Electric Vehicles North Texas (EVNT) was created to coordinate a partnership and develop a plan to enhance the implementation of recharging infrastructure and purchase of vehicles.  Stakeholders include the Dallas-Fort Worth Clean Cities Coalition (DFWCCC), utility companies, regional governments, school districts, transit authorities, local businesses, plug-in vehicle (PEV) manufacturers, recharging infrastructure producers, and other stakeholders.

The EVNT program began focusing efforts within the nine counties in the Dallas-Fort Worth 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment area which currently includes:  Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, and Tarrant counties.

The stakeholder group was formed for local governments and businesses.  Industry leaders from both infrastructure and vehicles manufacturing were brought in to discuss the future of electric vehicles.  Quarterly stakeholder meetings are held with the group which now includes 85 participants from over 25 entities.

2010 Deliverables

• Constructed regional and statewide coordination groups
• Identified the needs and opportunities that EVs bring to our region
• Developed a regional contractor listing
• Introduced EVSE into adopted regional codes
• Identified regional data projects and made contacts with the distributors
• Hosted EVNT Plug-In Texas Roundtable:  a meeting and discussion on statewide efforts to prepare Texas for electric vehicles; goals set were to collaborate and unify efforts across the state and create a statewide coalition (June 23, 2010)
• Promoted EVNT Ford Focus Ride and Drive and Panel Discussion: Ford Motor Company and Oncor Electric Delivery worked together to develop a consumer outreach and education program on electric vehicles as well as sharing information on charging needs and requirements to ensure the electrical grid can support customers’ needs;   cooperation between Ford and Oncor also included working with state and local officials on the most efficient ways to bring EVs to North Texas (Sept 16, 2010)

• Coordinated EV Showcase: produced through a partnership with the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG), DFWCCC, the North Texas Clean Air Coalition, and the USGBC North Texas Chapter and Chevrolet; during the EV Showcase, the general public could view various electric vehicles, tour Oncor’s Mobile Experience Center and learn about electric vehicles and the synergies that come from putting cars, buildings, the electrical grid and renewable energy together (Sept 23-24 2010)

2011 Deliverables

• Continued to research and apply for funding on behalf of North Texas to assist in the implementation of PEVs and associated recharging infrastructure
• Conducted research into PEV financial incentives
• Provided consumer education on recharging best practices
• Promoted recharging station installations at local employers, retailers, and other high traffic locations
• Conducted research to ensure PEV owners needs are supported to enhance regional PEV technology acceptance
• Continued to facilitate streamlined infrastructure permitting
• Partnered with John Wright Associates and GE to hold a PEV and infrastructure demonstration; potential funding opportunities were presented as well as legislative updates (April 13, 2011)
• Held the EVNT Inspector, Contractor, and First Responder Training: in cooperation with GM and SPX Service Solutions, training sessions for electrical contractors and inspectors were held at Oncor’s corporate offices in Dallas; SPX has launched an EVSE program to fully support all aspects of program deployment and successful roll-out of Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) PEV programs; NCTCOG and DFWCCC has continually worked to develop a list of electrical contractors that will be a part of EVSE installation; this training supported the continued commitment of purchasing, installing, and getting EVSE equipment inspected within 48 hours of purchasing a PEV (May 3, 2011)

2012 Goals

• Hold training for electrical contractors and inspectors on EVSE charger products, codes/standards, and utility coordination incentives
• Provide training for fleet owners, operators, and technicians of PEVs and EVSE technology
• Conduct outreach to multi-family residential companies (apartment complexes, condominiums, and planned community developments) on EVSE technology
• Host business community needs to offer employees and customers in way of PEV charging and parking opportunities
• Continue outreach to school districts on PEVs and EVSE
• Hold outreach to realtors on PEVs and EVSE
• Expand the heavy-duty component of the EVNT program by coordinating with local fleets and manufacturing companies

For more information on the North Texas Project Get Ready efforts, please contact:

Jenny Danieau

Senior Transportation Planner

North Central Texas Council of Governments

817-608-2342

jdanieau@nctcog.org

www.nctcog.org/evnt

The Virginia Get Ready Roundtable gathered for an introductory meeting  on May 18, 2010 and met throughout the summer to establish a cooperative plan for deployment of electric  vehicles in Virginia. This plan and related educational information for the state are now published on the Virginia Clean Cities and partner sites as well as a new educational resource: http://www.virginiaev.org

Virginia drafted a plan to facilitate the roll-out of electric vehicles. This plan involved the input of nearly 100 individuals and dozens of relevant organizations. state and local government entities, fleets, universities, utilities, civic organizations, vehicle manufacturers, and businesses were represented.
EVs represent an economic opportunity. So far in 2010, 84 new jobs and $23.5 million in new investment have been announced in the electric charger and battery component sectors in Virginia.
Virginia Get Ready: Electric Vehicles Plan p. 59
The objectives of Virginia’s efforts are to establish Virginia as a leader in the adoption of electric vehicles in order to reduce vehicle emissions, increase energy independence, and generate positive economic development for the Commonwealth.

Key Information for the Potential EV Driver

Richmond is one of 19 cities chosen by Ford as an initial market for the new, all-electric Ford Focus. To be launched in late 2011, this vehicle will have a 100-mile range.

http://www.virginiaev.org is a great resource for Virginia EV drivers. The initial EV plan was launched in October 2010. Leadership is still working with local groups and the state team to enhance EV efforts statewide.

What should I do prior to purchasing a Plug-in Vehicle?
Work with an EV seller or EV charger provider, determine whether you want to install a Level 1 charger (less complicated installation but 8-14 hour charge time) or Level 2 charger (more complicated but 4-6 hour charge time). To save money on electrical rates while your electric vehicle charges, contact your utility company to determine what type of installation is required to set up best time-of use service. If the utility company indicates you need a second meter panel or a dual meter adapter to take advantage of lower electrical rates whiles your electric vehicle is charging, contact your city or county’s building division to determine whether the agency allows such installation before proceeding. Have a private electrician inspect your home to determine whether you have sufficient electrical capacity for the type of EV charger installation you desire (Level 1 or Level 2). Obtain a cost estimate for electrical upgrade if required as well for other installation work that may be needed.
What kind of permit do I need to install an EV charger?
You need an electrical permit.
Do I need to submit plans with my permit?
No plan is required for simple EV charger installations that will not require trenching. For projects that do require trenching, plans will be required.
How do I apply for a permit?
Submit an application to the Building Department that identifies the property, lists the name of any person who will work on the project, and describes the proposed work in detail.
If plans are required, submit three sets of plans along with the permit application showing the following:

• Location of service
• Amperage (size of service)
• Service entrance conductor size and material
• Insulation type of the service entrance conductor
• Size and type of grounding conductor
• Number of new circuits and their use (if applicable)
• Wire size and type of any new circuits.

