Electrifying both municipal and community vehicles is a major goal in our Green Worcester Plan. According to our most recent Greenhouse Gas Emissions inventory 2020 - 2023, transportation accounted for 16% of municipal emissions and 31% of community-wide emissions.
Electric vehicles (EVs) produce no tailpipe emissions, helping to reduce both greenhouse gases and particulate pollution. While the electricity they use still has a carbon footprint, Worcester's (as well as the state's) growing use of renewable energy will continue to shrink, and eventually eliminate, that impact. That's why we're committed to expanding public EV charging access for residents and visitors while also transitioning our municipal fleet to electric.
Learn more about how we are working to make Worcester easier to get around for everyone and more electric vehicle-friendly on our Green Worcester Dashboard.
Bringing EV Charging to Worcester's Streets
Worcester is installing 10 - 15 new electric vehicle (EV) charging ports along city streets to make EV ownership more accessible, especially for renters and residents who don't have a dedicated garage or driveway. These chargers are part of an effort to expand access to EV infrastructure in an equitable way, with a focus on Environmental Justice communities. The project is funded by a state grant through MassCEC's On-Street Charging Solutions Program so the chargers will be installed at no cost to the municipality.
Worcester is one of 15 cities selected for funding. The project must be completed by the end of 2026, and your input can help shape where chargers go.
We have selected draft-final locations for this project, however we hope to install more in the future, so please tell us where you'd like to see EV chargers - drop a pin or like your favorite locations on our interactive map!
To stay up to date on this project, sign up for our EV Charger Project Newsletter.
Project Status
Community mapping in May and June of 2025 identified the initial set of sites to consider. By August 2025, the City's consultants, Commonwealth Electrical Technologies and Leidos Engineering, narrowed down the list to 12 feasible sites. The 12 sites were eventually narrowed down to 4, based on a number of considerations such as access to utilities, sidewalk space, costs and more. In August and September, the City's consultants attended public and neighborhood meetings near the 4 sites to present the project and seek input on the exact locations.
As of September 2025, the 4 proposed sites are: Quinsigamond Ave. (near Crompton Park), Russell St. (near Elm Park), Providence St. (near Vernon Park) and Hamilton St.
Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
Publicly Accessible EV Charging Stations (EVCS)
The City has 30 publicly accessible electric vehicle charging ports across several locations:
- Federal Plaza Municipal Garage: 6 ports (charging fees apply)
- Major Taylor Municipal Garage: 2 ports (no cost to use)
- Pearl-Elm Municipal Garage: 6 ports (charging fees apply)
- South High School: 6 ports (charging fees apply)
- Union Station Municipal Garage: 4 ports (no cost to use)
- Worcester Common Municipal Garage: 6 ports (charging fees apply)
At locations where fees apply, starting May 27, 2025, the rate is $0.30 per kWh, plus a $2.00/hour overstay fee after your vehicle is fully charged (with a 2-hour grace period to move your vehicle).
To see more details on EV charging station locations and costs, visit Electric Vehicle Charging Station Locations.
Municipal EV Charging Stations (EVCS)
For our municipal fleet, we have four EV charging ports at our Inspectional Services Department. Also, we recently completed a study to determine the best approach to installing EV charging stations to promote electrification of our municipal fleet in the years to come.
Municipal Electric Vehicles
We currently have three EVs - two for the Inspectional Services staff and one for City Hall staff. Supply chain issues have made it challenging to purchase EVs since 2021, but we're hopeful that availability will improve soon. In 2024, the Parks Division added two electric lawn mowers, which have been a hit with staff, and we're actively looking to add more.
Contact Information
Address
Sustainability and Resilience
51 Sever Street Worcester, MA 01609
Mailing Address: 455 Main Street
Worcester, MA 01608
Contact
Phone: 508-799-8324
Email Us
Hours
By Appointment
Monday - Friday
8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.