EV drivers can find free charging stations in the Triangle. This town is adding a fee.

Tammy Grubb
·4 min read
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Drivers will have to pay to charge their electric and hybrid cars at town-owned stations in Chapel Hill starting in mid-August.

The town will add a 20-cents per kilowatt hour charge and a $1 per hour fee for “dwell time,” or how long a car remains parked at a station after being charged. The dwell time fee will start 30 minutes after the process is completed, town spokesman Alex Carrasquillo said.

A typical EV car battery can be charged in under 30 minutes to several hours, depending on the type of charger being used, the size and status of the car’s battery, the maximum charging rate, and the weather, experts say.

Chapel Hill will be among more than a dozen government organizations in North Carolina that are charging a fee to support the continuing costs of EV charging stations, Carrasquillo said. A News & Observer online search found only one other government assessing a fee for public EV stations in Wake, Durham or Orange counties.

The new fees begin Aug. 12 at most town-owned stations and will help pay for maintenance, vendor fees and electricity, Carrasquillo said. The town paid roughly $13,682 last year for electricity to the stations and has spent about $8,300 for maintenance, repairs and replacement stations since 2019, he said.

“We know that (residents) expect a high level of service, and these fees will help ensure that these chargers are consistently maintained and provide you with a reliable source of power,” Carrasquillo said in an email. “Charging will remain much cheaper than gas, and you will continue to enjoy substantial cost savings.”

Where are the town-owned charging stations?

There are 20 public EV charging stations at seven town facilities and another 20 stations will go online when the East Rosemary Street parking deck opens Aug. 20. Most of the stations should have payment technology systems installed at that time, Carrasquillo said.

Town-owned stations are located at:

▪ Chapel Hill Town Hall

▪ Eubanks Road Park and Ride lot

▪ Aquatic Center

▪ East Rosemary Street parking deck

▪ 140 West parking garage

Drivers who park at 140 West and the new Rosemary Street parking deck will have to pay for parking and for their EV charge time, Carrasquillo said.

Drivers who park gasoline-powered cars in a designated EV charging space could be ticketed or receive a warning, he said.

Duke Energy pilot program stations

Duke Energy operates public EV charging stations at two town facilities — the Chapel Hill Public Library and Southern Community Park — as part of its utility pilot program. Those stations are already supported by a fee of 13.4 cents per kilowatt, plus a 6% tax.

Are there free stations in Chapel Hill?

Yes. Stations are also available for public use on UNC’s campus, at the county’s Seymour Senior Center on Homestead Road and at businesses around town.

Good websites to find public charging stations online include chargepoint.com and plugshare.com.

Do other Triangle towns charge for EV stations?

Morrisville appears to be the only other Triangle town charging a fee for its publicly owned EV charging stations, which are available from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.

However, drivers only pay the fee, which begins Aug. 1, after exceeding the town’s three-hour maximum stay. The cost for four hours or more is $10 an hour, up to $100 daily, at six town-owned locations. The change is aimed at keeping EV charging stations available for more users and offset the additional electricity cost, town staff said.

More information: tinyurl.com/42tjeehz.

Other Triangle towns offer free charging stations:

▪ Carrboro: The town has six free ChargePoint charging stations at the Town Commons, Rosemary Street parking lot and Martin Luther King Jr. Park. You need a ChargePoint card or app on your smartphone to use them. More information: tinyurl.com/3aww8ayn.

▪ Orange County: There are free EV charging stations at the Orange County Detention Center, Bonnie B. Davis Environment and Agricultural Center, and West Campus Office Building in Hillsborough, and at the Seymour Senior Center in Chapel Hill.

▪ Durham: There are several free charging locations, including at libraries and government buildings, but drivers still have to pay to park in the city’s downtown parking decks. More information: tinyurl.com/ms55jw34.

▪ Raleigh: Free. The city has 35 public EV charging stations. More information: tinyurl.com/4tujb3jk.

▪ Wake County: Free. Six public charging ports are located at the county libraries and in a downtown parking deck.

▪ Apex: Three free charging stations are located in the Saunders Street parking lot across from the Apex Police Station. More information: tinyurl.com/349c72ar.

▪ Cary: Free EV charging stations at five locations, including the library and community center parking decks, Town Hall East, and the Bond Park Boat House. More information: tinyurl.com/mu8ybb64.

▪ Wake Forest: Free charging stations located at Wake Forest Town Hall and the Depot Parking Lot. More information: tinyurl.com/yc38atbr.