Utility EV Rate Plans

The EV rate plan is currently working its way through the Virginia legislature:

Dominion Virginia Power has designed a pilot off-peak charging proposal.  This optional rate could promote grid-balancing and inexpensive nighttime charging:

Dominion Virginia Power Proposes Rate Options for Charging of Electric Vehicles

• Proposed rates would offer time-of-day pricing for electric vehicles
• Pricing structure would encourage off-peak charging
  • Whole House rate: Off-Peak (4.65 cents/kWh), Peak (12.8 cents/kWh)
  • EV Specific: Off Peak (4.4 cents kWh), Peak (16.5 cents/kWh)
• The proposal creates an opportunity to better understand EV energy usage

Charge Station Installation

Numerous installations are in progress from the Chargepoint America program.  Chargers are also in progress in Richmond.  Virginia’s public chargers are submitted in a timely manner to DOE’s tracking database.

Charge Station Permit

Rapid permit process is in place in several localities. Regulatory streamlining efforts are also in place in several cities.  Virginia Beach has a 2 minute permitting process.  Contact information for permit officials is collected and published at http://www.virginiaev.org

Utility EV Help

Virginia Get Ready Goals

Establish Virginia as a  leader in the adoption of the electric vehicles in order to reduce  vehicle emissions, increase energy independence, and generate positive  economic development for the Commonwealth. Present an  initial Virginia “electrification plan” detailing:

• How to overcome  potential barriers associated with the adoption of plug-in vehicles and  charging infrastructure specifically related to codes, standards and  processes
• A communication strategy to educate appropriate partners,  stakeholders and the general public
• The potential incentives (monetary,  nonmonetary, upfront and long-term) to encourage businesses and  individuals to purchase plug-in vehicles
• The issues and tasks  necessary to the installation of charging infrastructure, from the  technical to the managerial.

Virginia Utilities have installed and converted Prius vehicles, bucket trucks, and have agreed  to purchase test Chevy Volt units when available. The Commonwealth has installed free access vehicle charging units  at one rest area. Virginia entities are assessing charging capacity, investment needs, and roles in jumpstarting  vehicle adoption and infrastructure deployment.

Virginia companies make batteries, motors, charging stations, and  design and deploy electric vehicles and convert hybrid vehicles to plug-in  hybrid vehicles and battery electric vehicles. Northern Virginia is connected within the 70 mile radius of the  DC ChargePoint America deployment and early adoption vehicle enthusiasts. Charlottesville Virginia is involved in a robust smart grid and vehicle conversion deployment program and has a  high number of early Prius adoptions. Richmond Virginia has a large fleet presence and a local electric vehicle initiative. Hampton Roads includes large federal fleets in close proximity that are likely to  benefit from electric improvements. Virginia fleets currently have 85 electric vehicles and there are numerous charging stations available, including modern units and EV1  deployment units from the late 1990′s.

State and local government entities, fleets, universities, utilities, civic organizations, vehicle manufacturers, and businesses are represented and stakeholder numbers are growing in the Virginia electrification effort.

Government representation includes the Virginia Secretary of Transportation, the state Department of Mines  Minerals and Energy, the Department of General Services, the Virginia Department  of Transportation, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the Motor Vehicle Dealer Board, the US Department of Energy and Clean Cities program, Virginia Clean Cities,  Fairfax Virginia, Arlington Virginia, Richmond Virginia, Henrico Virginia,  Chesterfield Virginia, James Madison University, and the University of Virginia.

Utility representation includes Dominion Power and Old Dominion Electric Cooperative. Civic  involvement includes Electric Vehicle Association of Washington DC, Richmond STIR, the Virginia Automobile Association, and  Virginia Clean Cities. Business representation includes Nissan, Ford, Smith Electric Vehicles, the  Advanced Vehicle Research Center, Richmond Segway, Evatran, Plugless Power, Aker  Wade, Kollmorgen, Coulomb, and Encell.

Based  on likely adoption predictions, infrastructure and vehicle efforts will be initially targeted for the specific regions of  Northern Virginia, Charlottesville, Richmond, and Hampton Roads.

This plan was refined over the summer of 2010 and presented to public and  private stakeholders in October 2010 at the Commonwealth of Virginia Energy Symposium. The Virginia effort was based on the four working groups of the neighboring efforts in  Raleigh, North Carolina. The Virginia Get Ready Roundtable subcommittee groups included : 1) Standards and  Readiness, 2) Education and Outreach, 3) Incentives, and 4) Sites and Installation.

The Regional Champion for the Virginia effort was Virginia Clean Cities.

News & Additional Resources

Vehicle fleet conversions:

Demonstration vehicles are on the ground in Charlottesville.  A company in Danville adds batteries to Prius vehicles, including several now in use in Virginia fleets.

http://www.virginiaev.org

Virginia EV Plan  <http://www.virginiaev.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/EV-VGR-FINAL-October-13-2010.pdf>

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Gain a better understanding of federal and local incentives

The Virginia Get Ready planning process included a wide review of potential incentives. This review rated and considered incentives based on feasibility and impact. A listing below of existing incentives illustrates the Commonwealth’s existing emphasis on electric vehicles. Several additional incentives are working through the legislature now.

