Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Unwanted In Hatboro

HATBORO, PA —When developers of the long-dormant CVS property pitched their plans last week, they received pushback from some residents regarding plans to move toward the future.

Developers 24-28 South York Road Associates, LP, in a presentation to the Hatboro Planning Commission, offered six electric vehicle charging parking spaces.

But some residents who attended the meeting balked at the proposal, stating that the stations would take away public parking spots and that electric vehicles are somewhat frowned upon in Hatboro.

"No one is driving electric vehicles," one resident said. Another added that the charging stations would clog spots that would take away parking from residents shopping or eating in the downtown district. Others also complained about them, saying that they were unnecessary because those who owned electric vehicles would charge them at home.

"That's crazy," Mayor Tim Schultz responded when told by Patch about some residents' reluctance regarding the acceptance of electric vehicles in the borough.

The developer achieved an alternate fuel bonus by offering the charging stations as part of the development proposal.

They said the stations are "expensive pieces of equipment" that would be provided to the public and to residents living in the proposed building that will include 36 apartments and retail space on South York Road.

Developers said the Level 2 charging stations are above the ones found in homes and below the commercial ones. They said it takes about four hours to fully charge a vehicle at those stations, which would also be maintained by the developer.

"The goal of the bonus is for the public to use them permanently. They're not just for apartment residents," Planning Commission Chairman Kris McMenamin said.

"Charging stations are becoming more common," Township Engineer Kelly Goff said. "A lot of towns are building them into their ordinances."

In nearby Horsham, the township added electric vehicle charging stations at its municipal complex and the library.

Horsham Township Manager Bill Walker said he regularly sees vehicles charging throughout each day at the spot outside the municipal building.

Schultz said at an Environmental Advisory Council meeting Monday, there was a discussion about how private companies would pay the borough for them to be installed.

"I'm a rabid environmentalist," Schultz said. "People are going to be driving electric vehicles all over the place."

Schultz said the borough has a goal through the passage of an ordinance a few years ago to achieve sustainable energy by 2030.

"It's going to happen," he said. "We are going to electrify and solarize. It's not a matter of if. It's a matter of when."

The new edition of the IEA’s annual Global Electric Vehicle Outlook shows that more than 10 million electric cars were sold worldwide in 2022 and that sales are expected to grow by another 35 percent this year to reach 14 million. The growth means electric cars’ share of the overall car market has risen from around 4 percent in 2020 to 14 percent in 2022 and is set to increase further to 18 percent this year, based on the latest IEA projections.

“Electric vehicles are one of the driving forces in the new global energy economy that is rapidly emerging – and they are bringing about a historic transformation of the car manufacturing industry worldwide,” said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol. “The trends we are witnessing have significant implications for global oil demand. The internal combustion engine has gone unrivalled for over a century, but electric vehicles are changing the status quo. By 2030, they will avoid the need for at least 5 million barrels a day of oil. Cars are just the first wave: electric buses and trucks will follow soon.”