The financial feasibility of electric vehicle charging stations is being looked into for Grass Valley. City Manager Tim Kiser told the City Council that the most desirable and fastest-charging stations, or Level Three, are not cheap, at 80 to 100-thousand dollars. And he said a grant recently expired with a company that also said that there aren’t enough EV owners here to support more chargers…..

click to listen to Tim Kiser

Kiser says better charging availability would play a crucial role in addressing “range anxiety” and make EV’s a more practical and viable choice for consumers. City Councilmember Bob Branstrom owns an electric vehicle, as well as an e-bike…

click to listen to Bob Branstrom

But Branstrom said e-bike owners already have easily-accessible charging options that the city would not need to be in the business to provide. The development and distribution of public EV charging stations has become a focal point for governments, automakers, and private companies aiming to reduce the carbon footprint of transportation. The Council requested staff come back with more information to be presented at a later meeting.