• Federal Tax Credit of $7,500 for new electric vehicle. This existing IRS tax credit allows vehicle dealers to take the tax credit in the event of sales to nonprofit or untaxed government agencies.
• Through December 31, 2011, qualified plug-in electric vehicle conversions are also eligible for a tax credit for 10% of the conversion cost, not to exceed $4,000. Additionally, a tax credit of up to 10% of the cost of qualified low-speed electric vehicles, electric motorcycles, and three-wheeled electric vehicles, not to exceed $2,500.
• There was a 50% federal tax credit up to $50,000 for installing alternate fuel infrastructure through the end of 2010.
• Access to HOV lanes without passenger restrictions. The Virginia Clean Special Fuel Vehicle Plate should be updated to explicitly allow new electric vehicles. Due to the numerous plate designs, it may be worthwhile to pursue a similarly designed electric vehicle plate to accomplish this task.
• Complimentary charging. Because vehicles are unlikely to stick around at a retail or government facility, some businesses and some government facilities offer free charging to visitors or customers.
• Special EV Parking Areas. Adding special parking such as charger only, or clean fuel vehicle only parking in private, public, and government facilities can provide an easy incentive. Examples of this are Virginia’s I-64 New Kent westbound exit signage as well as Raytheon’s offices and several Best Buy locations in the Commonwealth. This parking signage also provides builders with green building credits.
• For financial incentives, it would be advisable to explicitly ensure that utilities, non-profits, and government entities are entitled to something equivalent to tax credits in order to promote realistic early adoption. This would be similar to the federal tax credit flexibility that allows dealers to collect tax credits on behalf of tax free entities.

Get Ready Tampa Bay will help identify potential challenges and develop solutions to make this goal a reality. The use of electric transportation will reduce our regions dependence on foreign oil, improve air quality, and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Key Information for the Potential EV Driver

Utility EV Rate Plans

Charge Station Installation

Charge Station Permit

Utility EV Help

Get Ready Tampa Bay’s charter (pdf)

For more information, contact Avera Wynn at avera@tbrpc.org

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Gain a better understanding of incentives – federal and local

The Greater Kansas City Plug-In Readiness Task Force has been formed to drive the adoption of plug-in vehicles in the Greater Kansas City Area and is sponsored by the Mid-America Regional Council and the KC Regional Clean Cities Coalition. The goal is to have a regional plan to help get the metro area ready for plug in vehicles. These efforts will make a difference in the region’s ability to secure the economic and environmental benefits of plug-in vehicles.

Key Information for the Potential EV Driver

Utility EV Rate Plans

Charge Station Installation

Charge Station Permit

Utility EV Help

Update: September 17, 2010

Progress over the summer:

• We have focused on narrowing the scope of our planning activities to the most important items that we can accomplish with the resources we have.
• Each subteam has created a list of their top objectives and associated actions to be accomplished.
• We are using resources from other plug-in readiness activities across the country as they become available. For example, Puget Sound has created a document summarizing many of their plug-in readiness learnings.  http://www.psrc.org/transportation/ev/model-guidance/
• The October Steering Committee meeting will primarily be a workshop, where we will marry and prioritize objectives and actions from each subteam.
• Work is progressing on a letter seeking support for our efforts from environmental and business leaders in our communities.
• The subteams are always interested in accepting help furthering their objectives. Please respond to this message if you would like to volunteer for one of the teams.

Next Steering Committee Meeting (open to Task Force members):

• Friday Oct 1, 1pm, at the Enterprise Center of Johnson County at 87th and Bluejacket.
• This meeting will be a workshop where we:  focus on knitting together action plans from all subteams to create comprehensive action plan, prioritize actions for all groups, create urgency with highest priority actions, and recommend achievable timeline.

Website:   http://kcenergy.org/pluginreadykc.aspx

Other Events that are coming up (with presentation by KC Task Force member):

• Sept. 19th           EV Readiness Panel, All Souls Forum
• Sept. 23rd           APWA Webinar on EV readiness, national audience (See: http://www.apwa.net/events/eventdetail.asp?ID=5230)
• Oct. 15th             EV Readiness Seminar at Clean Transportation Expo, Metropolitan Community College – Longview 8am-4pm.

Update: July 9, 2010

Minutes from Steering Committee and Subteam meetings:

What we’ve accomplished together so far:

• We’ve defined our mission, approach, and structure, and have become a Project Get Ready member.
• We’ve created a set of charters and objectives.
• We’ve held a broader stakeholder conference that confirmed the direction we are on and provided additional suggestions.
• Subteams are setting tasks and outlining plans

Our next steps:

• Please see the attached minutes from June and July.
• It’s now time to identify the most important objectives and flesh out the plans for each.
• It’s also time to create an achievable timeline.
• Now comes the hard work. There is more work identified in the subteams plans than we have resources to accomplish. We therefore must select the most important objectives, identify the work necessary to accomplish those objectives, and must create an achievable schedule that balances time, needs, and resources.
• The Steering Committee is asking each subteam to identify the critical objectives that must be met and create detailed task level plans to achieve those objectives.
• As part of this effort, we are asking each subteam to carefully review Project Get Ready’s Menu of Actions to make sure we have all the “must-have” actions covered.
• The steering committee will review these plans at the August 6^th and Sept 3^rd Steering Committee meetings, which are open meetings.
• At that time we will review the objectives/task plans and our available resources, and propose an achievable schedule.
• We are working to identify funding and resources necessary to support this effort

Summary of the July 9^th Steering Committee Meeting:

• We reviewed the objectives and work plans for most of the subteams.   A couple subteams had time constraints, which didn’t allow them to bring prioritized objectives.
• We determined that there is more work identified in the subteams plans than we have resources to accomplish. We therefore must select the most important objectives, identify the work necessary to accomplish those objectives, and must create an achievable schedule that balances time, needs, and resources.
• This task force can be most effective when established as the primary community voice for plug in readiness in the area. To this end, a letter will be drafted that can be presented to various community leaders seeking their endorsement.
• Grants will be sought to provide funding for both planning work and implementation work.
• Attendees:

• Kelly Gilbert – Metropolitan Energy Center
• Tim Gelvin – Johnson County Community College
• Larry Kinder – LilyPad EV
• Mark Dehner – KD Equities
• Roland Maliwat – KCP&L
• Ron Achelpohl – MARC

Action Items for Subteams:

• Leads, please convene your subteam as necessary to prepare for the next steering committee meeting. Let us know if other time commitments are causing conflicts.
• Each subteam needs to select only their critical objectives necessary for plug-in readiness and create work plans necessary to achieve those objectives.
• Please send this to the steering committee by Aug 4, if complete, and September 1, at the latest. We will review those completed by Aug 4 at the Aug 6 steering committee meeting and those completed by Sept 1 at the Sept 3 meeting.

