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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 woorking on prequalifying guidelines for potential EVSE locations.

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

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

Raleigh PGR Plan

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

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

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

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

Understanding the Issues

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jeff Barghout

JBarghout@AdvancedEnergy.org
(919) 857-9006

Robert Underhill

RUnderhill@AdvancedEnergy.org
(919) 857-9037