Rockville work session details EV readiness plan; council favors vendor- and infrastructure-driven options, accessibility and cost-recovery pricing

City staff presented Rockville’s Electric Vehicle (EV) Readiness Plan during a Feb. 24 work session, outlining four goals—code and policy alignment, a robust and equitable charging network, municipal fleet electrification, and inclusive public engagement—and 26 actions to guide implementation.

Amanda Campbell and Erica (city staff) summarized the assessment done with consultant ICF, which included an inventory of existing chargers, a crowd-sourced map of community-identified charging gaps, projections of EV registrations and port needs, and analysis of regulatory and permitting changes needed to streamline installations. Staff noted immediate actions already underway: five city-hosted level 2 ports provided through a partnership with Pepco; two sites funded and in design through Maryland Energy Administration; and several additional sites identified for future partnerships.

The plan distinguishes charging needs by…