Next Steering Committee Meetings (open to Task Force):

• First Fridays at 1 p.m. at KCPL Energy Center, 1200 Main, KCMO

• Aug 6
• Sept 3
• Oct 1

• Tentative Agenda, Aug 6:

• Subteam Status Update
• Review critical objectives and work plan
• Identify resources available
• Identify gaps and potential resources to fill the gaps
• Create achievable schedule

Website:   http://www.kcenergy.org/transp-PlugInTaskForce.html

Contacts
Kelly Gilbert
Kansas City Regional Clean Cities Coalition
Metropolitan Energy Center
(816) 561-1625
kgilbert@kcenergy.org

Ron Achelpohl
Assistant Director of Transportation
Mid-America Regional Council
(816) 701-8327

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GRCF is also networking with other “Get Ready” cities nationwide through the Rocky Mountain Institute.  By sharing ideas and discussing obstacles with other “Get Ready” coalitions we can expedite our progress.

Key Information for the Potential EV Driver

Utility EV Rate Plans

Charge Station Installation

Charge Station Permit

Utility EV Help

Mission: To facilitate the adoption of electric vehicles in Central Florida by accomplishing these five key objectives:

1. FACILITATE stakeholder working groups to identify opportunities and explore/resolve issues and barriers associated with electrified transportation.
2. EDUCATE the community and promote networking opportunities in order to enhance the viability of plug-in electric vehicles.
3. 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.
4. DEVELOP relationships with manufacturers of vehicles and charging components to encourage their participation in the Central Florida market.
5. EXPLORE opportunities to enhance success through investments in research, development, and demonstration projects.

Sub Committees

• Steering: To provide oversight and guidance; representation includes core team members, subject matter experts, government officials, and other relevant organizations.  The Get Ready Central Florida (GRCF) founding members of the Steering Committee are:  Progress Energy, City of Orlando, Orlando Utilities Commission, Orange County Government, the Space Coast Clean Cities Coalition, and Metroplan Orlando (Metropolitan Planning Organization).
• Marketing and Education: To develop relationships with Central Florida media interested in following the progression of GRCF, and submit articles and media releases tracking electric vehicle and infrastructure successes.  To develop an informative and user-friendly Web site with information about the new electric vehicles and charging stations.  Promote electric vehicle awareness through public outreach.  To generate interest among fleet managers, businesses, and rental car companies to purchase electric vehicles and promote organizations that have purchased vehicles and installed vehicle-charging stations.
• Infrastructure: To promote development of viable charging infrastructure in Central Florida through activities such as refining local codes and hosting workshops for electricians and building inspectors to expedite the permitting process.  To provide electric vehicle infrastructure information to government and commercial fleets.
• Vehicle Planning: To build a viable market and purchasing channels and facilitate product life-cycle and disposal planning.  Representation includes fleet owners, leasing companies/lenders, dealerships, manufacturers, and vehicle owners.  This group will also focus on appropriate vehicle standards and vehicle-to-grid communication protocols.

Contact: Questions@PlugAndGoNow.com

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Key Information for the Potential EV Driver

Utility EV Rate Plans

Charge Station Installation

Charge Station Permit

Utility EV Help

Mission Statement:

To establish Rhode Island as a leader in green transportation, decrease transportation
costs, and reduce emissions by getting 10,000 plug-in electric vehicles within five years.

Goal: 10,000 plug-in vehicles registered in Rhode Island by 2015.

Launch Date: January 21, 2010

Current Stakeholders/Representatives:

PGR RI includes representatives from the following organizations: Alteris Renewables,
Arpin Renewable Energy, Brown University, CCRI, Cardi’s Furniture, City of
Providence, Converdant Vehicles, Conservation Law Foundation, DK Power,
Environment Northeast, EleCar, EmPower CES, VeeCharge, FleetMaster, National Grid,
New England Institute of Technology, Ocean State Clean Cities, Portsmouth Abbey
School, Providence Water Supply Board, Rhode Island Department of Environmental
Management, RISD, Rhode Island State House of Representatives, Rhode Island Science
and Technology Advisory Council, Save The Bay, Thielsch Engineering, and the
University of Rhode Island Energy Center.

Milestones:

2009-2010: Develop Strategic Plan, Launch Project Get Ready RI
2011: 100 Fleet EVs, 200 consumer EVs purchases
2012:400 Fleet EVs, 300 consumer EVs purchases
2013: 1,000 Fleet EVs, 2,800 consumer EVs purchases
2014: 1,200 Fleet EVs, 4,000 consumer EVs purchases

EV defined: For purposes herein, EV includes any plug-in electric such as full battery
electric, hybrid electric, converted hybrid or internal combustion vehicles.

PGR RI Champion: Al Dahlberg, albert_dahlberg@yahoo.com, 401-524-1151

Project Get Ready:
Helping Communities Become Electrified Vehicle Pioneers

Project Get Ready (PGR) is an initiative of the Rocky Mountain Institute (Amory Lovins’
Colorado think tank, www.rmi.org) designed to help communities prepare for and
welcome plug-in electric vehicles. Its goal is 20 pilot cities to be pioneers in the adoption
of plug in electric vehicles by committing to get 2% of registered vehicles to be plug-ins
within five years.

To qualify for PGR status, we had to convene stakeholders, draft a strategic plan using
RMI’s menu of action items and get a memorandum of understanding signed by political
leaders. Speaker Gordon Fox and Mayor Cicilline signed the MOU.

Rhode Island: First PGR state and community in the northeast

RI was the sixth site nationally, joining Denver, Houston, Toronto, Portland and
Indianapolis. RI is the first state and first community in the northeast. There are now
twelve sites across the US and Canada. Plug-in electric cars are well suited for RI since
we are a compact state with a stable, dense population that does not drive long distances.

The Value of Project Get Ready

PGR communities are sharing best practices, lessons learned, and policy development,
while RMI is providing industry partnerships (Nissan, NREL, UL, GE), technical
expertise, websites, message boards, advice on standards and technology, and tools like
an online cost calculator to figure out the payback period on plug-in electric vehicles.
Automakers need to assess consumer interest in plug-ins and want to debut their vehicles
where the infrastructure, policy changes and groundwork are already prepared.

