EV Charging Stations for Local Governments

The transition to a sustainable transportation sector is ongoing and keeps moving towards an electrified and non-fossil fuel based industry. From the Federal government there has been an executive order signed by the White House Planning for Federal Sustainability in the Next Decade, in which it is detailed the importance of the electric vehicle expansion to meet the energy efficiency and sustainability targets of the nation.

According to what is planned in the executive order, by 2025, 50% of all new executive agency passenger vehicles should be zero emission vehicles (i.e electric vehicles). This will involve planning for the appropriate charging infrastructure that can sustain the development of these vehicles. In other words, having an EV charging for federal and state agencies is not only desirable but also encouraged by the Federal Government.

Installing a Level 2 EV charger such as the Cyber Switching CSE1, will allow your agency, municipality or local government building to be in line with Federal Government policies and targets for sustainability while at the same time offering a valuable asset to your local employees who wish do their part for the environment by purchasing an electric vehicle.

What are the Most Common Challenges of Installing an EV Charging Station in a Government Building?

Connectivity Issues

Installing an EV charging station in a government building is not always an easy task. For instance, government buildings that have underground parking lots are subject to connectivity issues which weakens control mechanisms from the EV charging stations and makes the EV charging experience less comfortable. Solutions like the Electric Vehicle Master Controller (EVMC) can often solve this issue by offering a load management system that is not dependent on an internet connection to perform charging routines.

Overstays

Another issue is often found when users leave their EVs connected to a standard EV charging station on a government building and do not remove the car even when it is fully charged. This creates an important problem as it keeps other users without the possibility to charge their vehicles while they are at the building. Enabling remote notifications and also penalties for leaving the EV connected after it has been completely charged after sometime can be some alternatives to mitigate this issue.

Electrical Upgrades

Finally, probably one of the most troublesome challenges is often found regarding the available electrical infrastructure capacity of the site. Setting up multiple EV charging stations without a controlled mechanism can increase the peak power load of the electrical system by several kW.

This not only increases the electricity demand tariff to the building from the utility, but also represents a capacity constraint for the electrical infrastructure, according to which, it will either need to be upgraded or the number of EV charging stations will need to be limited. Installing EV equipment like the EVMC will substantially reduce the impact of this issue by enabling a round-robin charging routine in which the existing electrical capacity is simply distributed among the connected EV charging stations.

The Role of Local Authorities in Stimulating the Introduction of EVs

The federal government is doing its job as they lead by example with the implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) that allocates a generous budget to EV charging, clean transportation, and EV components alongside related expenses, they are also switching the federal fleet to e-mobility. Just like the federal government is working to promote EVs, local authorities should do the same.

As the EV charging local authority, local governments wield the power with their everyday decisions to either stimulate EV acquisition by ensuring policies that make it easier for EV drivers or hinder it. This can be achieved by implementing new and more convenient incentives, removing barriers to the installation of new EV charging stations in schools, hotels, malls, and residential areas, switching the governmental fleet, and more.

EV acquisition can rapidly spread if local governments take the right decisions to promote it. Citizens will see EV drivers and realize the comfort of owning these vehicles and will consider buying them, especially as prices for electric cars keep reducing. Children can also educate their parents and positively influence EV acquisition, especially if EVs become more common in their schools and neighbors as local governments stimulate their introduction.

Approaches to Encourage EV Adoption

There are many approaches that local governments can take to encourage EV adoption around cities. The following are some of the most effective ones:

Switching the Municipal Fleet to E-Mobility

Such as the federal government, state and local governments should lead by example. The current goal of the US government aims at replacing all light-duty vehicles in the federal fleet for EVs by 2027, and the entirety of the fleet by 2035. This could prove to be an impressive achievement since electrifying the whole fleet of 650,000 vehicles could save taxpayers around $6 billion over 15 years.

Switching the municipal fleet for EVs will not only increase savings but also show citizens the commitment of the government towards e-mobility. Doing this will reduce the carbon footprint in the transport sector, improve air quality, promote the acquisition of more EV charging stations, and bring a wide number of benefits for which EVs are already known.

Promote the Installation of EV Charging Stations

Promoting EV charging stations is one of the most important things local governments can do. Increasing the number of EV chargers in the city will reduce lines for EV drivers charging their vehicles, enable travelers to have longer trips making a stop in town, and even promote the local economy.

Some ways for local governments to promote EV charging station installation is by offering incentives, reducing barriers for businesses and apartment buildings to install EVs, or even mandating a minimum number of parking spaces with EV charging in new developments.

Providing Education for Residents and Businesses on EVs and Their Benefits

Education is always a good way to promote e-mobility. Most citizens in the U.S. are not aware of the numerous benefits of EVs, including a lower driving cost, numerous health benefits, environmental benefits, and more. If the EV charging local authority educates citizens and children on EVs and their benefits for the economy and the environment, public opinion on EVs is bound to improve.

Educating local business owners can also promote EV acquisition. Businesses can install EV chargers in their parking lots, receiving additional revenue as EV drivers charge their vehicles and an increased influx of customers in the business, which always translates as higher profits.

When the EV Charging Station Is Municipal Owned

Many local governments promoting the acquisition of EVs have switched their fleets to electric cars, however, this has raised the need for an EV charging station for local governments. EV chargers located in municipalities are usually open for public usage, since this promotes EV acquisition, reduces range anxiety for local EV drivers, and promotes e-mobility in general.

With an increasing number of municipally owned EV charging stations, the question arises: should local governments charge citizens for charging in an EV charging station for local governments? Some municipalities offer free charging to promote e-mobility, but the norm is simply for municipally operated EV charging stations to charge a lower fee per charging session or kilowatt-hour (kWh) charged.

In some cases, the EV charging local authority might feel discouraged on offering free public charging because it might be considered as giving public funds, which is illegal. To solve this, local governments such as the Snohomish County PUD offer free charging but charge a small parking fee, solving this conundrum.