'Plugging In' drives local officials to ready cities for electric vehicles

With electric vehicles hitting U.S. streets in record numbers, a new study highlights best practices for local officials make their cities EV-friendly.

EV sales nationwide increased 38 percent in 2016, and then another 32 percent in 2017. And, looking ahead, GM plans to launch 20 EV models by 2023, while Ford announced in January plans to invest $11 billion in EVs, with a goal of having 40 models by 2022.

Environment America Research & Policy Center, PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center and Frontier Group released the report, “Plugging In: Readying America’s Cities for the Arrival of Electric Vehicles.”

The study contains local and state data about the number of electric cars expected on the road in coming years and offers guidance on how cities can accommodate EVs, providing recharging stations and parking.

David Masur, executive director of PennEnvironment and a co-author of "Plugging In," said, “We have an opportunity to make a positive change after more than a century of vehicles spewing pollutants into the air. Local and state officials who want to plug into this opportunity need to commit to an EV-friendly infrastructure.”

The report calls on local officials to provide:

• Residential access to on-street EV charging

• Access to public charging stations

• Support private investment in publicly-accessible stations

• Incentivized EV parking and charging

The report's authors say cities must map out where EVs will charge, particularly in areas without off-street parking. Also, major cities will need to install hundreds to thousands of publicly-accessible electric vehicle chargers to keep the increased number of EVs running.

"American cities risk being unprepared for the impending arrival of thousands of electric vehicles on their streets," said Alana Miller, a policy analyst at Frontier Group and another co-author of “Plugging In.”

“Without forward-thinking policies that give EV owners places to park and charge their vehicles, cities could lose out on the health and air quality benefits that electric vehicles can deliver," Miller added.

The report’s authors note that local and state officials increasingly are having to lead on issues related to climate change, clean energy and clean cars, as the Trump administration dismantles federal policies that offered concrete solutions to these issues. This spring, the administration is expected to propose new steps to revoke federal fuel efficiency standards and weaken clean car policies.

“Adopting smart public policies, which have been implemented already in visionary American and international cities, can help more U.S. cities lead the electric vehicle revolution,” Masur said. “For the sake of our public health and environment, it’s crucial that we expand access to clean transportation for those who live, work and play in our urban centers. And once we complete the transition away from gasoline and diesel, we can all breathe easier and see more clearly.”