WHAT: On February 2, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Orange County Mayor Richard Crotty, OUC–The Reliable One, Progress Energy and Nissan North America will announce plans to move Central Florida’s environmental agenda forward – by promoting electric vehicle transportation.

The City of Orlando with Nissan North America will launch the Zero Emission Mobility Project, an initiative to promote the development of electric-vehicle infrastructure and adoption of electric cars. Nissan will be the first automaker to mass-market all-electric vehicles, beginning with the Nissan LEAF.  Orlando is one of the first markets in the world where the Nissan LEAF will be available when it goes on sale later this year.

This project is further supported by the Get Ready Central Florida initiative – a coalition comprised of Orange County Government, the City of Orlando, OUC–The Reliable One, and Progress Energy—with the goal of expediting Central Florida’s progress in preparing the infrastructure for EV transportation.

VISUALS: Mayor Dyer and Mayor Crotty will test drive the Nissan LEAF, the industry’s first all-electric, zero-emission car designed for the mass market.

WHEN: Tuesday, February 2, 2010 at 1:30 p.m.

WHERE: Jefferson Street Parking Garage – Downtown Orlando, 62 W. Jefferson St. (Between Orange Ave. and Garland Ave.)

WHO: Orange County Mayor Richard Crotty, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Nissan North America, OUC–The Reliable One, Progress Energy

DOWNLOAD BROCHURE

Rhode Island is getting ready. With a goal of preparing for and welcoming 10,000 plug-in electric vehicles to Rhode Island by 2015, “PGR RI” is working hard to make purchasing electric vehicles a “one-stop shopping experience” for local drivers. With its high population density and small size, Rhode Island will become the New England proving ground for the electric vehicle.

By joining Denver, CO, Houston, TX, Indianapolis, IN, Portland, OR, and Toronto, Ontario, Rhode Island becomes the first Project Get Ready state and Providence the first community in the northeast to pioneer the adoption of efficient, low-carbon vehicles.

PGR RI is coordinating with its partnering utility National Grid to develop a plan for electrifying 2% of Rhode Island’s cars without significantly increasing peak grid load, and while simultaneously decreasing transportations costs and carbon emissions.

PGR RI has also enlisted Environment Northeast (ENE) as a partner. The non-profit organization has provided vital research and guidance for development of Rhode Island’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard. ENE will continue to inform the coalition’s efforts to integrate electric vehicles.

Project Get Ready RI includes representatives from the following organizations: Brown University, City of Providence, Conservation Law Foundation, DK Power, Environment Northeast, EleCar, EmPower CES, FleetMaster, National Grid, New England Institute of Technology, Ocean State Clean Cities, Providence Water Supply Board, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Rhode Island State House of Representatives, Rhode Island Science and Technology Advisory Council, Save The Bay, University of Rhode Island Energy Center, and VCharge.

For more information, contact PGR RI Coordinator Al Dahlberg at albert_dahlberg@yahoo.com or 401-524-1151.

1/21/2010: PGR RI Press Release

1/11/2010: Push on for plug-ins on Rhode Island’s roads, Providence Business News (subscription required)

Environment Northeast’s Transportation initiatives

ENE Low Carbon Fuel Standard Primer (pdf)

Summary of Electric Drive and Alternative Fuel-Related Provisions(pdf)

Emissions Benefits of Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (pdf)

Plug-in America’s list of plug-ins in the pipeline Pretty much every car company in business has now come out with plans for a plug-in vehicle, and in many cases a totally electric vehicle.

Cost of ownership calculator The National PGR calculator that compares a variety of plug-in electric vehicles with standard internal combustion vehicles in terms of lifetime cost and carbon footprint.

Additionally Vancouver has made great strides to incorporate EV charging into its newest building codes. This includes specific guidelines for multi-family dwellings where 20% of parking stalls must have a charging receptacle and the electrical rooms must have enough space for the charging hardware required for 100% of these receptacles.

For any questions, contact Brian Beck at brian.beck@vancouver.ca. Also, be sure to check out http://www.vancouver.ca/sustainability.

Houston is awaiting the arrival of the Nissan Leaf tour, which will land in the city on February 5th.  The city is putting a plan together to deploy 400 Level 3 charging stations. They are also looking into the feasibility of siting charge points in parking garages and at grocery stores.

Finally, like many of our other cities, Houston is working toward establishing preferred, certified electricians for charging installation.

Updates – 11/20/09

On Tuesday November 17, 2009, The City of Houston, along with retail electricity provider Reliant Energy, launched their pilot program, “Power of the Plug-in.” This is a major step toward preparing Houston for future electric vehicles. “Power of the Plug-in” has converted 10 Toyota Prius to Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) by way of installation of a Hymotion battery pack. It is anticipated these vehicles will average 100 miles per gallon. The city is also installing 15 charging stations at various city facilities, 10 of which will be available to the public. Coulomb Technologies provided the charging stations for this project and charging will be at no cost to the consumer in the first year of the program.

“I applaud Houston for its electric vehicle initiative,” said Stephen Crolius, Senior Director, Transportation, Clinton Climate Initiative, a program of the William J. Clinton Foundation, “These tangible steps will position the city as a leader in the climate-friendly transportation sector.”

