Mandatory EV Chargers?

The city council of Palo Alto, Calif., unanimously passed a law mandating the installation of electric vehicle chargers in all new homes, according to the website Consumerist.com.

Palo Alto, home of EV superstar Tesla Motors, as well as Stanford University, seeks to make it easier for residents to get about on juice from the grid.

Mayor Greg Scharff says this is all about encouraging consumers to switch away from gasoline-powered cars and to EVs.

“It’s incumbent for us to find out what are the obstacles to owning electric vehicles and to get rid of those obstacles,” Scharff explained.

What do you think? Is this an instance of local government environmental overkill, or just forward-thinking preparedness for the rising (though still tiny) marketshare of electric motors among vehicle sales? Either way, it's bound to mean a bump in electrical equipment sales for some Palo Alto reps and distributors.

Full story: California City Requires All New Homes Have Electric Vehicle Charging Stations