Published July 31, 2012
By Philippe Crowe
Held at Google's Mountain View Campus, Calstart today hosted a workshop aimed at bringing electric vehicle charging infrastructure to workplaces throughout the state.
Keynoted by high-level U.S. Department of Energy representatives, David Sandalow, acting undersecretary of energy and asst. secretary for Policy and International Affairs, and Dr. David Danielson, asst. secretary, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, the event served as the starting point for what Calstart aims to make a nationwide campaign to engage employers in the effort to expand the electric vehicle market.
"More than 30 percent of emissions in the U.S. happen due to daily commuters driving gasoline-powered cars," said Calstart President and CEO, John Boesel. "Employers can serve as the 'cavalry' of the EV movement. By installing chargers at the workplace, employers can help extend the effective daily range of an electric vehicle. Electricity is a new fuel that is particularly easy for an employer to support. We are excited about the many employers who want to be leaders in the effort to clean our air and reduce the nation's dependence on oil."
According to Calstart, by implementing EV programs in the workplace, employers are supporting the EV industry by doing the following:
• Extending the effective range of EVs by allowing a second full charge during work hours
• Acting as "showrooms" where employees can see cars being driven to work and learn about them from their colleagues
The new Calstart program launched today, “The EV Employer Initiative,” is focused on supporting existing firms that want to expand their workplace charging efforts, and help other firms learn about the best practices and ways to implement such programs.
As EV infrastructure is being developed in the state, workplace charging was identified as a critical gap in infrastructure by Bay Area Air Quality Management District, South Coast Air Quality Management District and the California Plug-in Vehicle Collaborative, initial funders of the Calstart program.
The goal of the program will be to rapidly expand the number of employer-based EV chargers and programs.
The Calstart program also aims to help employers learn about the real world costs of implementing chargers, how to avoid peak-time electricity rates, and the potential for adding clean distributed energy on-site as a way to reduce the wells-to-wheels emissions of electric vehicles.
The non-profit, headquartered in Pasadena, unveiled its own 84kw solar installation that meets 90 percent of its building's daily electricity needs, including charging four or more electric cars on a daily basis. For more information visit Calstart’s Web site.
Employers throughout the nation are encouraged to participate in the EV Employer Initiative. A new Website for the program, www.evworkplace.org, is under development and will be functioning soon.
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