City leaders work to add EV chargers to Tallahassee; how they plan to pay for it

• City of Tallahassee leaders moved forward with an application for a more than $12 million grant to add more EV charging stations in the city.
• The plan would place three more stations in areas lacking in EV infrastructure.
• Watch the video to hear how neighbors are feeling about the plan.

BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:

Electric vehicle charging stations can be found in Northeast Tallahassee, but the city is working to add more to other neighborhoods.

I'm taking a closer look at the need for more chargers around the capital city as more EVs hit the road.

EV owner Dustin Rivest said he has enjoyed electric vehicles since he bought his first in 2017.

"It costs me about 11 bucks to fuel up my truck and I get 320 miles on a single charge," Rivest said. "I get the same utility as regular F-150 as I do a gas one."

He is one of many in our area who use EV chargers at places like the ones at the station off of Thomasville Road.

He even put some at his business and said he is happy to hear the city is looking to put more across town.

"It's a cost savings thing and if you're big on the environment, it does help the environment," Rivest said.

City leaders voted last week to apply for a grant to fund three additional charging locations in areas without much EV infrastructure.

The money comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Mayor John Dailey said the project aligns with the city's goals.

"Tallahassee has made a commitment to be net neutral by 2050 and there are many elements to that plan," Dailey said. "One is also providing infrastructure for electric vehicles."

The city is looking for the grant to fund 80% of the project, or $12 million.

The rest would be more than $2 million in city funds.

Take a look at this map from the US Department of Energy.

U.S. Department of Energy

It shows that there are 38 charging stations in Leon County.

Every neighborhood has a few, except in Northwest Tallahassee.

More EVs may be coming with a new Tesla dealer on West Tennessee Street.

Not everyone is as sure about the plan.

I met Vince White while he was filling up his truck with gas.

He said he wouldn't buy an EV.

"Finding those ports, you gotta google it, find them and search for them," White said. "That's not that useful."

He said he's unsure about the project.

"I don't think that they should be using our taxpayer dollars for that," White said.

Dailey said it will be useful, especially with the federal funds.

"Any time we can leverage federal or state dollars and combine with your local tax dollars, it's a win for the community," Dailey said.

Rivest also said he encourages the city to incentivize business and homeowners to get their own chargers.

"If the city and county would make it a little bit easier, I think they'd see a much bigger response," Rivest said.

Wednesday was the last day for local governments to apply for this grant.

City leaders will give an update if that funding is approved.