Advanced Energy Perspectives

We all know that electric vehicles (EVs) are the future, and they’re here today. They’re quicker, quieter, and cheaper to own than old-fashioned gas-powered cars. But the market for EVs is still evolving, with a limited number of models available (though more on the way). And vehicular travel is still built around gas guzzlers and gas stations. In the world of today, how do you find an EV that’s right for you? Even worse – how do you advise someone else about what EV might be right for them? Faced with that dilemma, one of my colleagues took to AEE’s transportation-oriented Slack channel for guidance. Here is the chat that ensued.

California’s legislative session drew to a close on September 10 this year, uncharacteristically early, and with less fanfare than in years past. In many ways, the session started off like a sequel to the one prior, with economic recovery, energy reliability, and wildfire severity all top of mind. But rather than a sprint, with a crowded field rushing to the tape, the 2021 legislative session was more like a marathon, with fits, starts, and a finish line stretching an additional week, when the tally for the September 14  gubernatorial recall election was finished. The implications of this consequential recall campaign – including raised stakes for the state’s clean energy ambitions – reverberated throughout the Capitol and, in some cases, had a chilling effect on political appetites. But in the end, the advanced energy industry gained major breakthroughs on electric transportation, with some unfinished business, as wildfire concerns dominated the conversation on reliability and resilience. 

As the popularity of electric transportation has risen throughout the nation, many different actors are now coming together to better coordinate on how to accelerate electric vehicle (EV) adoption. Florida has taken steps recently to be better prepared for EV adoption and charging infrastructure. We are seeing changes at the municipal, county, and state level to get ready for – and accelerate – electric transportation growth. Now we are seeing action on a region-wide basis as well – and AEE is at the center of it.

The U.S. House of Representatives has spent the last three weeks marking up a series of legislative proposals that form the basis of the Build Back Better Act, the budget reconciliation bill put forward by the Democrats. Taken together, these proposals put into legislative text the elements of President Biden’s American Jobs Plan and American Families Plan that were not included in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed earlier this year. While, as in all legislation, there are elements that disappoint, AEE is impressed by the overall scope and scale of investments in advanced energy proposed. If enacted, the Build Back Better Act would put the U.S. on course to leading the world in advanced energy manufacturing, transportation electrification, and carbon emissions reductions, all while creating millions of jobs and investing in economic opportunity for American workers and families.

In the 1920s the United States dominated the automobile market, led by Henry Ford and the Ford Motor Co. Before that, cars were difficult to make and expensive to buy. But thanks to Ford’s Model T and (then) newfangled assembly line production, the demand for cars became overwhelming, driving production into high gear, putting Americans to work with higher wages, and lowering the cost of these vehicles. This phenomenon occurs with most new technologies, from the desktop computer to the toaster. So, it is no surprise that we see the same phenomenon happening with electric vehicles (EVs) nearly 100 years later. Question is: Is the U.S. prepared to dominate the EV market the way it did in Henry Ford’s time?