Future exploration of plug-in vehicles will continue this spring when the City will convert an additional 5 Prius to PHEV and install another 5 charging stations at various Houston Public Libraries in parking spots reserved for hybrid vehicles. Additionally, Houston is exploring a centralized downtown motor-pool fleet to consolidate individual department motor pools and reduce vehicle by more than 50%. Along with a web-based reservation system, Houston intends to purchase all-electric vehicles to stock the downtown pooled fleet, with the exception of some trucks, vans, and SUVs in the mix.

The roadmap to making Houston plug-in ready continues through private sector efforts. For example, Reliant Energy’s recent announcement to work with Nissan and further explore infrastructure needs and business models. Additionally, we will continue to work with other stakeholders within the region to develop a uniformed plan going forward.

Houston is an official partner city of Project Get Ready, an initiative helping cities prepare for electric vehicle adoption. In order to assist other cities in their efforts Houston will provide cost breakdowns of its installation efforts at various types of facilities. These numbers are intended to help with cost projects and calculations of ROI.

Houston Chronicle #1: City Hall’s hybrids: Green gold in the oil patch

Houston Chronicle #2: Group wants Texas to plug in with hybrid vehicles

Wall Street Journal: Will Houston Become an Electric-Car Capital?

Coulomb: City of Houston Installs Coulomb Technologies Networkded Charging Stations for Electric Vehicles

Discovery: ‘Project Get Ready’ Got Set and Went in Houston

CW Channel 39: Getting Plugged In Downtown

ABC Channel 13 Video: Houston plugs into greener future

Texas Energy and Environment: Reliant announces plans for electric vehicle services in Houston

City of Houston: Reliant Energy and the City of Houston Launch Electric Vehicle Pilot Project

The City of Houston is currently working on two major efforts in preparation for the electrification of vehicles. Houston is home to some of the world’s largest oil and energy companies and covers 624 square miles. The challenge of bringing electric vehicles to our city is more than just creating an infrastructure of charging stations, it is overcoming a mindset. However, over 35% of the municipality’s electricity load is from renewable sources and we have the nation’s third largest hybrid fleet. Our mission to conserve energy lines up with the Rocky Mountain Institute’s Project Get Ready.

We are teaming up with several partners in this initiative. Texas has a competitive electric market and we are working with both CenterPoint Energy, who owns the infrastructure and Reliant Energy, part of NRG, who is the major electric provider. Once the stakeholder group is finalized we will update our page to include timelines and more details on our efforts.

Our first initiative is a pilot program in cooperation with Reliant Energy in which we will convert 15 Toyota hybrids into Plug in Hybrid Electric Vehicles as additions to our fleet. We will build a 1:1 charging infrastructure for these vehicles and two home charging stations. This project will be marketed with a media campaign along with educational programs and events. The vehicles will be equipped with monitoring devices and we will use multiple vendors of charging stations installed at city owned facilities. This pilot program is instrumental in the success of a much larger project.

During the ongoing study, City of Houston will begin to install approximately 100 charging stations around town at city owned facilities such as libraries, parks, sport venues, the zoo, etc. We are enlisting the help of the Greater Houston Partnership, private businesses, real estate developers, other governmental agencies and neighboring municipalities to also install and commit to purchasing EVs for their fleets and installing additional stations. This infrastructure is more for piece of mind than a necessity, but we understand without this initial level of comfort the adoption process will be long and drawn out. We will also explore creating level three charging station infrastructure on the interstate highways between major cities in Texas. These will be strategically located by restaurants or outlet malls to allow for dining and shopping while charging. Additionally, we will begin working with the other major cities to ensure Texans can drive their electric vehicles form town to town and have places to charge. Multifamily developments play an important roll and must be included in this effort as well; we cannot limit electric vehicles to single family homeowners.

The City of Houston and our team will commit to purchase over 300 all electric vehicles from a major car manufacturer for delivery in late 2010. We expect through our marketing campaigns, Houstonians will be ready to adopt this technology quickly. We have been unsuccessful in taking cars off the road, but we can take the emissions out of the cars and anticipate huge reductions in emissions. Houston will be ready.

For more information, contact James Tillman (james.tillman@cityofhouston.net)

The City of Denver is beginning to budget level 1 charge points across the city. Many of these will be existing outlets, so the city is developing signage that will make these areas highly visible to the public. As demand increases and these charge points are used with greater frequency, the city will consider upgrading to Level 2 outlets and charging station.

Updates – 10/16/09

Infrastructure Permitting:

The City and County of Denver has developed a plan to allow quick turnaround for private individuals or businesses to obtain permits to install vehicle charging stations.  Denver’s permitting and inspection officials have provided feedback and assurances regarding vehicle-charging technologies: a permit for a level 2 home charging unit should be easily obtainable though a simple, 15-30 minute walkthrough review, and they anticipate being able to provide next-day inspections.

Colorado Plug-In Vehicle Working Group:

A core working group of state, local and regional entities was recently formed to pursue the implementation of advanced plug-in, electric drive vehicles.  This group was formed to address and overcome the barriers associated with operating electric vehicles in the region and is committed to working toward the goal of having large numbers of advanced technology, clean plug-in vehicles operating in the region.  Current members of this core working group include:

• City and County of Denver
• City of Boulder
• Xcel Energy
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory
• Rocky Mountain Institute
• Denver Metro Clean Cities Coalition
• State of Colorado Governors Energy Office

Denver Metro Clean Cities Coalition:

In addition to the core working group described above, the Denver Metro Clean Cities Coalition is continuing to expand its role as the primary forum for regional collaboration on plug-in vehicle implementation.  At the October Coalition meeting local plug-in vehicle technology companies gave introductory presentations of their products and services, and a Plug-in Vehicle Open House event is being planned for November to provide local fleet managers a hands-on opportunity to learn the details about currently-available and up-coming technologies.

