Who Will Be Getting Charged for New EV Chargers in STL?
Last week, I submitted testimony on House Bill (HB) 1511, which would protect St. Louis–area business owners from being forced to install, operate, and maintain electric vehicle (EV) charging stations on their own dime. The legislation would not prevent mandates for the installation of EV chargers. However, it would require St. Louis–area governments to pay for their mandates. You can read the full testimony here.
HB 1511 was filed because some St. Louis municipalities (the City of St. Louis and Brentwood, among others) are forcing business owners to install and operate EV chargers (on their own dime) following new construction or significant renovation. There are a few reasons why such mandates are a bad idea.
Remember when people thought MySpace was the future? It is possible (although I think not likely) that EVs could suffer a similar fate.
Fully electric vehicles are only 1% of the cars on the road.
Governments are assuming that the EVs of the present are also the vehicles of the future. A new type of electric vehicle could emerge (like when Facebook surpassed MySpace) and make premature government investment unnecessary. A whole new technology like hydrogen-fuel cells could emerge as the best way to power our transit in the future.
Additionally, EV chargers that are currently on the market are in their early stages. The typical public charger used in cities (also known as a Level 2 charger) takes 4–10 hours to charge an EV from empty to 80%. As charging technology improves, faster options will hopefully become available. Will there need to be a mandate for new construction each time the technology improves?
As EVs make up a bigger share of cars on the road, and as developers hopefully improve charging speeds, establishments such as apartments, hotels, and restaurants will likely seek to lure this growing consumer base with EV chargers. There is no need to force any business to build charging stations that cost $2,000–$5,000
As of right now, public chargers are rarely used. The market can grow at its own pace. I see gas stations everywhere, but I do not fill up all the time. I usually fill up when I am nearing empty and it is convenient for me. EV owners typically follow a similar pattern, as over 90% charge their car at home daily (55%) or weekly (38%).
According to a 2023 survey:
- Only 4% of EV owners report using a Level 2 public charger daily.
- Approximately 14% of EV owners report using one weekly.
- Approximately 16% use one monthly.
- Approximately 46% say they “rarely” use a public charger.
- Approximately 21% say they have never used one.
It’s possible that plug-in electric chargers will never be popular.
The current legislation is restricted only to the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County. But why is it so limited? Unfunded mandates for EV chargers are bad policy wherever they are in the state.
