Native governments ought to take a holistic, government-wide strategy to develop electric vehicle charging infrastructure to make the most of new funding alternatives, in response to a report issued Tuesday by the Electrification Coalition, a nonpartisan group that promotes the adoption of EVs.
Final yr’s bipartisan infrastructure legislation supplied almost $19 billion in grants and funds for EV charging, low- or no-emission transit buses, ferries and clear faculty buses. “Municipalities stand to profit considerably from transportation electrification, however they should be ready to leverage this funding,” mentioned Chris Bast, director of EV infrastructure investments on the Electrification Coalition, in a press release.
The report lays out a highway map for metropolis and county governments to observe, beginning with a list of present insurance policies that impression charging deployments, corresponding to zoning, allowing, constructing codes, parking insurance policies and incentives. The report additionally recommends creating an EV-focused coverage agenda that takes benefit of federal initiatives.
Coverage actions can embrace government orders, proclamations or resolutions mandating authorities motion and establishing an EV imaginative and prescient for his or her neighborhood. Officers may replace present ordinances and rules to make sure that new buildings are geared up for EV charging or require the electrification of presidency and different widely-used fleets corresponding to ride-hailing companies.
The report additionally recommends participating with state departments of transportation, metropolitan planning organizations, different authorities associations and the U.S. Division of Vitality’s Clean Cities coalitions. Moreover, native governments ought to solicit enter from their communities. “Charging infrastructure constructed round a neighborhood’s particular mobility wants will assist at-scale deployment and start to champion associated fairness issues,” the report mentioned.
The report additionally features a guidelines centered on public coverage actions, planning, stakeholder and neighborhood engagement, and web site planning. Particular measures for web site planning embrace figuring out shovel-ready charging station websites, streamlining allowing processes and recruiting web site hosts.
