Our electric transportation future is on the way – that much is not in doubt. Electric vehicles may currently account for just a small share of vehicle sales, but a high – and accelerating – growth rate is putting EVs on the agendas of public utility commissions (PUCs) around the country. To address the coming electrification of the vehicle fleet – from passenger cars to delivery vehicles, buses, and trucks – state regulators should take steps to maximize the benefits and minimize the challenges associated with this transportation transformation – seven steps, to be specific.

Screenshot of ConEd Cars, the New York utility's car-choice comparison tool. 

This is a guest post from AEE member company Enervee.

As noted by AEE in its new issue brief, EVs 101, the evolution of transportation will depend to a large extent on the choices of consumers. This may seem self-evident, but the consumer perspective can easily get lost in the high-stakes discussions surrounding electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure – what’s needed where and when, who should provide it, and how to pay for it. But when it comes to cars, consumers are king – and the overwhelming majority believe that their energy provider should help them understand the benefits of EVs over conventional vehicles. That’s something regulators should capitalize on as they prepare to grow the market for EVs.

Photos by Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit and Janitors, used under this Creative Commons license; and by BeyondDC, used under this Creative Commons license.

The federal government may be getting ready to freeze emissions standards in place for conventional cars and trucks, but electric vehicles (EVs) are still on the rise. No longer the stuff of science fiction movies, but not yet commonplace, EVs have yet to fully take off in the mass market. But recent news shows that production of EVs is reaching scale, states are starting to build out the charging infrastructure needed to support a mass market, and even electric scooters are running up impressive numbers, not to mention electric buses. Here is the latest from the front lines of transportation electrification.

Chinese container ship unloading at Charleston, S.C. Photo by Mr.TinDC used under a Creative Commons license. 

From his first campaign speech to the first 15 months of his Administration, President Trump has made changing the terms of U.S trade deals a central priority, and in 2018 he has proposed a variety of tariffs. In particular, tariffs on Chinese imports have been one of the major trade policies put forward by the Administration. Most analysts have focused on the tariff impacts on particular products, such as steel and aluminum, or how potential retaliatory tariffs from China could impact American interests, such as agriculture.

Unfortunately, advanced energy will be impacted too. In comments to the U.S. Trade Representative, we outline the impacts of proposed tariffs on advanced energy products such as smart thermostats, electric vehicles, and wind turbine components. AEE believes the Administration is taking important steps to combat unfair trade practices by China, but we are also concerned that imposing tariffs on certain products will hurt the advanced energy industry and consumers, without achieving the administration’s goals.

In his State of the State address in January, Gov. Jerry Brown set a new goal of 5 million zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) on the road in California by 2030. Just a day later, the Governor formalized this goal through an Executive Order, which identified an expansion of charging infrastructure – specifically, 250,000 installed chargers by 2025 – along with an expansion of vehicle rebates as the most critical needs in order for the state to hit the target. A new bill sponsored by AEE would address the charging infrastructure challenge and set the state on course toward having the charging capacity needed to support a mass market for EVs.