EV Charging Infrastructure Grant

In 2013, the City of Charlottesville launched an EV Charger Mini-Grant Program to support an increase of public electric vehicle charging stations located near commercial and retail activities. In 2023, we updated and relaunched the program to better serve current EV charging needs. The grant program shares the cost of EV charging equipment and installation with private property owners who wish to host a publicly accessible charging station. 

This program is supported by the Climate Protection Program. Please contact the Climate Protection Program with questions.

Applications

Applications will be accepted and evaluated on a rolling basis as funds allow. To inquire about applying, please contact the Climate Protection Program.

• Application Form (PDF)
• Eligibility Requirements (PDF)

Amount of Funding Available & Eligibility Requirements

Funding

A maximum of 5 grants can be requested by a single applicant, with a maximum possibility of 2 grants per property. Grant funding amounts are as follows:

Eligibility Requirements

• Accessible for Use by the General Public: Any City resident or visitor must have the ability to access and use the charger, with preference given to sites that do not require membership or registration in order to charge. The charger must be in a location physically accessible to the motoring public, and shall not be situated in a restricted access location.
• Near Commercial and Tourist Activity Centers:  Charging stations must be located in areas where there are retail, restaurant, tourism and similar commercial and tourism-related activities within walking distance of the charging station (preference given to locations within ¼ mile or less). Charging stations should be located on, or with reasonably direct access to, the City’s arterial streets.
• Located on Private, Non-Residential Property: Charging stations must be located on private property owned by the applicant within the City of Charlottesville. The property must be a business, commercial, or mixed-use site where parking open to the public is authorized.
• Modest User Fees:  Grants are reserved for charging stations that will be made available at low-cost relative to the market. It is envisioned that the charging stations will be implemented as a means of attracting EV drivers to visit businesses and tourist sites within the City, and that grant recipients will offer pricing suited to that vision.
• Site usage data: In order to better understand additional EV infrastructure needs, grant recipients agree to provide site usage data to the City, if requested, for a period of at least three (3) years.  
• Posting on EV Charging Locator Maps: Applicants must specify on which EV charger databases they will post the location of their charging station, rate structure and operational hours of use. At a minimum, the applicant must agree to list its site on the public charger map hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center. 
• Project Lifespan: A proposed charging station must be new and must be established pursuant to arrangements designed to ensure the continuing availability of the service for three or more years.
• Basis for reimbursement: Applicants must acknowledge and agree that grant funds, if awarded, will be provided on a reimbursement basis. Applicants will be required to provide documentary evidence of eligible expenditures, City permitting approval, and installation of the charging station(s) as described in the grant application, before grant funding will be disbursed. Eligible expenditures are limited to equipment purchase, site design and installation costs. Operational and maintenance expenses are not eligible.

Selection Information

The City may select applications for award of grants based on its assessment, relative to the above-referenced criteria, of which applicant(s) have the best Project Plan(s) and offer the best prospects for furthering the City’s objective to establish a permanent network of EV charging stations throughout the City. Grant awards may be made to any one or more applicants, or to no applicants, in the City’s sole discretion. Not more than $20,000 will be awarded to any single applicant, regardless of the number of charging stations proposed.