3 Bucks County Municipalities to Permit EV Charging Stations on Residential Properties
Three Bucks County communities have greenlighted regulations that will allow electric vehicle charging stations on residential properties. Newtown, Upper Makefield, and Wrightstown townships will now permit the charging stations to…
BERLIN, GERMANY – JANUARY 24: Electric cars charge at a public charging station on January 24, 2025 in Berlin, Germany. Electric car sales were weak in 2024 in Germany following the end of government purchase subsidies.
(Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)Three Bucks County communities have greenlighted regulations that will allow electric vehicle charging stations on residential properties.
Newtown, Upper Makefield, and Wrightstown townships will now permit the charging stations to be set up at single-family and multi-family residences, as well as at manufactured homes. Wrightstown is the latest municipality to pass the ordinance, following earlier approval by Newtown and Upper Makefield townships. The three municipalities have been attempting to bring this ordinance to fruition for several years.
“It's been a long haul,” said Chester Pogonowski, supervisor of Wrightstown Township, in a statement shared with The Reporter of Bucks County. “This was the final step. The regulations take effect immediately.”
The new law stipulates that residential property owners must site the EV charging stations inside a garage or on an exterior wall of their garage or residence behind the building's setback. This ordinance also stipulates the use of charging stations at nonresidential properties such as commercial, industrial, and institutional sites. These stations can be open to the public, and a fee can be charged, unlike those installed on residential properties.
According to The Reporter, three levels of electric vehicle chargers exist, distinguished by charging speed, equipment type, and power level. Level 1 charging features a power cord connected to a standard 120-volt household outlet. This charger provides slow charging and a dedicated circuit for charging.
Faster 240-volt Level 2 charging involves installing upgraded electrical equipment, a professional installation, and an added cost. Homes and workplaces can use these chargers. Finally, Level 3 chargers are the fastest and most expensive to use.
In Bucks County today, 64 Level 2 and six Level 3 stations exist, bringing the total to 171 individual charging posts in the county, according to the Bucks County Planning Commission. The commission notes that these chargers are “clustered around Quakertown, Doylestown, Warminster, Trevose, and Oxford Valley.”
