The city of Melrose, Massachusetts recently worked with local utility company National Grid to install 16 pole-mounted EV chargers in 10 places around town.

The chargers in Melrose are “first-in-the region,” according to National Grid, and “intended to expand EV adoption, accelerate usage and lower installation costs.”

Installing the chargers on the electric utility poles can benefit EV drivers who don’t have private garages or dedicated charging parking lots that are private. The cost of installing the chargers is also reduced by 70% if they’re put on utility poles instead of in the ground, because installation doesn’t require digging…

A study of Californians who bought EVs between 2012 and 2018 found that one in five of them switched back to gas-powered vehicles because of the inconvenience of charging. The same study found that around 70% of those drivers didn’t have access to the Level 2 type of charging they needed at home or at their workplace.