I’ve had my EV (a Ford Focus) for a couple of months now, and I’ve emailed a few places to inquire about their plans for installing charging stations, and the replies have been discouraging. The most typical response is some variation of we’re considering it for down-the-road.
My question is what is the best way for EV drivers to get involved to help actually convince local towns, cities, and businesses to install more charging stations? As an individual I feel pretty powerless to affect any real change.
In some of the inquiries I’ve placed, I even mentioned possibly contributing financially in case cost was an issue, but that’s been only met with silence. While I haven’t seen any numbers, I certainly hope the EV community is growing, and we need to find a way to get our voice heard.
I have also used e-mail for the same purpose and recieved the same results. Some businesses in my area have begun putting in chargers either in new constuction or added to existing stores. (Kohls, price rite are two examples). When I see that I thank them in letters to the editor of local papers and personally in e-mails. I also mention that others should consider following suit, like Walmart etc., who never could be bothered to even respond with a form letter to my inquiries. It would seem to be a no brainer for businesses like Home Depot, who sell solar systems and chargers. So far I’ve seen nothing from them here though.