Plan Going Forward

Our plan is to work over the next several months recruiting institutions, companies,
municipalities and the state to commit to installation of charging equipment (EVSE). Our
goal is 30 commitments for EVSE by January 2011, our one year anniversary. This will
raise consumer awareness in advance of these vehicles being offered for sale and provide
for a period of time to identify and overcome any obstacles to installation of EVSE such
as connections to the grid, permitting or signage. This will prepare us for residential
installations in the fall of 2011 when these vehicles start becoming available.

We launched the first public EVSE in Rhode Island at Cardi’s Furniture in West
Warwick on August 27, 2010.

Link to article of 1st charge spot in RI:

http://www.projo.com/news/content/CA-ELECTRIC_CHARGE_08-26-10_VUJM3EM_v13.245ed1b.html

Link to article on PGR RI:

http://providence.thephoenix.com/news/111405-electric-cars-rhode-island-plugs-in/

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The City of Vancouver aims to be the greenest city in North America by 2020. The recently launched Greenest City 2020 initiative encompasses several efforts to make the city a cleaner, healthier and energy independent place to live. As part of this initiative, Vancouver joined Project Get Ready to drive forward a strategy to make electric vehicles a viable option for transportation. This strategy includes 2-year, 5-year, and 10-year goals to procure electric vehicles and deploy charging infrastructure. The city is working with academic partners as well as the local utility to identify key charge points for level 2 and DC fast charging EVSE.

Key Information for the Potential EV Driver

Utility EV Rate Plans

Charge Station Installation

Charge Station Permit

Utility EV Help

Key Stakeholders

City of Vancouver: Brian Beck (Email: brian.beck@vancouver.ca)

British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT): Clay Howey

BC Hydro: Alec Tsang

Pembina Institute: Katie Laufenberg

Recent Updates and News

• Utility lead, BC Hydro is electrifying 25% of parking stalls in multi-family dwellings.
• BC Hydro is working with the University of British Columbia to site and install fast-charging DC EVSE
• The University of Victoria is working with the Province of British Columbia to deploy Level-2 EVSE.
• City of Vancouver and BC Hydro will be rolling out smart meters to 1.7 million customers over the next 2 years.
• BC Hydro is conducting a V2G study with EPRI, which will focus on localized impacts on the distribution system.

Relevant Links and Resources

• City of Vancouver electric vehicle page
• Rapid Electric Vehicles

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Gain a better understanding of incentives – federal and local

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 peace 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 role and must be included in this effort as well; we cannot limit electric vehicles to single family homeowners.

Key Information for the Potential EV Driver

“As part of the EV Project, ECOtality assigns electricians from its preferred-contractor network to assess EVSE sites. If a site that qualifies for the EV Project is a standard, new single-family residential installation and no utility-service upgrade of the home’s electrical capacity is required, ECOtality installs the EVSE for free. For more-complex EV Project sites, ECOtality may pay for a portion of the installation. If a site does not qualify for the EV Project (e.g., because the EVSE customer rents rather than owns a home), the customer has the option of working with an automaker’s EVSE provider (such as AeroVironment and SPX Service Solutions), another EVSE provider, or any other licensed electrician.”

Connecting Customers with EVSE Providers

“As part of the EV Project, many of Houston’s initial Chevy Volt purchasers will be eligible to obtain EVSE through ECOtality, the EV Project’s EVSE provider. In these cases, ECOtality is notified when Volt customers express interest in home EVSE, and ECOtality contacts the customers about their options. Outside the EV Project, General Motors is working with EVSE provider SPX Service Solutions to serve Volt customers. Nissan is working with EVSE provider AeroVironment. As more vehicle choices enter the Houston market, the manufacturers of those vehicles likely will partner with EVSE providers to serve their customers.”

Utility EV Rate Plans:

Charge Station Installation:

Inspecting the Installation

“Following the EVSE installation, the electrician requests an inspection from the Code Enforcement Group. Under a pilot program for single-family residential EVSE, if the request is received before 12:00 p.m., the inspection is completed the same day. For requests made after 12:00 p.m., inspections are completed within 24 hours.”

Charge Station Permit

“The EVSE customer’s electrician applies for a permit via the Houston Code Enforcement Group’s Online Permits system. Approval is automatic and instantaneous for standard installations. The fee is $35. More-complex installations have different permitting requirements.

“Houston applied its existing online express permitting process to EVSE installations. With this process, online permits from Houston’s Code Enforcement Group are issued automatically and instantaneously for standard EVSE, and an inspection can be performed on the same day as installation. Thus, the entire assessment, permitting, installation, and inspection process for a simple EVSE project can be completed in one day.”

Utility EV Help:

Connecting with the Grid

The City of Houston is working closely with utility CenterPoint Energy on grid-integration issues, and CenterPoint has researched the effects of EVSE use on the grid. EVSE permit information will be provided to Houston’s electric power utilities to help them identify and address clusters of EVSE installations. In addition, ECOtality is notifying Houston’s utilities of plug-in vehicle sales related to the EV Project.”

______________________________________________________________________

Updates – January 5, 2010

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 use 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 uniform 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

Next steps

“Plug-in vehicles will begin arriving in Houston in March 2011, and the city fleet plans to acquire 100 of them in addition to converting 40 hybrid electric vehicles to plug-in operation. The city is also supporting installation of 40 municipal and 25 public charging stations. These will be complemented by 100 public Level 2 charging stations and 50 fast-charging stations installed by NRG EV Services. NRG EV Services also will offer EVSE incentives to Chevy Volt and Nissan LEAF purchasers. As mentioned above, ECOtality is providing free residential EVSE to Houston’s Chevy Volt buyers as part of the EV Project.

“An integrated plug-in vehicle planning process was completed at the end of 2010 along with full implementation of the rapid permitting and inspection process. High-occupancy-vehicle lane access for plug-in vehicles is also planned. Various public-private partnerships are helping make the city plug-in ready and educating potential plug-in vehicle customers. An ongoing EVSE clustering project will help determine if transformers in neighborhoods with many plug-in vehicles have adequate capacity.

“Texas provides incentives for plug-in vehicles and EVSE. See Texas Incentives and Laws on the Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center.”

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)

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The Boulder EV Project is a new effort to facilitate the growth of a local electric vehicle market. The team includes representatives of City of Boulder, Rocky Mountain Institute, University of Colorado, and NREL. The Statement of Project Objectives is available for download here.

