a charging station while out driving.
Blegay said she doesn't want Prince George's County residents or visitors to keep encountering that problem.
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"So we've got to make changes," she said.
One bill requires EV charging stations to be set up at all newly constructed multifamily residential buildings, office buildings and mixed-use developments, starting in 2027.
A second bill requires at least 5% of the spaces in those new parking lots to have the equipment in place and ready to go so EV drivers can charge their cars.
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When asked if 5% would actually be enough, Prince George's County Council Chair Jolene Ivey said: "And we did start with a much higher number, and we do want to keep pushing to get a lot more required spots in there, but for the moment, sometimes the best thing to do is get started, and to kind of break the dam."
The main opposition has been around just how many spaces in a parking lot should be dedicated to car charging.
Blegay and Ivey are among the councilmembers making the case that EVs aren't going anywhere, and it’s better to start on this now.
