There’s some good news — and some maybe not-as-good news — for Philadelphia drivers who own Teslas, Chevy Bolts, Ford Mustang Mach-Es, and other electric vehicles, but have no way to charge them at home.
First, the good news. At least $14 million in federal funds to subsidize installation of public EV chargers is coming the city’s way in 2025 or 2026, according to a report from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
It’s unclear how many chargers that will produce, but based on the $815,120 subsidy already being provided for a planned station at a Philadelphia Parking Authority lot in Northern Liberties, the new funding could potentially help build 17 or more charging stations that could accommodate at least 68 vehicles.
The final results could vary, however, according to the exact amount of subsidy awarded, the type of chargers being installed, the new transformers or other electrical infrastructure that are needed, the amount that the PPA or other local funders kick in, and other factors.
After highways get chargers, Philly’s up next
The money will come from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program, funded by the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The law provides a total of $7.5 billion for EV chargers and related programs, of which Pennsylvania is slated to receive $171.5 million.
Of that amount, $59 million has already been budgeted for 91 projects. The feds prioritized chargers that enable long-distance EV travel, so most of those stations are being built along highways, although there are a few exceptions — including that project on the PPA lot on 6th near Girard Avenue, which is slated to be built next year.
Under federal rules, once enough highway chargers are built to provide a specified level of coverage statewide, PennDOT can start spending the remaining $102 million on other programs, primarily “community charging,” which means chargers within cities and towns.
The Delaware Valley will get more than one-third of that investment, or about $30 million, with $14 million to $18 million going specifically to projects in Philly.
PennDOT will hold a series of meetings to discuss exactly how to spend the money, and then meet with potential contractors later this year and through the first half of next year. At some point after that — in late 2025 or in 2026 — the agency will select projects to fund, according to an August 30 planning document. It could then take a year or more for the chargers to be installed.
Lots of EVs, few places to plug in
The PennDOT report comes as growth in EV adoption nationwide has led to strains on charging infrastructure. Experts say that’s suppressing demand for additional EV purchases, particularly in urban areas where many residents don’t have garages or driveways where they can charge.
In Philadelphia, for example, there are nearly 10,000 registered electric vehicles, but only 145 publicly accessible charging stations with 378 charging ports, according to U.S. Department of Energy data. In addition, some of those chargers are in paid parking garages or other hard-to-access locations.
Some cities – like New York, Boston, and Austin, Texas — have changed zoning and building codes to encourage charger installation, or invited private companies to install curbside chargers. Philadelphia and other cities have been less proactive.
In Philadelphia, city officials have said they are prioritizing other safer and more environmentally friendly forms of transportation — walking, biking, and public transit — over measures such as turning over curbside space to private electrical vehicles, which could complicate access for buses, bike lanes, and other uses.
Parker not an EV accelerator
Recently — and here’s the other bit of news — Mayor Cherelle Parker joined the Climate Mayors, a group of 750 mayors who take steps to combat climate change and lobby Congress to act on environmental issues.
A subgroup of 350 mayors recently pledged to accelerate the transition to EVs by electrifying at least half of the vehicles in their municipal fleets by 2030 and increasing the number of chargers in their city by at least 500%. They’ve promise to ensure that at least 40% of the charging infrastructure benefits disadvantaged communities.
Parker is not among those 350, a spokesperson for the Climate Mayors group confirmed. City officials didn’t respond to questions about why Parker didn’t join the group.
The Climate Mayors spokesperson, Symone Moore, noted that the mayor did put out an update on the city’s fleet electrification plan in April. It notes that the city’s 6,000-plus vehicles now include 250 EVs and there are 100 charging ports at city facilities.
The city is also working to reduce emissions from its light- and medium-duty vehicles by at least 45% by 2030, the update says.