Denver Long-range Planning:

The City and County of Denver has also formed an internal, cross-agency work team to develop long-range goals and strategies for plug-in vehicle implementation, both for the City fleet as well as for the broader Denver community as a whole.

U.S.-China EcoPartnership:

The City and County of Denver is continuing to explore potential electric-vehicle implementation opportunities in Denver with Chang-an Motors through the US-China EcoPartnership program.

Outreach to the Business Community:

In 2010 Denver will be launching an effort to work more closely with local business districts and merchant associations on implementing sustainable transportation options, with a focus on promoting plug-in vehicle and infrastructure opportunities.  Businesses will be encouraged to adopt plug-in technology for their fleet vehicles as well as to provide public charging infrastructure to their customers.  Promotions will include information about technology options and available incentives, such as the Colorado tax credits available for purchasing plug-in vehicles and conversions (up to $6,000), and for constructing charging infrastructure.

A total of 12 communities and more than two dozen governmental and private business partners have joined Denver in a proposal to the U.S. Department of Energy called Funding Electric Vehicle Expansion in the Rockies or FEVER.

Project Get Ready Team Denver Summary:

The City of County of Denver has made a commitment to support the implementation of plug-in vehicle technology in Denver and throughout the region.  Denver has begun working with an array of other local and state-wide partners to identify opportunities to accelerate the integration of plug-in vehicles as well as developing regional vehicle charging infrastructure.   Working with the Denver Metro Clean Cities Coalition, almost 100 locations have already been identified as high-priority sites for vehicle charging infrastructure by the following local-government entities:

This effort has been enthusiastically supported by Xcel Energy, the Colorado Governor’s Energy Office, EEtrex, Burt Automotive, .the Colorado chapter of the Society of Automotive Engineers, and the Denver Electric Vehicle Council.   In addition to these partners, Denver is beginning the process of identifying and engaging with the full range of local stakeholders to develop a 5-year action plan to catalyze plug-in vehicle expansion in Colorado.

Denver is also participating in a U.S.-China “Eco Partnership” sponsored by U.S. Department of the Treasury.  The partnership includes the City and County of Denver, Ford Motor Company, the City of Chongqing, and Chang’an Motors.  Focused on the implementation of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, this partnership has, according to the Treasury, “the potential to significantly advance the global development of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.”
President Obama has set a target of 1 million PHEV on the road in America by 2015.  Based on the local vehicle market and projected vehicle implementation trajectories required to reach the President’s goal, it is estimated that Denver Metro Area should strive to have approximately 7,000 plug-in vehicles on the road by 2013. Supporting this goal is consistent with Denver’s ongoing commitment to addressing environmental challenges though innovation, leadership, and community action.

For more information on Denver’s Project Get Ready efforts, please contact:

Matthew Marshall

City and County of Denver

720-913-1516

Matthew.marshall@denvergov.org

Denver in the news:

abc 7 News

Carbon Day Automotive, a division of Carbon Day headquartered in Chicago is partnering with ComEd, City of Chicago, Clean City Coalitions of Chicago, Plug in Partners, EDTA, The Clinton Foundation, The Illinois Institute of Technology, EVTransportal, Fox Valley Electric Car Association, Illionois Manager Association, Wanxiang Solar, Hybrid Electric Vehicle Technologies Inc and many more to get ready for plug-ins.

To learn more about Chicago’s progress and five year plan visit www.carbonday.com or contact Benjamin Lachman (BenL@carbonday.com).

Chicago in the news:

Coulomb Technologies and Carbon Day Automotive Unveil Solar Plug-In Station in Chicago

Toronto has formally launched their EV300, which will create a buyers club offering electric vehicle repair services, charging infrastructure and performance monitoring. The plan has a strong emphasis on peer to peer technical support and will be informed by heavy analysis of EV fleet potential, as well as the impacts of weather on battery and vehicle performance.

Toronto Hydro will conduct vehicle-to-grid studies by deploying smart meters and analyzing grid interaction on a “Time of Use” pricing structure.

Updates – 10/15/09
The Toronto Atmospheric Fund’s EV300 Initiative aims to get a critical mass of at least 300 electric vehicles on the road in the Greater Toronto Area by 2012, putting the region on the path to full-scale electric mobility. By participating in the EV300 initiative, public and private fleets, local electricity distribution companies and municipal partners can gain access to electric vehicles, secure servicing and technical support, establish charging infrastructure, better understand vehicle-grid integration, monitor performance and advance EV-friendly policies.

This program is a great way for organizations to explore the potential benefits of electric vehicles without the risks of a “go it alone” approach. Economies of scale and knowledge sharing are just some of the benefits of our joint approach to procuring, maintaining and monitoring electric vehicles. The EV300 Initiative will also give us the influence to address practical and policy barriers to electric vehicle procurement and use, thereby significantly leveraging the value of each organization’s individual investment.

For more information or to get involved in EV300, please contact Ben Marans at 416 393 6367 or bmarans@tafund.org

The Toronto Atmospheric Fund (TAF) is an independent agency of the City of Toronto with a mandate to finance and advance greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction strategies and technologies.  TAF leverages the Mayor’s and City Council’s commitment to reducing GHG emissions 30% by 2020 and 80% by 2050 below 1990 levels, and has been a key part of the City’s leadership in the area of climate change.

