Senators want Mass Pike EV chargers at Natick, Charlton rest stops fixed

Chris Lisinski
·2 min read

BOSTON — Frustrated by a pair of Mass Pike electric vehicle charger stations that have been inoperable for more than a year, two state senators pressed Transportation Secretary Jamey Tesler to fix the problem by next month and make clear how the administration will expand EV infrastructure.

This electric vehicle charging station at the eastbound Mass Pike rest area in Natick has been out of commission for at least a year, according to two state senators, June 8, 2022.
This electric vehicle charging station at the eastbound Mass Pike rest area in Natick has been out of commission for at least a year, according to two state senators, June 8, 2022.

Senate Majority Leader Cynthia Creem and Sen. Michael Barrett, who co-chairs the Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy Committee, wrote to Tesler this week voicing "disappointment" that vehicle charging stations at I-90 rest stops have been broken for a year-plus.

"The continued inoperability of these chargers hampers the Commonwealth's ability to reach its EV goals, not only because it makes it more difficult for EV drivers to travel across the Commonwealth, but also because it feeds into an inaccurate yet prevalent narrative that EVs are not reliable for long-distance travel," Creem, D-Newton, and Barrett, a D-Lexington, wrote. "Indeed, the psychological impact of these broken chargers on residents whom we would like to become EV drivers may be even more detrimental than their practical impact on residents who already own EVs."

A Tesla is parked in front of an electric vehicle charging station at the eastbound Mass. Pike rest area in Natick that has been out of commission for at least a year, according to two state senators, June 8, 2022.
A Tesla is parked in front of an electric vehicle charging station at the eastbound Mass. Pike rest area in Natick that has been out of commission for at least a year, according to two state senators, June 8, 2022.

Creem's office told the State House News Service that she noticed the problem while traveling recently and, after looking into the issue, determined that charging stations at the eastbound Natick rest stop and westbound Charlton rest stop are not functional. That takes two of the Pike's six charging stations out of the mix and leaves motorists driving electric vehicles with no options to recharge across large stretches of the state.

The lawmakers asked Tesler's secretariat to bring broken chargers back to operation by July 1 "ahead of the busiest periods of summer travel" and requested additional information about the location and status of each Mass Pike EV charger, how MassDOT maintains that infrastructure, and plans to install additional chargers.

A pair of state senators have written to Transportation Secretary Jamey Tesler to fix disabled electric vehicle charging stations, such as this one at the eastbound rest stop on the Mass Pike in Natick.
A pair of state senators have written to Transportation Secretary Jamey Tesler to fix disabled electric vehicle charging stations, such as this one at the eastbound rest stop on the Mass Pike in Natick.

A bill that the Senate approved in April would pump $250 million into clean energy expansion, electric vehicle purchase incentives and EV charging infrastructure, though it remains unclear which provisions will survive negotiations with the House.

A MassDOT spokesperson did not respond directly to the Creem and Barrett letter but noted that a department official planned to discuss broader efforts to expand electric vehicle charging at an event this week with AAA Northeast.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Senators upset over broken EV charger stations on Mass Pike