TEMPE, AZ — Autonomous vehicles are becoming a more common sight across the Valley, but as they expand, questions are growing about where those cars will charge.
ABC15 received an email from a viewer asking us to look into a proposed autonomous-vehicle charging site near the Hughes Acres neighborhood in Tempe, as residents there say the project could bring traffic and safety concerns to their quiet community.
The proposed site would replace an empty dirt lot on Terrace Road near Broadway Road with a charging facility operated by Terawatt, a company that builds charging hubs for electric and autonomous vehicles.
Residents who live nearby say the location is too close to homes, apartments, and a nearby high school.
“It’s immediately adjacent to a high school and apartment buildings,” said Todd Smith, who lives in the Hughes Acres neighborhood.
Smith and his neighbor, Mark Van Brunt, say many residents have lived in the area for decades and value the calm, residential feel of the streets.
“Many of us have lived here for 20 to 45 years,” Van Brunt said.
They worry that the constant coming and going of autonomous vehicles, including Waymo cars already operating in the Valley, could change that.
“That’s going to increase traffic,” Smith said. “You can see on the street right now, there’s barely any traffic here. This is a residential neighborhood.”
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Beyond traffic, neighbors also raised concerns about safety, particularly with multiple electric vehicles charging near homes.
“If you had 20 of those cars side by side all charging here, and one catches on fire, it’s going to be a nightmare for firefighters and public safety,” Smith said.
ABC15 reached out to Terawatt to ask about the community’s concerns. In a statement, the company said:
“We want to be good neighbors in Tempe. Electric vehicles mean less pollution and cleaner air for everyone, and we look forward to working with community members to understand their feedback.”
Residents say they’re not opposed to new technology; they just believe this site belongs somewhere else.
“We’re not luddites,” Van Brunt said. “We believe in increased transportation options, but we ask that it be placed at an appropriate industrial use property.”
The proposal was originally scheduled to be discussed by the Tempe City Council, but the item was postponed. It’s now expected to be taken up during separate meetings in February and March.
