Electric Vehicle Readiness Program Overview
A whole new wave of energy efficient electric cars will be rolled out over the next couple of years and the Bay Area is poised to establish electric vehicle charging stations and other infrastructure needed to support this changing landscape of automotives. For both economic and environmental reasons, approximately 200,000 PEVs are expected in California and one-million in the U.S. by 2015. To assist local governments in preparing the region for new electric vehicles (EV), the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), the Bay Area Climate Collaborative, the EV Communities Alliance, and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District have developed Ready, Set, Charge, California! A Guide to EV Ready Communities (www.readysetcharge.org). The guidelines will provide a consistent framework for EV infrastructure deployment and guidelines on key challenges and questions facing local governments.
Ready, Set, Charge, California! provides comprehensive information about best practices in EV readiness, information on charging station options and installation issues, signage, ADA compliance, permitting, EV-friendly building and parking ordinances, and other key issues. Local agencies and other stakeholders are urged to review the recommended guidelines to aid in establishing their own local EV guidelines. Implementation of the guidelines will help the Bay Area become "EV ready" and streamline the use of EVs regionwide.
One of the goals of Ready, Set, Charge California is to establish the San Francisco Bay Area as an electric vehicle leader. Electrical vehicle readiness will involve facilitating installation of new charging stations and helping the public understand how to use charging stations regionwide. Electrical vehicle charging stations must be accessible to provide electrical vehicle drivers with the ability to travel across the region.
Primary Recommendations for EV Readiness
A summary of the EV readiness guidelines that are provided in the comprehensive Ready, Set,
Charge, California! A Guide to EV Ready Communities
Environmental and Economic Imperative
Within California, consumers, businesses and government agencies are spending nearly $60 billion annually on gasoline, much of which is imported. Mass adoption of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) will help to redistribute these funds to the local economy while establishing carbon-free transportation.
Energy transformation from carbon fuels to renewable energy sources must be achieved in order to reduce carbon emissions and ensure protection of the planet from climate change. The environmental and economic benefits of increased electric vehicle (EV) use include reduced greenhouse gas emissions. EV emissions are estimated to be 75 percent lower than emissions from the average conventional gasoline-powered vehicle.
Download Ready, Set, Charge, California! A Guide to EV Ready Communities at www.readysetcharge.org.
Developed by ABAG, the Bay Area Climate Collaborative, EV Communities Alliance, Clean Fuel Connection and LightMoves Consulting, Ready, Set, Charge is a complete EV readiness guide for California governments.
Contact Information
Please contact Jackie Reinhart, ABAG Regional Planner, at jackier@abag.ca.gov for more information.
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