City Council charged over Concerns with Electric Vehicles

Revere has been preparing for a future of roadways filled with electric vehicles. The City Council recently approved a motion to have the city develop an ordinance regulating the storage of EV’s. The motion was inspired by news reports of serious fires caused by the batteries that power electric vehicles.

This week the Parking Advisory Committee began to tackle the question of how much to charge EV drivers who hook into the city’s charging stations and how much to fine drivers who exceed their allotted time.

There was not, however, a clear understanding of what it takes to charge an electric vehicle and how much electricity is required. CFO Richard Viscay tried to ask how charging a vehicle compares to rates for parking but it all depends on the vehicle make and model.

Viscay suggested that any revenue gained through the charging stations be put back into the parking benefits fund to cover maintenance of the charging stations and installation of new stations.

The committee did receive an update on the city’s charging stations which were installed by National Grid with no cost to Revere. The city does pay for the space for the charging stations.

The two charging stations at City Hall have seen use increase from 1,700 when they were first installed in 2021 to 2,100 this year. Use of the charging stations on Shirley Avenue has jumped from 598 to 1,400. The charging station at the Hill School saw a dip in use due to the fact they were damaged soon after being installed.

Utility bills are climbing and the city needs a system to measure the use and determine the fee for electricity drivers are using. Revere plans to use Chargepoint, an online system that lets drivers pay with a credit card.

Acting Mayor Patrick Keefe had been serving as vice chairman of the committee but has since resigned. The committee voted unanimously to have Ward 2 City Councilor Ira Novoslesky take his seat.