Established in 1991, TAF was the world’s first municipal climate agency dedicated to financing initiatives that combat global climate change and improve air quality, with three main tools to advance our GHG reduction mandate:

1.    Grants to community and public sector projects;
2.    Investment in transformative private sector projects; and
3.    Direct program delivery in strategic areas in a manner that leverages our position in the City, our resources and our partners.

TAF’s FleetWise Program focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with cars and light trucks, recognizing they contribute more than a quarter of the City of Toronto’s emission profile.  In keeping with TAF’s experience in incubating, field testing and evaluating technology options which address climate change and air pollution, the FleetWise Program activities to date have included:

➢    Financing the Toronto Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) Pilot, designed to test the fuel economy and emissions performance of PHEV technology in public and private fleets (report due July 2009).

➢    A grant to the Associated Toronto Taxicabs of Toronto for a Hybrid Taxi Pilot to develop the business case for the adoption of hybrid taxi cabs in Toronto, with the results to be shared amongst industry stakeholders and municipal policymakers (report due July 2009).

➢    A multi-year grant to the City of Toronto Fleet Services to develop a Green Vehicle Evaluation & Selection Tool in collaboration with other fleet managers. This decision-making tool will help to monitor and evaluate the performance of low-emission vehicles and assist with purchasing policies and decisions.

➢    A grant to Pollution Probe, a local ENGO, to work with experts and stakeholders to identify the main elements that would comprise an effective Electric Mobility Master Plan for the City of Toronto.

➢    Active participation in several federal, provincial and municipal consultations on EVs, smart grid applications and green fleet planning.

TAF joined the Rocky Mountain Institute’s Project Get Ready initiative in April 2009 as the first Canadian municipality to publicly commit to a plug-in future.  PGR offers Toronto leadership and access to technical, policy and fiscal expertise as public and private fleets and individual Torontonians to explore and begin to welcome plug-in vehicles.

Going forward, TAF’s FleetWise program will continue to demonstrate Toronto’s commitment to integrating electric vehicles into our sustainable transportation vision. By working initially with public and private fleets, we will build knowledge and capacity regarding charging infrastructure, grid connectivity, EV servicing/maintenance, performance monitoring and reporting and we will actively identify and address policy barriers and work to secure favourable incentives and financing tools to further position Toronto as a welcome, active and supportive market for plug-ins.

Contact

Ben Marans
Manager of Grants & Special Projects
bmarans@tafund.org
416 393 6367

Toronto in the news:
Toronto Star

CTV

• Expedited permitting and installation of electric vehicle charging outlets at homes, business, parking lots, and other buildings throughout the Bay Area;
• Incentives for employers to install Electric Vehicle (EV) charging systems in their workplace and provide similar incentives to parking facilities and other locations where EV charging stations can be installed;
• Harmonize local regulations and standards across the region that govern EV infrastructure to achieve regulatory consistency for EV companies as well as expanded range for EV consumers;
• Establish common government programs that promote the purchase of EVs;
• Link EV programs and infrastructure to regional transit and air quality programs;
• Establish programs for aggressive pooled-purchase orders for EVs in municipal, state government and private sector fleets and future commitment of purchasing preference for EV vehicles;
• Expedited permitting and approval for facilities that provide extended-range driving capability for EVs in the region through battery exchange locations or fast-charging;
• Identify and secure suitable standard (110V) electric outlets for charging low voltage EVs in every government building in 2009; and
• Identify roll-out plan for placement of 220V EV charging equipment throughout each city including city
  parking lots and curbside parking.

The Mayors said they will work with other cities throughout the region, regional government organizations such as the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and Association of Bay Area Governments, as well as many private sector partners, including the members of the Bay Area Council and Silicon Valley Leadership Group.

Project Plug-IN and Paul Mitchell are covered by Indianapolis Business Journal. The article includes video footage of PGR champion Paul Mitchell speaking about Project Plug-IN.

Updates – January 5, 2010

In what has been a widely publicized announcement, Think electric vehicles will begin producing its first models in Elkhart, Indiana. Fifty to one hundred of these vehicles will be contributed to “Project Plug-in” this summer.

In utility news, Duke Energy and Indianapolis Power & Light (IPL) hosted a workshop for the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission regarding Project Plug-IN. Nissan, Smart, and RMI spoke at the workshop which focused on the utilities plans to provide charging infrastructure (approx 200-300 sites)for the Project Plug-IN demonstration as well as develop an ongoing pilot program to provide charging infrastructure to utility customers who purchase plug-in vehicles.

Finally, “Project Plug-IN” has added ITOCHU Corporation (Japan) as a corporate partner and they will provide battery management systems and DC to DC charging stations.  Additionally, Project Plug-IN will become a sister project to a similar pilot led by ITOCHU in Tskuba Japan involving Mazda, Tokyo Power and Electric Company, and others.

Updates – 10/19/09
Indianapolis has several recent updates to report:

• Working with two utilities in area, Duke Energy and Indiana Power and Light (IPL), to go to state regulatory commission to ask for cost recovery to pay for demo EV program starting in summer 2010 with initial customer offering by fall 2010
• Will procure 50-100 vehicles for fleets and consumers; installing charging stations at residences; will use smart meters to do time of use pricing
• Indiana Deptartment of Administration working with Indiana Economic Development Corporation to purchase 20-30 hybrids and then convert them to plug-in using stimulus dollars
• Grant from DoE for education around transportation electrification at local universities

The Indianapolis Region is getting ready.

