What can a city do to help EV owners?

[sarcilla]

I live in Jersey City, NJ and have the ear of the Office of Sustainability. They have asked me for recommendations.

So what has worked in other cities? Examples I can think of:

1. Allow people with electric cars to have a dedicated parking spot in front of their home so that they can run an extension cord and charge regularly (handicapped have this ability in my area)
2. Make sure that a charging station of some sort is within 0.25 miles of everyone, or at least neighborhoods of a certain average income level
3. Require new apartment complexes to require parking, dedicating two spots to charging spots
4. City tax breaks for those that buy electric cars
5. Install 120V or 240V plugs at larger parking complexes that are free to use for those paying for monthly parking, designating those spaces to be allocated for electric or PHEV cars only
6. Work with electric providers to allow cheaper electric rates at night so that the cars can be set to charge at lower kW/h timeframes
7. Ordinance that states that parking lots over a certain size must dedicate some number of spots for electric car charging
8. Preferential parking spots at parking lots, near spots for handicapped and expectant mothers

Can folks chime in with other ideas that I can pass on?

 

[DS 5/15]

Make it illegal for HOA's to deny homeowners installing charging equipment

 

[sammyfan711]

Light pole charging, the UK has a great model somewhere

 

[mociaf9]

If they haven't already, ensure that local zoning rules are updated to allow installation of EVSE and EV Charging as approved uses in commercial areas and look for other ways to streamline the application/permitting processes for businesses that actually decide to install them.

 

[Saghost]

The key for EV adoption is charging - especially level 1/2 charging in places cars will be sitting for a while anyway.

According to NHTSA data, 80% of all driving days are less than 40 miles, so level 1 charging is actually sufficient for the vast majority of people most of the time, even though it may not feel like it.

Offer grants to businesses for them to install charging for their employees/customers?

Invite charging networks to install stations in their area, possibly with some sort of incentive?

Designate a fraction of on street parking in high density residential areas that don't have garages/carports/driveways as EV charging, mark as such and enforce, provide either chargers or at least outlets for them on those spaces? (Maybe the space under each light pole and a plug on the light pole as someone mentioned above?)

Encourage apartment complexes to offer charging, possibly offer some grants for that?

 

[KJD]

If you really want to help EV owners you should require that all new houses constructed in your city have a NEMA 14-50 outlet in the garage or parking area.

Problem solved.

 

[Saghost]

If you really want to help EV owners you should require that all new houses constructed in your city have a NEMA 14-50 outlet in the garage or parking area.

Problem solved.

That's a great plan for areas that are currently building a lot of single family residences with garages or carports.

I don't know Jersey City well, but I believe it's all more built up than that - apartment complexes and blocks of solid housing with only street parking that have been around for a long time already.

 

[srs5694]

A couple more ideas, which aren't focused on consumers, but are very relevant to a city's Office of Sustainability:

• Encourage city offices that purchase vehicles to favor EVs whenever possible. Cities buy a lot of cars and light trucks for police, maintenance, etc., and they tend to be used quite heavily, so switching just a few of those to EVs can have an outsized impact on CO2 emissions compared to the average consumer buying an EV.
• This could be considered a specific case of the preceding, but it has an even bigger impact: Encourage the city's mass transit department to buy electric buses. These are becoming available in a big way, and I've seen reports that they have an even bigger impact on CO2 emissions than do electric cars. They can also be good PR for EVs generally -- the moment a bus pulls away from you when you're on the sidewalk and you're not blasted by diesel fumes, you'll begin thinking positive thoughts about EVs!

 

[ewoodrick]

Under no circumstances should you recommend #8. That’s prime candidate for ICEing and retaliation.
Probably no need for the power company one, unless you get power from city. Otherwise it is locked by state utility commission.
I’d generally try to reduce to a very few items.
Allow charging capability at work or home (permits and regulations)
Require new construction to include capability
Allow/provide DC fast charging locations

You’ve already got enough Tesla fast charging need to make sure all vehicles covered

 

[CUBldr97]

Find Lanny Hartman on the facebook group, NVa owners, or Dc owners or the Tesla midatlantic owners group... he has a wealth of legislative knowledge and has been fighting for EV programs through out MD, VA, PA, DC etc...

@lanny0914

 

[Big Earl]

In dense urban populations, I think EV charging and charging station enforcement are the biggest challenges.

• All public parking garages should be equipped with adequate level 2 charging facilities. This may be a half dozen or more charging stations, depending on a number of factors. Parking garages are typically easier than surface lots because they almost always have electrical panels with room for expansion.
• Shopping malls, grocery stores, gyms and movie theaters should also have level 2 charging facilities available. Perhaps the city can incentivize installation of level 2 equipment.
• Draft legislation requiring "roughing in" 240 volt wiring (40 or 50 amp circuit) for electric vehicle charging in all new construction, including single family homes and multi-family dwellings. It's much easier and less expensive include this during the build process rather than trying to retrofit it afterward. This also makes it easier for utilities to plan grid expansions to handle the increased demand.
• Draft legislation to enforce and fine people who park in electric vehicle charging spaces without charging.