Montgomery Co. Car Charging Guidelines Help Emissions Goals

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD – Montgomery County residents will now be able to charge their electric vehicles at home thanks to new guidelines for at-home charging stations.

The first-ever county guidelines will regulate and permit the installation of privately-owned car charging stations in garages, driveways and public right of ways near county streets. The guidelines have been designed to be easily understood by residents and can be viewed online.

There are an estimated 5,400 electric vehicles and 3,500 plug-in hybrids in Montgomery County, representing nearly 40 percent of all electric vehicles in the state. The state Department of Environment has set a goal of having 60,000 zero emission vehicles by 2020 and 300,000 by 2025.

"As Mongtomery County strives to achieve zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2035, providing safe ways to charge while parked on public streets should make it easier for residents to own and operate the electric vehicles that will play an important role in helping us reach that goal," said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich in a prepared statement.

According to county officials, having viable options for charging vehicles is key to increasing the number of people who would drive electric vehicles.

The county is also providing incentives to encourage drivers to consider buying electric and hybrid vehicles.