Key Information for the Potential EV Driver

Utility EV Rate Plans

Xcel Energy offers the following rate plans, none of which are EV-specific:

Shift and Save Plan:

• Summer Peak (22.1cents); Summer Off-Peak (8.7c/kWh)
• Winter Peak (10.8 c/kWh); Winter Off-Peak (8.7c/kWh)

Peak Plus Plan:

• Summer Peak (16.5 c/kWh)
• Summer Off-Peak (8.7c/kWh)
• Summer Peak Energy Event (56.8c/kWh)

Charge Station Installation

Charge Station Permit

Utility EV Help

Map of future charging station locations:

The University of Colorado recently announced a partnership with Toyota and NREL to study the usage and performance of 18 plug-in Priuses.

Press release:

September 14, 2010

The University of Colorado at Boulder’s Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute, or RASEI — a joint venture with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory — will partner with Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. in a field study of household experiences and the technical impacts of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, or PHVs, in a “smart grid” environment.

Toyota Motor Sales will supply 18 Prius PHVs for the two-year program. The cars, which are slated to arrive in mid-September, will be circulated in three-month stints among 108 randomly selected Boulder households that volunteered to be part of “smart grid” pilot tests.

“This is a great example of CU working together with industry to address big-picture energy questions,” said Michael Knotek, director of RASEI. “RASEI is here to make a real-world impact. With these partnerships and our ‘smart grid’ research expertise, we’ll be able to get some new insights into the intersection of transportation and the electric grid.”

RASEI and Toyota Motor Sales, with the integral participation of Xcel Energy, will gather data on vehicle performance and electricity usage, as well as how households interact with vehicle feedback through “smart grid” technology. The Boulder location also presents the opportunity for researchers to monitor the performance of Toyota’s first-generation lithium-ion battery at high altitudes and in cold weather.

The 18 vehicles being used in the field study are part of a 150-vehicle demonstration program that Toyota Motor Sales is conducting throughout the United States.

The Prius PHV can be charged in approximately three hours from a standard 110-volt electrical outlet, or in one and a half hours with a 220-volt electrical outlet, and can cruise in electric-only mode for approximately 13 miles. For longer distances, the PHV reverts to its hybrid mode and operates like a regular Prius.

A community blog on the field study will be hosted at cupluginhybrid.org. For more information on the PHVs and Toyota Motor Sales’ demonstration program visit www.toyota.com/esq/.

Contact Alison Peters for more information: alison.peters@colorado.edu

Upcoming Events in Denver

Alternative Fuel Vehicle Odyssey Day
Hosted By: Arapahoe Community College 5900 S. Santa Fe Drive
Littleton, CO 80160
Friday, October 15 10am-2pm
Featured: Vehicles Infrastructure and technologies Programs
and equipment
To Participate, contact: Ernie Oaks- (303) 883-4041 or
ernie.oakes@comcast.net

Alternative Fuels Educational Workshop
Where: Crowne Plaze 1450 Glenarm Place Denver, CO 80202
When: September 9th, 2010
Time: 8:00am -3:15pm
Register: www.altfuelsalliance.org

January, 2010

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 stations.

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

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Gain a better understanding of incentives – federal and local

The Toronto Atmospheric Fund (TAF) is celebrating 20 years of clean air and climate solutions. Over the past two decades, TAF has been involved in numerous successful ventures to help improve air quality and to reduce the climate footprint and energy costs of our city, including deep lake water cooling, home energy retrofit incentives, conversion of traffic signals to LEDs, energy efficient street lighting and solar water heating for pools and buildings.

FleetWise EV300

Recognizing that cars and light trucks contribute more than a quarter of Toronto’s greenhouse gas emissions and smog-causing pollution, TAF has spent the last four years dedicating resources to sustainable transportation options, including electric vehicles. In 2010, TAF launched the FleetWise EV300 program, providing innovative decision support tools for public and private fleets in the Greater Toronto Area to reduce their emissions by procuring, driving, charging, evaluating & promoting electric vehicles.

FleetWise EV300 offers fleet partners the following decision support tools:

FleetCarma: This software tool analyzes information from a data logger in a conventional fleet vehicle to help a fleet identify both its suitability for EV replacement and the best potential EV fit – before the purchase order is made.

EValuation Calculator: A robust, customizable return on investment calculator that helps a fleet examine the total cost of ownership of an electric vehicle to best determine the business case for purchase.

eDriver Training: A customized training course to help fleet staff educate their drivers about the benefits of EVs and help them to maximize the performance of their electric vehicle through real-world examples.

Procurement Support: FleetWise EV300 has established agreements with five major auto makers to provide our partners with guaranteed access to electric vehicles.

FleetWise EV300 is working with over 30 fleet, vehicle manufacturer, utility, and strategic partners and, by then end of Fall 2011, we expect to have at least 40 electric vehicles on GTA streets through our program.

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. FleetWise EV300 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.

Other TAF supported EV projects:

• 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 (July 2009 Report)

• A Hybrid Taxi Pilot to determine the business and environmental case for the adoption of hybrid taxi cabs in Toronto (October 2009 Report)

• Development of a Green Vehicle Evaluation & Selection Tool by the City of Toronto Fleet Services to help monitor and evaluate the performance of low-emission vehicles and assist with purchasing policies and decisions (http://www.toronto.ca/fleet/)

• Support 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 (http://www.pollutionprobe.org/PDFs/EMMP.pdf)

• TAF is actively participating in federal, provincial and municipal consultations on EVs, smart grid applications and green fleet planning

Contact

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

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.

Key Information for the Potential EV Driver

Utility EV Rate Plans

Charge Station Installation

Charge Station Permit

Utility EV Help

Updates – March 2, 2010

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

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 efforts 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

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Raleigh’s plug-in vehicle deployment efforts got started in 2009 when Raleigh and the Research Triangle Region joined Project Get Ready, an initiative to help U.S. cities prepare for plug-in vehicles. The city assembled an interdepartmental team to tackle issues, such as streamlining the EVSE permitting and installation process. The team included representatives from the city’s departments of transportation, sustainability, development services, permitting, administration, and public affairs as well as from utility Progress Energy and energy advisor Advanced Energy. This core group of stakeholders developed five key objectives:

• Facilitate stakeholder working groups in resolving issues related to plug-in vehicles
• Educate consumers about plug-in vehicles
• Establish convenient and grid-compatible plug-in vehicle charging infrastructure
• Develop relationships with plug-in vehicle and component manufacturers and ensure vehicle availability in the North Carolina market
• Explore opportunities for economic development related to plug-in vehicles.