Working with the Energy Systems Network, the Indianapolis region is getting ready! Check back here in the coming weeks for a regional charter, partner listings, working groups, and much more. Or leave a comment/send us an e-mail with your ideas!
Effectively addressing the technical, business, regulatory, and consumer challenges to meeting the goal of one million plug-in cars by 2015 requires a systems approach that provides advanced electric drive vehicles (AEDVs) and related technologies integrated in a real-world environment.  No single company has the capacity to solve all the challenges to meeting the President’s goal. Moreover, mass commercialization will require a range of companies and institutions representing industries and interests that must coordinate efforts to achieve successful systems integration.  The Energy Systems Network (ESN) has assembled a world-class team to commence a demonstration program that will accelerate the market introduction and penetration of AEDVs and related technologies in the Indianapolis area.

ESN’s Project Plug-IN is comprised of partnering companies and institutions with capabilities spanning the entire plug-in ecosystem from vehicles, to grid side, and in-between.  Project Plug-IN partners include:

Working collaboratively Project Plug-IN partners bring to the table all of their resources to develop, deploy, demonstrate, market, and evaluate a range of more than one hundred plug-in vehicles, including light, medium and heavy duty, powered by an integrated charging, infrastructure located at homes, businesses, and parking facilities.

Project Plug-IN has three specific objectives that will each be implemented through ESN’s comprehensive collaborative systems approach.

1. Plug-IN Commute: Deploy a fleet of AEDVs and supporting charging infrastructure to evaluate performance and operation in a variety of real-world commuting environments allowing manufactures to optimize cost and provide the desired performance to achieve mass market penetration among consumers.
2. Plug-IN Fleet: Deploy a broad range of AEDVs and supporting charging infrastructure in centralized fleet operations to evaluate performance and operation of multiple vehicles platforms allowing manufactures to optimize cost and provide the desired performance to achieve mass market penetration in the fleet market.
3. Plug-IN Support: Develop, deploy, and evaluate an array of supportive services (i.e. data management, public outreach, and sales and service readiness) that will accelerate plug-in technology development, commercialization, and enhance consumer interest.

Achieving these objectives will advance the manufacturing and marketing of AEDVs, realize the full potential of smart grid utilities, and educate and convince consumers of the benefits of AEDVs and plug-in technologies.  These achievements will accelerate commercialization and sales of AEDVs while reducing cost, improving system performance, and creating jobs.

Working Groups
To ensure the above effort are well integrated and all planning and management decisions, including identification of criteria for, and creation of go/no-go decisions, interim milestones and success/failure metrics, are made with input and support from the collective Project Plug-IN partners, a set of project management teams will be established to enable effective project management. Teams include: Leadership, Data Management, Technical/Engineering, Market Research/Public Outreach,

These teams will meet as a group at least monthly for the first 12 months of the project and then at least quarterly for the duration of the initiative.  The teams will be responsible for developing a comprehensive project plan that focuses on their respective area of expertise. These plans will build on and if necessary modify the tasks, milestones, go-no-go decision points, and deliverables laid out in this proposal.  The individual team plans will be rolled up into an overall Project Plug-IN management plan that will be approved and overseen by the leadership team comprised of a senior level executives from each partnering company.

Project Milestones

Project Get Ready Regional Champion
Paul J. Mitchell
President & CEO
Energy Systems Network
111 Monument Circle, Suite 1800
Indianapolis IN 46204
317.532.4774
pmitchell@cincorp.com

NC State University Sustainability Office & Office of Energy Management interviews City of Raleigh Sustainability Initiatives Manager in a series of podcasts.

Updates – January 5, 2010

The Raleigh team is developing a permit application process for Electrical Vehicle Service Equipment (EVSE) Installation, to be used in commercial and residential areas. Additionally, they are woorking on prequalifying guidelines for potential EVSE locations.

Finally, the team is developing in-house training sessions on potential installation scenarios for electrical inspectors and creating an incentives plan for the charging locations.

Updates – 10/15/09
Raleigh is moving forward with their EV plan. They have recently received a Clean Cities grant which will help with EV procurement. Also, Raleigh held a conference this past summer called Electrify NC to bring together different supporters and stakeholders in the area’s EV movement. This was a great first step in identifying barriers and, more importantly, solutions.

The Research Triangle Region in North Carolina is getting ready! The City of Raleigh, Progress Energy, Advanced Energy, and RMI are collaborating to kick-off the readiness initiative. Working groups are forming now. The Raleigh project is quickly expanding to collaborate with the entire Triangle region.

Advanced Energy is coordinating the Research Triangle Region’s efforts. To get involved, please send us your ideas using the links to the right or contact: Robert Underhill <runderhill@advancedenergy.org> at Advanced Energy.

NC Get Ready!
NC Get Ready! is a new initiative being piloted in the Triangle area, supported by a consortium of cities,
government officials, industry leaders and not-for-profit organizations, including core team members
Advanced Energy, Progress Energy, Duke Energy and the Rocky Mountain Institute. The project will
facilitate the adoption of electric vehicles in NC by accomplishing five key objectives:

• FACILITATE stakeholder working groups to identify opportunities and explore/resolve issues and barriers associated with electrified transportation.
• EDUCATE consumers on the viability of electric vehicles and hybrid plug-ins and to overcome misconceptions or concerns that hinder adoption of new technologies.
• ESTABLISH sound infrastructure to deliver a network of charging stations that meet the needs of vehicle owners without jeopardizing the stability of the power grid.
• DEVELOP relationships with manufacturers of vehicles and vehicle components, and ensure the availability of electric and plug-in hybrids in the North Carolina market.
• EXPLORE opportunities for economic development among “green-minded” vendors and manufacturers seeking a viable and forward-thinking location to grow their business.

