Are Wrentham’s Parking Lots Ready for the EV Future?

The EV Charger Dilemma: Are Wrentham’s Parking Lots Ready for the Future?

Electric vehicles are becoming a common sight on the roads, even in smaller towns like Wrentham. With Massachusetts pushing toward a cleaner future and automakers going electric in record numbers, the question facing local leaders isn’t if they’ll need public EV chargers—it’s when, where, and how many.

Right now, Wrentham doesn’t have a wide network of municipal charging stations. For residents and visitors alike, this can be a barrier—especially in public lots where drivers may spend a few hours shopping, working, or attending events. As other towns begin pilot programs and seek grants for installation, Wrentham finds itself weighing the cost of infrastructure against the need to be ready.

So far, most EV drivers rely on home chargers or commercial charging networks like Tesla Superchargers or ChargePoint stations tucked behind shopping plazas. But those don’t solve the bigger picture for town-owned spaces. If Wrentham wants to stay ahead, it will need to start identifying priority parking areas—perhaps near Town Hall, the library, or the public safety complex—that could accommodate chargers without major rewiring or loss of general parking space.

Costs are a real factor. Even basic Level 2 chargers can run several thousand dollars per port when installation is included. That’s led the town to take a slow, cautious approach. But some residents are hoping to see faster movement—pointing to the growing number of EVs at school pickup lines and weekend events as signs that demand is already here.

For now, Wrentham’s parking lots are still mostly geared toward traditional cars. But with the future moving quietly and quickly on battery power, the town may not be able to wait much longer. Whether it rolls out a small pilot project or applies for state funding to go big, one thing is clear: the EV dilemma has officially parked itself in Wrentham’s lap.