Participants:

Introduction

The Project Get Ready team attended the recent Globe 2010 Conference, in Vancouver and participated in the Auto Future Tech discussion.

The topics of this panel included:
• Case studies of municipalities getting ready infrastructure-wise
• EV market readiness.
• Tax incentives
• “Timing”
• Life cycle analysis
• Comparing extraction of lithium ion from Bolivia to oil from Middle East.

Additional conferences are coming up as well: the Electrification Coalition meeting in Washington, D.C., “Alternative Fuels and Vehicles” on May 9-12 and “Business of Plugging In” October 12 – 14, 2010.

Website Updates

We have updated the PGR website. Our Total Cost of Ownership calculator has been improved to include state-specific electricity and fuel prices. The user can also input 2008 or 2009 prices, or use current prices

The Oregon EV guidelines have been briefly taken off the website, but they will be back on when the final and approved versions are completed.

We recently added Federal Highway signage to the website, as well as a new study by Friends of the Earth. This study surveys infrastructure and permitting guidelines in bay area of California.

New Technical Advisers
• Michael Mahan – Product Manager at GE industrial services; Michael works on electrical distribution-switchboards, panels, etc. He’s signing on to help answer any infrastructure questions
• Intertek – National Standards Testing Lab
• Possible future adviser: eTech

Other Notes

Jeff at Advanced Energy is working with PGR to create a Request For Information (RFI) for stakeholders to understand options, technology, and pricing for EVSE.

Charging Station Locator
• National Renewable Energy Laboratories has an Alternative Fueling Station Locator.
• Any updates to the site will be shared with PGR partners
• NREL has a subcontractor that takes care of researching new stations and adds new ones to database once a month.

Cities Updates

Denver: Matthew Marshall
• A parking enforcement vehicle is being converted to full battery electric.
• This should be a good EV application because of slow stop and go, few miles.
• In process of getting a charging station installed from Go-smart, in one of the parking garages. Conduit and data line are installed.
• Pleased to see KB Homes will be offering pre-wiring for EV charging. They are doing 11 different developments in Denver.
• 53 Tesla owners in Denver/Boulder Area.
• PGR Note: Denver did a great job in bringing together different actors in the space. Local charging station providers were in the area. Some of their first successes have been in the purchase of local vehicles and stations. Some truth behind economic development argument.

Rhode Island: Al Dahlberg
• Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) students are working on designing manual for EVSE.
• Goal is to have 25-30 EV installations by 2011.
• Area has been receptive.
• Exploring incentives in tax credits and PR
• Moving forward on guide and assembling information for companies interested installing charging stations. Release date will likely be in June.

Raleigh: Rob Underhill and Jeff Barghout (Advanced Energy)
• Continuing contractor and inspector workshops.
• With regard to sites, we have been solidifying site selection criteria.
• Looking at Macro scale: which properties; Micro: where on the property.
• Outreach activities: working on plans to encourage commitments.
• Outlining several large workshops across the state.
• Raleigh’s Earth Day celebration is coming up. Planning on integrating EVs.
• Moving closer towards having Clean Cities grant available.
• Advanced Energy: “We’re expecting to help install 80 charging stations in area for clean cities initiative.“; This has expanded into other cities in Triangle area. Exciting to work with cities on road mapping; We’re putting together RFI for charging infrastructure – nearly 20 different manufacturers. Information that we received back, we will make publicly available to all PGR teams; Expecting everything to come in by may 10th (target), but will continue to post if more come on; Cities need to have this information as they make EVSE choices.

Central Florida: John Parker
• Streamlining Permit process.
• Actively working with building inspectors to get up to speed.
• Hoping to mimic Houston/Raleigh models.
• Converting Hybrids to Plug in Hybrids. These demonstration vehicles will go to hotels, theme parks and area businesses to promote EV transportation.
• Grant funds from DOE to make a solar charging station. There’s currently one at the University of Central Florida and Orlando Utilities Commission. Progress Energy has a grid connected charging station.
• Working with “SunRail” planners who are putting in train stations throughout metropolitan Orlando. Planning charging infrastructure so commuters can park and charge.
• PGR: We’d love to hear more about the economics of solar charging and train station progress, challenges.

Kansas City: Kelly Gilbert
• Launched the Plug in Readiness initiative Jan.
• Holding first stakeholder conference April 23rd.
• After strategy is completed in January, implementation process begins.

Toronto: Ban Marans
• Presented at Globe 2010.
• Conference highlighted municipalities leading the way.
• Toronto has been active in EV working group. Addressing infrastructure at plug level and utility level.
• Toronto is tweaking Total Cost of Ownership calculator with Canadian data.
• Looking at policy level: right of ways, street charging, waterways.
• Gaining traction with OEMs. Toyota plug in hybrid is going to be tested in Toronto.
• Hoping to use smaller pilots for informing process for EV300 initiative.
• Toronto Airport Authority has 180 charging spots. Looking to add to their highway ready vehicle fleet.
• Looking to form relationships with other munis around Toronto.
• Exploring opportunities to develop a Canadian PGR-type network.
• Issues with selling electricity, access to electricity. Electricity reseller or service provider – these are questions Toronto is interested in.
• PGR: we’ve been working with charging station providers to see what regs. are in place. We can pull together best practices. In U.S., individual PUCs control certain areas, but we will dive deeper into emerging issues in Canada.
• GE: One of the features designed into charging stations is ability to do remote diagnostics of station and chargers themselves. Let people know when unit needs to be repaired.
• CT: Resale issues around private parking management companies. There is a formation within National Parking Association trying to create a LEED “tent”. EV Charging is an element of this. They don’t see it as a resale or significant revenue enhancement. They see it as a way to move their parking projects through LEED certification process quicker. They don’t see significant increase in kilowatts. LEED is a big incentive. Recently in Florida, saw a company that was looking at reselling in a highrise in Pompano Beach.

Tampa Bay: Avera Wynne, Greg Miller
• 4 counties: Tampa, St. Pete, Clear Water
• Three large utilities: Progress, Florida power and light, Tampa Electric
• Meeting with Hillsboro County to start talking about education of electricians and establishing curricula for educating them.
• We have a lot of KB Homes in our region, so we’ll be looking into them for support.
• Suburban homes are good because 80% of charging will be done at home. Production homes players will be huge players.
• Planning a big role out event. Orlando helped a lot in getting started.
• Light rail program underway – TBRTA. Connecting regions- “super region”
• Airports and rail stations are both interested in doing charging stations.
• Light rail people and airports are interested in serving rental car market.

General Discussion

Paul Scott (Plug-In America) asked Orlando about charging levels for long term parking, noting that it might be a good cost saving measure to use level 1. Orlando, as of yet, hasn’t considered charge level. Focus has been on conduit and wiring.

DMV Registration Issues
• No box to indicate EV.
• PGR: we’re going to try to answer this state by state. As each of you has experiences or best practices, please let us know. We’ll add to website and update going forward.

Signage
• Standardization is important. We have put some examples online. Opened design contest.
• Success stories in making interesting signage

EV Maintenance
• Partners have found difficulty in servicing hybrids. Vehicles like the Prius often have to go in dealership because no one is trained to do work.
• How wills this affect EVs?
• Are EV manufacturers planning on doing training programs for mechanics?
• PGR: There are a few such programs through tech-schools and associations. We’ll publicize this info and reach out to OEMs.

Final note

If there are any additional questions, don’t hesitate to ask the PGR team. Our Technical Advisers are a valuable resource and are eager to share their knowledge with you.

Finally, if you find any interesting reports or resources, feel free to forward them to us. We’ll make sure they go on the website and share them with the rest of the partners.

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