FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. — Fairfax County wants to help put more electronic vehicle charging stations in area neighborhoods and it's willing to pick up some of the cost.
Homeowner's associations and condo associations can apply to "Charge Up Fairfax" to become eligible to participate. The pilot program helps to cover approximately one-third of the cost of charging stations, capping off at $5,000 for most participants.
The application deadline is Sunday, November 12th at 11:59 p.m.
Once selected, the county will cover the cost for its' contractor to conduct an engineering assessment, according to the Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination.
HOAs that are selected for Charge Up Fairfax pilot program are eligible to apply for a grant to cover one-third of the expenses for the installation of Electronic Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE), which includes the charging station, cords, hardware and software.
If the HOA is classified as having high or very high vulnerability in the Fairfax County Vulnerability Index, or is classified as disadvantaged in the Federal Government’s Justice40 Initiative, those HOAs will be eligible for up to $10,000 of grant funds.
After the ESVE is up and running, grants will be awarded in the form of a reimbursement. Requests for grants must be made within one calendar year.
Charging stations must be located in unreserved parking spaces that are available to residents and their guests. The HOA community will set the prices for services.
In a webinar, Fairfax County officials said that electronic vehicle charging stations are an attractive amenity to home renters and buyers. Officials said most residents would like to be able to charge their vehicles at home. Fairfax has more than 1,500 HOAs.
Fairfax County aims to increase the use of battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles to 15 percent of vehicle registrations by 2030.
County officials listed several environmental benefits of electric vehicles. They stated that electric motors are much more efficient at using energy to move a vehicle than internal combustion and the drivetrain of conventional fossil-fueled vehicles. The lack of tailpipe emissions from electronic vehicles results in cleaner air.