HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Patrick McDonnell announced June 25 that 1,000 Level 2 electric vehicle chargers have been installed statewide with funding from the department’s Driving PA Forward program.
McDonnell celebrated the milestone at Neighbors & Smith retail center in Camp Hill, Cumberland County, which installed four chargers with Driving PA Forward funding.
“Each one of these chargers adds another option for Pennsylvania’s electric vehicle drivers, and more electric vehicles on the road means less tailpipe pollution and healthier air quality in our communities,” said McDonnell. “It also helps Pennsylvania address the pressing challenge of climate change.”
Installations
Driving PA Forward-funded chargers have been installed by companies, organizations and condo or apartment complex owners at more than 300 locations in 39 counties in a variety of communities across the state, including in Pittsburgh, Oil City, Philadelphia, Allentown, Braddock, Harrisburg, Pottsville, Tunkhannock and others.
More than half the chargers were installed at public places, about one-third at workplaces and the remainder at multi-unit residential properties. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources completed 12 charging projects at state parks with Driving PA Forward funding.
An additional 140 funded charging station projects are in process. They’ll add at least 500 more plugs and bring the number of counties to 45 with at least one charger funded by Driving PA Forward.
According to the most recent data available from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, 28,460 electric vehicles (battery and plug-in hybrid) were registered in Pennsylvania as of February. This is more than double the number of electric vehicles registered just three years ago.
There are now more than 1,600 public Level 2 chargers that can be used by any vehicle at more than 800 locations throughout the state.
Programs
The Level 2 program is one of eight Driving PA Forward programs that are using Pennsylvania’s $118.5 million settlement from the Volkswagen emissions cheating scandal to drive the transition toward zero- and low-emission vehicles and equipment and accelerate installation of related infrastructure.
Driving PA Forward is investing the maximum amount allowed by the settlement to support charging infrastructure: nearly $17 million.
The department also supports increased electric vehicle use through the Alternative Fuels Incentive Grants program, which supports electric vehicle adoption by companies, government offices and organizations and targets funding to develop fast-charging corridors around the state in a joint effort with PennDOT.
