Electric companies urge embracing of EVs during National Drive Electric Week
Electric companies around the United States marked National Drive Electric Week by setting a good example for consumers, who will likely be making the switch from cars and trucks powered by good old gasoline to cleaner electric vehicles (EV) in the not-too-distant future.
The special outreach campaign being held from Sept. 26-Oct. 4 informs motorists that EV technology, economics and convenience are reaching a level that would make switching from gasoline to emission-free a seamless transition. U.S electric utilities are leading the way by committing to converting their own fleets of company cars and maintenance vehicles over the next few years.
“Investing in electric vehicle charging infrastructure and accelerating electric transportation benefits customers, the environment, and the energy grid,” said Edison Electric Institute (EEI) President Tom Kuhn.
EEI estimated that the 1.5 million EVs humming along in the United States today would grow to 18.7 million by 2030. The association also noted that while there are 50 different EV models to choose from currently, there will be nearly 130 models on the showroom floor by 2023. The utility industry will play an integral role by providing not only the electricity to power these new vehicles, but also a major share of the charging infrastructure that will largely replace the corner filling station.
National Drive Electric Week was established 10 years ago by Plug In America, the Electric Auto Association and the Sierra Club as a way to get the word out to the public about the economic values and the environmental virtues of going electric as a way to clean the air in general, and slash the exhaust emissions responsible for smog and climate change.
Some of the incentive for consumers to make the switch to an EV will likely come from California, where Gov. Gavin Newsom last week made a splash with an executive order declaring that all passenger vehicles sold in the Golden State by 2035 must be “zero-emission.” A similar mandate for medium-and-heavy vehicles will go into effect 10 years later.
“This is the most impactful step our state can take to fight climate change,” said Newsom, who cited transportation emissions for half of all of California’s carbon emissions and 80 percent of its smog-forming pollution. California leads the nation by a wide margin with nearly 257,000 registered EVs.
Encouraging consumers in California or any other state to make the switch to an EV hinges on purchase prices, maintenance and fuel costs, and the ability to keep the batteries charged without risking a stall on Interstate 5. San Diego Gas & Electric Co. said Sept. 26 that while EV sticker prices were coming down, the cost of off-peak charging compared to California’s pricy gasoline meant EV “customers can save around $1,150 per year by charging their vehicle.”
Charles A. Freni, president and CEO of Central Hudson Gas and Electric pegged EV operating costs at 50-70 percent below conventional fuels. “Transitioning to electric transportation benefits the environment and it is cost-effective,” he said.
Electric utilities are a logical place to turn for motorists to tap into the electric grid, and National Drive Electric Week offered electric companies a forum to allay those concerns with projections of declining EV sticker prices and vows to have plenty of efficient and affordable charging infrastructure available at home, along the road, and in the parking lots of offices and other workplaces.
“Electric vehicles are the next frontier in the clean energy transition, and we are committed to making charging EVs easy, convenient, and affordable for customers,” Ben Fowke, chairman and CEO of Xcel Energy, said in announcing Xcel’s goal of supplying enough charging infrastructure to serve 1.5 million EVs in its Midwest service territory by 2030. Xcel also plans to electrify all of the company’s sedans by 2023, all light-duty vehicles by 2030, and 30 percent of its medium- and heavy-duty vehicles by 2030.
Duke Energy said recent statistics from the U.S. Department of Energy indicated that Americans were six times more likely to switch to an EV if adequate charging infrastructure was available at their workplaces. Duke announced the launch of a campaign to increase charging at its facilities as a way of encouraging more of its employees to begin driving EVs.
Many other utilities have also developed plans to roll their company fleets over to EVs or other no-emission vehicles in the coming years as a means of meeting overall goals to reduce their carbon footprints greatly, if not completely.
“As part of our commitment to an ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) strategy, we continue to look for opportunities to make changes in our business that benefit the environment and provide additional value to customers,” said Pat Vincent-Collawn, chairman, president and CEO of PNM Resources in New Mexico. “As we look beyond the transformation to an emissions-free energy portfolio, the increased integration of electric vehicles in our fleet meets both objectives.”
Elsewhere, Hawaiian Electric said last month that its company fleet was currently 25 percent EV and would be 100 percent by 2035.
In Chicago, ComEd CEO Joe Dominguez said: “Cleaning up the transportation sector is key to improving the lives of our citizens. A crucial next step is preparing the grid to support increased electrification of our large customers’ vehicle fleets and the widespread adoption of personal EVs.”
