Electric vehicle drivers in Loudoun County will soon have to pay to charge their cars at charging stations inside two Metrorail parking garages owned and operated by the Virginia county.

The county said that it will charge $2.10 per session to use the service at the Ashburn Station South and Loudoun Gateway garages starting Feb. 19. Charging had been free since the garages opened in 2022.

The session begins when the vehicle is plugged in to the charging station and ends when the plug is removed or the charging is complete. People can pay at the charging station through an app.

The county said that it will use these fees to recover the costs of running the 68 EV charging stations at these two Metrorail garages, including maintenance costs for electricity, hardware, labor and software.

The county said that also on Feb. 19, the cost to charge your vehicle at the charging stations at the Harmony Park and Ride lot on East Colonial Highway will increase from $1.44 per session — the price since 2011 — to $2.10 to match with the fees at the Metro stations and to cover electricity costs.