SUNDERLAND — Suddenly, electric vehicles are in the air.
Following a recent presentation about charging stations to the Franklin Regional Planning Board, a free workshop, “Electric Vehicles: The Future is Now,” is being offered Tuesday at Sunderland Public Library at 6:30 p.m.
Sally Pick of SJP Environmental Consulting, LLC, will discuss types of electric vehicles available now, and some that are about to come on the market soon due in part to nations’ commitments to phasing out gas-fueled cars.
An October 2016 report from Idaho National Laboratory shows that since 2011, the number of plug-in vehicles in Massachusetts has jumped from under 100 to over 5,000, with a corresponding increase in charging stations from 33 to 550.
Increasing numbers of U.S. consumers are buying EVs because they are becoming more affordable, says Pick, and so more vehicles are entering the market each year, with longer driving ranges on a charge. Also, she says, they’re less costly to maintain and run than gas vehicles, and have lower greenhouse-gas emissions over their lifespans than standard cars.
Pick will discuss how best to match an EV with driving needs, to avoid “range anxiety,” or fear of running out of a electric charge on your battery. That includes how to charge at home, whether you need a fast charger, and how to locate and pay for charging when you’re out and about.
That’s where planner Maureen Mullaney’s talk about the state Department of Transportation’s program to pay half the cost of charging stations at locations where there are 15 or more employers. Towns that are Green Communities can use that funding toward the other half of the cost, which Mullaney said ranges from about $2,000 to $4,000 for a Level 2 socket charger, which can do a 20-mile charge in one hour.
Greenfield Public Schools and Franklin County Community Development Corp. have expressed interest in getting these stations, for which funding has been set aside for Western Massachusetts.
Mullaney pointed to a COG report issued last September that said there are already eight free vehicle charging stations in the Franklin County area, most are along the north-south Interstate 91 corridor — at Greenfield Town Hall, Greenfield Community College and the Chapman Street parking lot, as well as a DC Quick Charging device at Greenfield’s Big Y lot. Thre are also stations at Berkshire East, Northfield Mount Hermon School and Athol Public Library.
Mullaney pointed to the desirability of having a charging station in Shelburne Falls, and the report suggested stations could be dispersed to areas like central Ashfield, Bernardston, Conway, Millers Falls, Montague Center, Sunderland, Turners Falls and the Whately Park and Ride area.
Pick will also describe how pairing electric vehicles with home solar can help, especially at certain times, and the costs and incentives for buying and leasing EVs — including a new program to make EVs accessible to lower-income residents and additional discounts offered by select car dealers.
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You can reach Richie Davis at
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