Understanding the Issues

The use of electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles is hindered by a number of factors, some based in
fact and some in misconception. Automobile manufacturers face an uncertain market in the best of
economic times. They have limited data to project the number of vehicles to be sold in any given area,
and the infrastructure to fully support the vehicles is currently lacking. A primary objective of NC Get
Ready! is to create an environment that fully supports the use of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles,
minimizing risk for automakers and ensuring availability for green-conscious consumers in our area.

Vehicle availability is not synonymous with adoption. Vehicle cost will initially be higher than
conventional vehicles, which may hinder prospective buyers or raise concerns for dealerships.
Consumers are skittish of committing to technologies they perceive as unproven and the availability of
convenient fueling will be a key concern. As previously stated, NC Get Ready! will develop the
necessary infrastructure to remove that obstacle and open the doors for electric and plug-in hybrid.

Moving Forward
Electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles must be charged while parked. To create infrastructure,
consideration to charging requirements must be addressed in terms of where vehicles may be parked.
Three categories have been identified: Residential, Private Sector and Public Sector.

• Residential includes single and multi-family housing, as well as apartment complexes. Charging should be accessible for all forms of parking: garage, driveway or parking lot.
• Private Sector charging includes parking at workplaces, shopping centers or other locations where neither the vehicle owner nor the municipality owns the parking space.
• Public charging includes on-street parking and any public lot or parking deck.

A number of initiatives are being considered in response to these needs. Though there may be variation
in cost for the vehicle or parking space owner, the infrastructure for the charging stations is consistent.
To ensure proper installation and safeguard consumers, training and certification will be provided.
“Plug-In Wired” will certify building contractors in wiring needed for charging stations, allowing them to
create structures that are “charge-ready” even though a charging station itself may not be installed.
“Plug-In-Ready” will certify contractors on the installation of the actual charging stations, easily amending the certified wiring schematic. This also allows the expense of creating a charging infrastructure to be
spread out, minimizing the upfront costs that can sometimes slow adoption of new technologies.

Along with infrastructure, support will also be needed for maintaining and servicing the vehicles. While
these vehicles are projected to have lower maintenance costs, a trained workforce must be available to
service them. A major aspect of this project is to enable maintenance-providers with the tools and
training necessary to support these new vehicles. It is reasonable to anticipate job growth in both these
areas, given that a new market and product line(s) have been established.

To fulfill that market will require a commitment to public education, helping consumers understand the
vehicles’ benefits and overcome concerns that hinder their use. The media must be engaged to report
on infrastructure development, and public support from influential leaders in the state and nation is
critical. Also, it is vital for initial adopters to have a positive consumer experience that will contribute to
widespread acceptance. It must be easy for consumers to purchase vehicles and access charging
stations, be aware of relevant tax credits, get charging stations installed and become educated on the
location of charging stations outside the home.

Measuring the impact of these new technologies on consumers, businesses, economic prosperity and
our environment is a key component in their sustainability. It is anticipated that an influx of new
technology, as well as the products and services associated with it, will encourage job growth. But just
as important, we must assess improvement in air quality, decrease in associated health risks and
reduction in foreign oil dependency to measure their true success.

Engaging the Community
To ensure feasibility, understand requirements and build consensus, program administrator Advanced
Energy will facilitate the following working groups. The collaborative input from business, industry,
government and academia will greatly contribute to the project’s viability.

• NC Get Ready Steering Committee: To provide oversight and guidance; representation includes core team members, subject matter experts, government officials and other relevant organizations.
• Infrastructure Working Group: To support development of viable charging infrastructure; representation includes utilities, construction, transit, architects, engineers, city planners, parking garage owners, electricians and business owners.
• Vehicle Facilitation Group: To build a viable market and purchasing channels; representation includes fleet owners, leasing companies/lenders, dealerships, manufacturers and vehicle owners.
• Vehicle Technologies Working Group: To facilitate research and development of new or improved technologies; representation includes researchers, academics, automotive manufacturers, component manufacturers and infrastructure component developers.
• Standards Working Group: To quantify the issues and opportunities associated with drivers such as incentives and permits. Representation includes legislative bodies, city planners, utilities, and universities.

NC Get Ready! is one of the first initiatives in the nation making a true commitment to the widespread
adoption of “green” automotive technologies – bringing cleaner air, better health, job growth, lower
dependence on foreign oil and an even greater sense of pride in our community.

For more information, or to discuss this initiative in more detail, please contact:

Jeff Barghout

JBarghout@AdvancedEnergy.org
(919) 857-9006

Robert Underhill

RUnderhill@AdvancedEnergy.org
(919) 857-9037

Project Get Ready Portland Team Summary:

Updates – January 5, 2010

Portland is moving forward with its EV Roadmap and assessing its current position as a potential leader in the electric vehicle market. The State of Oregon is set to receive up to 1,000 Nissan Leafs through the eTec/Nissan rollout this year.

December 2009

The Portland working group has released a new website for their roadmap to EV implementation. Also, be sure to read the proceedings from the conference held in October.

June 2009

Oregon’s interest in electric vehicles has a logical and natural basis.

