Virgin Islands Energy Office Director Kyle Fleming announces that its expanded network of electric vehicle chargers in the St. Thomas/St. John District are energized and open for public use. The 16 chargers join a growing ecosystem of charging infrastructure constructed by VIEO that is augmenting refueling options for EV owners in both districts.
The pedestal mounted chargers are capable of delivering over 10 kw of power and can recharge a vehicle four to eight times faster than is possible when plugging into a typical household outlet. Six of the new chargers have been installed at the Fort Christian Parking Lot, four at the Red Hook Plaza, and two each at parking lots located adjacent to the Lindquist Beach, the Enighed Pond and the Gift Hill School.
Since going into service VIEO’s charging network has output over 27,700 kwh of energy to the growing number of EVs plying territorial roadways, displacing the equivalent of approximately 4,000 gallons of gasoline. By supporting the motoring publics ability to confidently buy EVs VIEO has directly reduced the amount of CO2 generated in the territory by more than 40 tons.
On St. Croix motorists can plug into public chargers located at the Christian “Shan” Hendricks Vegetable Market in Christiansted, adjacent to the Virgin Islands Economic Development Agency’s Office in the William D. Roebuck Industrial Park, and at Ziggy’s Island Market. Charging on VIEO’s network is currently free of charge thanks to funding provided by a Department of the Interior grant. The initial no-cost charging period is an adoption-focused incentive, designed to remove barriers for new EV drivers, build public familiarity with the infrastructure, and accelerate the territory’s transition to zero emission transportation. VIEO and the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority are actively developing a long-term transaction model for these sites that will support the upkeep and maintenance of the public charging network.
This charging expansion builds on the strong momentum created by VIEO’s Electric Mobility (EM) rebate program, strategic government procurement of EVs, and a rapidly growing selection of electric vehicles available in the market.
The public’s growing appetite for EVs is reflected in registration trends visible in data collated from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. EV registration has surged from 149 in 2023 to 516 in 2025, more than tripling in just two years. To further support this growth, next week VIEO is finalizing the installation of the territory’s first-ever DC fast charger on St. Croix, co-located at the Research and Technology Park’s solar farm and a battery energy storage system, enabling EV charging powered by renewable energy while also providing resilience so that brief grid outages will not disrupt an active charging session.
VIEO is still actively offering the EM rebate for eligible new and used EVs registered in the territory. The program offers EV owners a rebate of $7,500 for qualifying EVs, and $500 for electric bikes purchased from an authorized VIEO vendor. For more information about VIEO programs, please visit us at energy.vi.gov and find out how the agency can help you meet your energy efficiency goals.
