(EV)olve Boston provides data and analysis for policymakers and citizens to understand the electric vehicle transition in Boston.

We examine the environmental benefits of electric vehicle expansion, the obstacles standing in the way, and the implications of that expansion on the municipal budget.

Image courtesy of Eric Kilby

A Vision Of A Carbon-Free Boston

As part of its ambitious 2019 Climate Action Plan , the city of Boston seeks to achieve a 50% reduction in community-wide carbon emissions by 2030 and a 100% reduction by 2050. To support those objectives, the city is working on a massive city-wide transition to electric vehicles. By 2023, the City plans to have electric vehicle charging infrastructure publicly available in every city neighborhood. If successful, every citizen will live within a 10-minute walk of a publicly available charging station.

Image courtesy of the City of Charlottesville

Boston's Electric Vehicle Program Has Room To Grow

Boston has the most electric vehicles per capita of any major city in the Northeast. However, it still only has six electric vehicles for every 1,000 residents, which is considerably less than many West Coast cities. While the city of Boston endeavors to reduce the overall number of vehicles on the roads, it is still necessary to convert the remaining vehicles to electric. Providing public charging stations can help spur that transition.