First, our state is renowned for its quirky, innovative policy reputation; we are often willing innovators and early adopters.  The move to battery electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles appeals to our pioneering spirit.

Second, we Oregonians inhabit a special place of dramatic physical beauty that reinforces our sustainability, conservation, and environmental instincts.  Given the mounting evidence about global warming and the carbon contamination that comes from internal combustion engines, the quest for low- and no-emission vehicles is obvious.  Introducing and evaluating EVs of various size and purpose simply makes sense.

Third, approximately half of our electricity is generated from the Columbia River and a growing share of the energy portfolio comes from renewable sources.  Electric vehicles and their role in our power grid hold great promise.

Fourth, our far-sighted land use laws, integrated transportation strategies, and interest in urban design and development have had us “kicking the tires” for some time now on new approaches to sustainable mobility.  So we have been organizing and formalizing and thinking about approaches that will help our businesses and citizens get ready for a new transportation model, with the move toward electric vehicles as an earlier enabler of the transition.

Getting Plug-In Ready:  Work in Progress

Executive Order: The Governor’s Alternative Fuel Vehicle Infrastructure Working Group

As part of the Governor’s climate change and sustainable transportation agenda, Governor Ted Kulongoski signed Executive Order 08-24 back on September 26, 2008.  The Order creates the Governor’s Alternative Fuel Vehicle Infrastructure Working Group. The group is charged with developing the policies and alternative fuel infrastructure for Oregon to attract car manufacturers seeking to bring the next generation of electric and alternative fuel vehicles to market in North America.

Formalizing agreements with electric vehicle manufacturers

During the last year, Oregon has entered agreements with Toyota, Nissan, and Mitsubishi to be a testing ground for their new plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles.  Discussions continue with other manufacturers as well.  But that isn’t the whole story.  Oregon is also home to dozens of local companies that are designing, building and providing services for the electric vehicle (EV) industry-including making cars.

Clean Cities Grant

The American Renewal and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) includes $300 million for alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicle projects. A diverse and expansive team of public and private sector organizations in Oregon has submitted a proposal for these funds, taking a significant step towards transforming Oregon’s transportation system from one almost solely dependent on petroleum to one increasingly dependent on electricity. The Oregon Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) Office of Innovative Partnerships is serving as lead agency for this project. The application has been submitted to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for funding through its Clean Cities program. Oregon’s proposal is for $15 million and will more than exceed the 50 percent match requirement. The project’s objectives are to:

• Increase the number of various types of electric vehicles: regular hybrids, plug-in hybrids, battery electric and medium-duty hybrid vehicles
• Deploy charging stations throughout the state to support electrified vehicles and help convince average consumers that the infrastructure is there to support the use of these vehicles
• Conduct public outreach and education as well as technician training on electric vehicles
• Support the development of market opportunities for electric vehicles, batteries and charging stations
• Gather data and study the use of electric vehicles and charging stations to support the development of this market across the country

Key Players

In addition to the 80 partners involved in Oregon’s Clean Cities grant request (see above), there are a large and growing number of institutional players involved in Oregon’s EV initiatives.  Too numerous and dynamic to list here, key players include representatives from:

• EV Industry (Brammo Motors, Arcimoto Motors, Shorepower, Oregon Electric Vehicle Association)
• Utilities (Portland General Electric, Pacificorp, NW Natural Gas, Eugene Water & Electric Board)
• Finance and Business Development (Intel Capital, Oregon Department of Economic and Community Development, Portland Development Commission)
• Government (Multnomah County, Clackamas County, City of Portland, City of Corvallis, Office of the Governor, Oregon Department of Transportation, Oregon Department of Energy, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Global Warming Commission);
• University Sector (Portland State University, University of Oregon, Oregon State University, Oregon Institute of Technology, and Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium (OTREC))

EV Cluster

A business cluster is a geographic concentration of interconnected businesses, suppliers, and associated institutions in a particular field or market segment. Clusters are considered to increase the productivity with which companies can compete, nationally and globally.

Oregon has been pursuing a cluster strategy since 2005.  The Oregon Business Plan is built around the cluster strategy.  Some of our leading clusters are in the wood products, footwear and apparel, and renewable energy industries. The newest cluster, now forming, focuses on electric vehicles.  The goal is to accelerate the growth of EV-related jobs in Oregon.  While PDC is the convener, the effort is targeted statewide.

Statewide RFP for Charging Stations

ODOT has issued a first-in-the-nation solicitation for charging equipment to service electric vehicles (EVs). At the request of local entities and electric utilities throughout the state, ODOT is using its unique public/private partnership authority to establish consistent standards and uniformity in building an EV charging infrastructure for Oregon. ODOT’s Office of Innovative Partnerships (OIPP) is taking a leadership role by establishing standards for the appearance, performance and safety features of EV charging stations. The objective is to have centralized purchase agreements for EV charging equipment in place by the end of 2009 that will be available for use by other agencies, local governments, utility companies and others.

Charging locations may include public facilities such as Park-n-Rides, motor pools, campuses, and public rights of way or private property such as retail and office complexes. Resources for the EV initiative may become available through the federal economic stimulus package, which would accelerate the deployment of EV charging infrastructure. For more information or to download the request for proposal, visit
http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/OIPP/inn_ev-charging.shtml

EV charging stations

Portland General Electric (PGE) is helping lead the way on plug-in vehicle adoption. To help customers be more sustainable, PGE is working with the City of Portland to develop a network of charging stations for plug-in hybrid electric and all-electric vehicles. The move responds to customers’ concerns about climate change and volatile gas prices, and anticipates the plan of car manufacturers to roll out the new generation of plug-in hybrids by 2010.  For more information, check this link.