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.

Raleigh is currently focusing on sustainability mapping, which will incorporate charging station locations and is pursuing ways of allowing for input of locations, either through permit application or other sources.

Raleigh is presently working on data collection from the charging stations without utilizing a third party vendor and utilizing our energy management date system.  Raleigh is obtaining feedback from municipal departments on potential locations for future EVSEs on city properties. Durham, Cary and Chapel Hill are all in various stages of progress towards the installation of their first charging stations: mapping locations, creating RFPs, and submitting the appropriate documentation to their respective town councils. Most municipal installations will be small scale, funded by EECBG grant monies, though some larger projects (e.g. public parking decks) are funded in their construction budgets. All three towns are also engaging with local businesses and other public institutions for coordination of station locations.

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.

Key Information for the Potential EV Driver

Nissan will be bringing a number of vehicles to a ride and drive event in early March.

Utility EV Rate Plans

Raleigh does not have an EV specific plan at this time.

Charge Station Installation

The City of Raleigh has successfully installed 3 publically available Eaton charging stations downtown. Actions have spurred other local entities to begin installing infrastructure, including the installation of 21 charging stations in a newly constructed parking deck. Raleigh is planning for the installation of additional charging stations.

Charge Station Permit

Raleigh applied its existing “stand alone” permitting and inspection process to EVSE installations. This is also called a “walk through” process because the permit is completed as the applicant is walked through the process by permitting personnel. Getting a permit takes about one hour, and inspections can be performed the day after installation. As a result, the entire assessment, permitting, installation, and inspection process for a simple home-based EVSE project can be completed in as few as two days. Raleigh views the process as an opportunity to train permitting staff and electricians about EVSE. It plans to switch to an even faster, online permitting process as staff and electricians become well versed in EVSE installations.

Raleigh’s model for permitting and installing single residential EVSE stations is comprised of a six step, streamlined process outlined, below. More-complex installations (e.g., installing multiple charging stations at one location) have different requirements, including load calculations and a detailed plan review. For more information, visit the city’s Development Services Guide, and watch instructional videos about installing residential and public EVSE.

Step 1: Identify
Plug-in vehicle customers contact automakers, dealers, or their utility, who can provide a list of licensed electricians to help with EVSE installation. For example, all Nissan LEAF purchases are facilitated through the Nissan LEAF website. The website sends information about Raleigh’s LEAF customers to Nissan’s EVSE provider, AeroVironment, and AeroVironment contacts the customers about EVSE options. As more vehicle choices enter the Raleigh market, the manufacturers of those vehicles likely will partner with EVSE providers to serve their customers.

Step 2: Assess
Plug-in vehicle customers can obtain a home assessment from an electrician in an EVSE provider’s preferred-contractor network (such as AeroVironment’s network for Nissan LEAF customers) or any other licensed electrician to determine whether the capacity of their electrical panel is adequate for installation of EVSE. Results of a survey by utility Progress Energy indicate that Level 2 (240-volt) EVSE could be installed in the majority of homes without upgrades to the homes’ utility service. However, informing the local electric utility about EVSE installation is still encouraged.

Step 3: Permit
The licensed electrician or EVSE customer/homeowner visits one of two City of Raleigh inspection centers to obtain a permit. The process to apply for and receive a permit takes approximately one hour and costs $74.

Step 4: Install
The licensed electrician or the customer/homeowner installs the EVSE. In the rare cases in which a utility service upgrade is required, the electrician or customer contacts Progress Energy to coordinate the upgrade. The customer can give authority to Progress Energy to work directly with the electrician, which can expedite the process.

Step 5: Inspect
The licensed electrician or customer/homeowner calls the City of Raleigh to schedule an inspection. If the call is received by 4:00 p.m., the inspection is performed the next day. The EVSE is approved for use as soon as it passes the inspection.

Step 6: Integrate
Progress Energy has been an active participant in Raleigh’s plug-in vehicle efforts. Through modeling and planning, it is confident that Raleigh’s current grid can manage near-term EVSE-related demand. Residential appliances, such as EVSE, are not metered separately, so energy used to charge a plug-in vehicle is simply added to a customer’s electricity bill. However, customers can opt into time-of-use electric rates on a whole-house basis, which could promote off-peak plug-in vehicle charging.

Utility EV Help

Progress Energy is another of Raleigh’s plug-in vehicle leaders. Its efforts are structured around the Edison Electric Institute’s Industry-Wide Plug-In Electric Vehicle Market Readiness Pledge, which it helped develop. The following are the elements of the pledge and examples of Progress Energy’s related activities.

• Infrastructure—working with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to model the effects of plug-in vehicle charging on the electrical grid
• Customer support—streamlining utility-service upgrades needed for EVSE installation and training customer-service representatives to respond to plug-in vehicle inquiries
• Customer and stakeholder education—providing education, outreach, and technical advising through Project Get Ready; helping develop the GoElectricDrive website; and partnering with automakers to build understanding about consumer needs
• Vehicle and infrastructure incentives—collaborating with regional stakeholders to develop financial and non-financial incentives to facilitate adoption and ideal charging behaviors
• Utility fleets—operating six plug-in Toyota Prius conversions, two Ford-built Escape plug-in hybrids, and a Dueco plug-in hybrid bucket truck, with plans to participate in a Chevy Volt demonstration project and add two Ford F-550 plug-in utility bucket trucks in 2011

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.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Updates: Feb 2011

Planning is under way for holding another round of technical trainings for the Research Triangle region, intended for both inspector and installer audiences, in April 2011.

Updates – Mid 2010

As of mid-2010, Raleigh plug-in vehicle and EVSE deployment was minimal. However, four new public charging stations (purchased with funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) were in place by the end of 2010 with 15 to 20 more coming by mid-2011. Free charging will be offered at these stations for two years, and the city will collect data on their use. In addition, the city is working with private property owners, such as shopping malls, to discuss locating charging infrastructure on these properties. Progress Energy and Advanced Energy have received grants to install additional charging infrastructure throughout the Research Triangle Region and will collect data from these stations.

