House to assess installation of EV charging stations

District 4 (San Juan) Rep. Víctor Parés Otero is scheduled to meet with Edwin González Montalvo, the designated secretary of the Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTOP by its acronym in Spanish), in the coming days to assess the progress of a program aimed at installing charging stations for electric vehicles along Puerto Rico’s busiest roads.

“The establishment of a support infrastructure, particularly for charging, is essential to promote the use of electric vehicles in Puerto Rico,” said Parés, who chairs the House Government Committee, on Monday. “We believe that the annual sales of these vehicles will significantly increase if a charging network is developed, as one does not currently exist in its entirety. The designated DTOP secretary has been proactive in making this network a reality, and we want his insights to explore how we can expedite the process from the House of Representatives.”

Parés made the comments following a report from the United Group of Auto Importers, indicating that 1,356 electric vehicles were sold in 2024, a decrease of 36.5% compared to 2,136 vehicles sold in 2023. “We understand that one reason for the significant drop in sales is the lack of infrastructure,” the lawmaker said. “Therefore, in addition to reviewing the status of current projects, we aim to evaluate the possibility of proposing legislation that encourages the use of electric vehicles, making the charging network crucial.”