Portland State University Project with Toyota RAV 4s

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., is preparing to place four off-lease RAV4-EV battery-electric vehicles (BEV) in a new program in Portland, Oregon designed to assist in the development of clustered electric-charging infrastructure for the arrival of future zero- and low-emission vehicles.

The vehicles will be used as station cars for shuttling people from mass-transit terminals to downtown and suburban locations. The program is being developed by Portland State University (PSU), in association with the University of California, Irvine’s (UCI) ZEV-NET (Zero Emission Vehicle-Network Enabled Transport) program.

Website by summer of 2009

We currently are designing and populating with content a website that will go into production early this summer.  It will summarize who, is doing what, where and when with regard to electric vehicles in Oregon.  More important, we hope to use the site to identify and support communities of interest within the commercial, nonprofit, and governmental sectors within our state, region, and beyond.

EV Conference Q4 2009

OTREC, PSU, and RMI are planning an EV conference in Portland this fall.   We will target approximately 100 attendees by invitation only from the following groups:

Approximately 70 attendees from PGR cities, other cities; and, approximately 30 representatives from EV and auxiliary industries, government, media, international representatives, elected officials.  The majority of participants will represent North American regions however we aim to have at least 5-10% of the audience representing international constituencies.

The objectives for the event are three-fold:

• Meet: Get acquainted with peers, solidify relationships within and among the “anchor” cities of PGR.  Provide discussion time and informal networking opportunities.
• Learn:  Status report from cities.  Hear from manufacturers, industry analysts, government leaders, and media about vehicle production forecasts, pricing strategy, and generally how things look from their angle relative to EVs, NEVs, and other low- and no-emission vehicles.
• Work:  Document the question:  What’s happening on the ground?  Identify near term opportunities and barriers going forward (by region and, perhaps, collectively.)  Consider using RMI process for developing 5-year vision and 2010 operating plan-including performance measures that begin to establish how we define and measure success by region and nationally

Education and conferences have elevated our thinking and accelerated dialogue …

Oregon has benefited from three important conferences/work sessions during the past year.

The first program, Meeting of the Minds was held last July in Portland.    The event was designed to bring together leaders from multiple sectors and geographies to share ideas, learn from each other, and shape the agenda for creating more sustainable cities, with a particular focus on transportation and mobility.  Those attending included over 200 policy makers, decision makers, opinion makers, rainmakers, and thought leaders from the commercial, nonprofit, and public sectors.  The guests included representatives from the environmental, energy, economic development, and urban design communities with a stake in transportation, with many coming from Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, but approximately 20% were national and international participants.

Lat October, Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) held a charrette with a national focus in Portland to help realize RMI’s Smart Garage vision: bringing electrified vehicles, advanced net-zero buildings, and a smart renewable grid together in innovative ways to provide clean, cheap, secure mobility and electricity. Many participants asked: when can we have a charrette solely focused on Portland? On February 26, 2009 lessons learned during RMI’s Smart Garage charrette were combined with the pioneering plug-in experience of Portland stakeholders to begin the process of drafting a coordinated, regional Portland plug-in readiness plan.  The goal of this meeting was to bring many actors in the Portland Metro plug-in space together, to share activities and discuss movement forward, touching on the following components:

1. Identification of major stakeholders required to push a regional effort forward, next steps

for how these representatives might work together, and an estimation of resources needed to make this collaboration happen (funding and person-hours).

1. Prioritization of major milestones in several content areas.
2. Recognition of essential questions to be answered or feedback required from other regional stakeholders.

Partners, Players, and Working Groups

As referenced in the first section of this summary, Oregon has several main cohorts engaged in electric vehicle activities at the moment:

The Governor’s Alternative Fuel Vehicle Infrastructure Working Group that is charged with developing the policies and alternative fuel infrastructure for Oregon to attract car manufacturers seeking to bring the next generation of electric and alternative fuel vehicles to market in North America.

The 80 public and private partners involved in Oregon Clean Cities grant request.

The EV manufacturers with which Oregon is entering memoranda of understanding to become a test bed for battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

The utility companies currently deploying charging stations and the state and local governmental entities that have defined and issued a statewide solicitation for charging infrastructure slated for award later this year.

Goals/milestones

• Goals/milestones: The Portland Metro Region and the State of Oregon are in the process of developing goals and milestones.

Contact information for regional champion

Please contact:

JOHN MacARTHUR                                                                                    GEORGE K BEARD

Sustainable Transportation Program Manager                                          Executive Leadership Institute

Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium              Hatfield School of Government

1930 SW Fourth Ave., Suite 300                                                                      Portland State University

P.O. Box 751, Portland, OR 97207-0751                                                        Portland, Oregon 97207-0751

USA                                                                                                                USA

+1 503 725 2866                                                                                    +1 503 772 0222

macarthur@pdx.edu gbeard@pdx.edu

Project Get Ready team members participated in Portland’s Regional Innovation Forum March 27 & 28.

Oregon in the news:

Another zappy car for Oregon

Electric-car maker tours Portland

Nissan Brings Electric Car Prototype to Portland

Regional Documents:

Overview of Oregon’s Electric Vehicle Charging Network initiative

State-level procurement process for electric vehicle charging equipment