Raleigh is anticipating the arrival of plug-in vehicles as they are made more widely available in 2011, and the city fleet plans to add plug-in vehicles. About 140 privately owned plug-in vehicles are anticipated in the Research Triangle Region in the near term. The city received a grant to convert seven Toyota Prius hybrid electric vehicles to plug-in operation. City personnel meet monthly with Progress Energy to discuss plug-in vehicle promotion and readiness. Progress Energy is working with automakers and EVSE providers to develop a system for notifying Progress Energy about plug-in vehicle purchases in its service area. Advanced Energy is developing a charging station installation document to guide contractors through the EVSE permitting and installation process. Raleigh will host a high-profile EPRI plug-in vehicle conference in July 2011.

Updates – February 25, 2010

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 working 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.

________________________________________________________________________________________

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

Jeff Barghout

JBarghout@AdvancedEnergy.org
(919) 857-9006

Katie Drye

kdrye@advancedenergy.org

704-807-2788

Find charging stations near you

Gain a better understanding of federal and local incentives

Key Information for the Potential EV Driver

Utility EV Rate Plans

Portland General Electric does not have an EV-specific rate plan.

Their current rate plans are:

• Peak: 12.15 cents/kWh
• Off-Peak 4.05 cents/kWh

Charge Station Installation

With support from the U.S. Department of Energy through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, ECOtality is deploying nearly 15,000 charging stations in select locations nationwide through the EV Project to serve the first owners of Nissan LEAF electric vehicles and Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. The goal is to analyze this first wave of plug-in vehicles and infrastructure and facilitate the transition to large-scale, nationwide deployment.

EV Project deployment in Oregon will focus on the corridor defined by the cities of Portland, Salem, Corvallis, and Eugene. This area comprises seven utilities, four MPOs, and 70% of the state’s population. EVSE deployment will include up to about 900 home-based stations for plug-in vehicle buyers as well as 1,150 publicly available Level 2 charging stations and 45 fast-charging stations. To assist with deployment, ECOtality developed electric vehicle charging infrastructure deployment guidelines for the Oregon I-5 metro areas of Portland, Salem, Corvallis, and Eugene.

Charge Station Permit

In 2008, the Oregon Building Codes Division adopted statewide EVSE permitting and inspection requirements and then approved use of a demand factor table for calculating EVSE services and feeders in 2009. In 2010, the process was streamlined by allowing licensed electricians to install standard EVSE using Oregon’s Minor Label Program. This approach treats standard EVSE like a large appliance, such as an electric water heater. Licensed electricians pre-purchase minor installation labels, enabling them to assess a site and perform standard EVSE installations at the same time. The requirement that only one in ten of an electrician’s installations be inspected also speeds the process. In addition, because it is a statewide process, electricians have a consistent framework for working in multiple jurisdictions throughout Oregon.

One of Oregon’s priorities was to develop a streamlined process for permitting and installing home-based EVSE. This process can be broken into six steps:

Step 1: Identify
As part of the EV Project, Nissan sends information about its LEAF customers (collected through the Nissan LEAF website) to the EV Project’s EVSE provider, ECOtality. ECOtality contacts customers about their home EVSE options. Nissan also works with EVSE provider AeroVironment. As more vehicle choices enter the Oregon market, the manufacturers of those vehicles likely will partner with EVSE providers to serve their customers.

Step 2: Assess
As part of the EV Project, ECOtality assigns electricians from its preferred-contractor network to assess EVSE sites. If a site that qualifies for the EV Project is a standard, new single-family residential installation and no utility-service upgrade of the home’s electrical capacity is required, ECOtality installs the EVSE for free. For more-complex EV Project sites, ECOtality may pay for a portion of the installation. If a site does not qualify for the EV Project (e.g., because the EVSE customer rents rather than owns a home), the customer has the option of working with an automaker’s EVSE provider (such as AeroVironment), another EVSE provider, or any other licensed electrician.

Step 3: Permit
For standard EVSE installations, a licensed electrician buys booklets of 10 minor installation labels for $140 under the Oregon Minor Label Program. Each label allows licensed employees to perform minor electrical installations. Standard EVSE installations are defined as those that are within sight of the electrical panel that supplies the EVSE, have a branch circuit that does not exceed 40 amps/240 volts, and are not in a damp location. More complex installations have different permitting requirements.

Step 4: Install
If the existing electrical service is adequate for the additional required load, the electrician installs the branch circuit and EVSE under the Oregon Minor Label Program. The supervising electrician takes full responsibility for compliance with code requirements, including load calculations on existing electrical services.

Step 5: Inspect
Following an EVSE installation, the electrician logs the address and scope of work using the same online system used to request the minor installation labels for permitting. One in ten of the electrician’s jobs is inspected by the local jurisdiction. If an EVSE installation fails the inspection, the electrician must purchase a regular permit from the local jurisdiction, correct the defect, and schedule a re-inspection.

Step 6: Integrate
The state’s utilities have been involved in plug-in vehicle deployment planning. They have performed initial modeling of plug-in vehicle electricity demand and are confident that Oregon’s current grid can manage EVSE-related demand in the foreseeable future. ECOtality is notifying Oregon’s utilities of plug-in vehicle sales related to the EV Project.

Utility EV Help

Portland, Oregon is getting ready. PGR is working with interested citizens and companies in Portland to convene stakeholders and synthesize all the existing energy and work put into the plug-in vehicle revolution. Check back here for more updates!

Project Get Ready Portland Team Summary:

Updates – mid-2010

Oregon had about 400 electric vehicles—many of which were neighborhood electric vehicles—and 40 EVSE stations. Oregon’s EVSE plans and processes are getting their first major test as an expected 600 to 800 highway-capable plug-in vehicles began arriving in late 2010. The build out of the approximately 2,000 EV Project EVSE stations will be completed from late 2010 through late 2011. These stations will be complemented by up to 24 fast-charging stations being installed under the U.S. Department of Transportation’s TIGER II grant program. EV Project evaluation and research will continue for about two years. During this time, the state will be completing additional planning activities, building partnerships, looking for opportunities to expand the plug-in vehicle network, and applying lessons learned from the ongoing experience.

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).
2. Prioritization of major milestones in several content areas.
3. 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.

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

Find charging stations near you

Gain a better understanding of federal and local incentives