Title
Ad Hoc Committee on Electric Vehicles - Draft Recommendations
Description
The Mayor's Ad Hoc Committee on Electric Vehicles has prepared its draft recommendations in the form of an Electric Vehicle Roadmap to 2030 and is bringing it forward for City Council input and feedback.
Report
Summary
The Mayor's Ad Hoc Committee on Electric Vehicles (EVs) was established by Mayor Gallego on June 25, 2021, in response to the emerging EV market and the need to improve local air quality and reduce the effects of climate change.
The Ad Hoc Committee was charged with developing EV strategies and recommendations addressing the following topics:
- Creating methods or programs to share EV information with the public and employees and building relationships with the community to mutually better understand the benefits of EVs;
- Identifying EV policies and programs that focus on inclusion, fairness, and justice to underserved communities;
- Identifying charging infrastructure needs for public, workplace/business, and residential properties as well as establishing policies and programs to advance deployment of EV charging infrastructure; and
- Establishing policy and procedures for City fleet electrification and corresponding EV charging infrastructure needs.
Based on these charges, the EV Ad Hoc Committee was established, and consists of one member of the City Council and 14 members of the public:
- Councilwoman Yassamin Ansari - Chair;
- Autumn Johnson - Public Interest Policy Advocate, Tierra Strategy;
- Caryn Potter - Utility Program Manager, Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP);
- Catherine O’Brien - Electric Vehicle Lead, Salt River Project;
- Clark A. Miller - Professor & Director of the Center for Energy & Society, Arizona State University;
- Columba Sainz - Community Advocate;
- Court S. Rich - Director, Renewable Energy and Regulatory Law Department, Rose Law Group;
- Delbert Hawk - President of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 640;
- Jason Smith - Energy Innovation Program Consultant, Arizona Public Service (APS);
- Katherine Stainken - Senior Director of EV Policy, Electrification Coalition (EC);
- Kathy Knoop - Manager, Vehicle Grid Integration Solutions, General Motors;
- Lisa M. Perez - Public Affairs Consultant;
- Omar Gonzales - Manager of State and Local Government Affairs, Nikola Corporation;
- Tim Sprague - Owner/Partner, Habitat Metro; and
- Vianey Olivarria, State Co-Director, CHISPA Arizona.
To accomplish its work, the Ad Hoc Committee identified the need for a roadmap to identify the most important actions the City should take by 2025 to support an overall forecast of 280,000 electric vehicles registered in the City of Phoenix by 2030. The Ad Hoc Committee’s first action was to create three Subcommittees (SCs) tasked to make recommendations to the full Ad Hoc Committee that could be included in the roadmap for City Council consideration. These subcommittees are described below:
- The Education, Outreach and Equity Subcommittee (SC1) focuses on methods and strategies to advance EV adoption through effective outreach and education to the public on EV topics; exploring incentive programs and funding options, partnerships, stakeholder engagement; and examining how to create an equity framework to make electric mobility options accessible and affordable to all Phoenix residents;
- The Public, Workplace and Home Charging Infrastructure Subcommittee (SC2) focuses on methods and strategies to advance EV adoption for the public, businesses and both single-family and multi-family residents. Areas of emphasis include reviewing federal funding opportunities for EV charger deployment; EV purchase and incentive programs; and reviewing City building codes and zoning ordinances to support implementation of EV charging infrastructure in new and existing buildings; and
- The City Fleet and City Charging Infrastructure Subcommittee (SC3) focuses on City operations and strategies to transition the City’s fleet to EVs and deploy the EV charging infrastructure needed for the City’s fleet and employee EV commuters. Focus areas include reviewing funding opportunities and financing options for EV fleet purchasing, EV charging infrastructure analysis and planning and suggested employee EV charging guidelines.
As background, the current market desire for electrification of transportation is both a national and global phenomenon. Businesses, governments, and the public are all signaling a strong future demand for EVs, and almost all vehicle manufacturers have declared plans for a transition to fully electric offerings within the coming decade. However, this market shift, fueled by a desire for better air quality, a reduction in carbon emissions, and a reduction in vehicle operating and maintenance costs, has significant implications for cities: how do cities prepare for forthcoming public demand for EVs and associated EV charging infrastructure, both at home and on the road, and, more importantly, how do they prioritize investments in historically underserved communities to provide equitable low-carbon transportation options?
Cities and other market players can provide support for a just transition to EVs through implementing policies, programs and initiatives that remove barriers to EV adoption and satisfy public and business need for services in a low-carbon future. Based on state and national forecasts, that future may include up to 280,000 EVs on the road in Phoenix by the year 2030.
Draft Roadmap Recommendations
To facilitate the transition to EVs, the City’s Ad Hoc Committee on Electric Vehicles has prepared a Draft EV Roadmap to 2030 (Attachment A) that includes six recommendations for City Council and public input:
1. Adopt guiding principles for City action
Guiding principles signal Council support for developing EV policies, programs and investments that will accelerate the transition. The following principles are recommended by the Ad Hoc Committee:
- Prioritize early action;
- Prioritize investments in underserved communities;
- Actively pursue federal grants and other funding opportunities;
- Seek partnerships with businesses, utilities, and other stakeholders; and
- Invest in electrification of the City’s fleet and corresponding charging infrastructure, as well as installing workplace charging infrastructure for City employees.
2. Support accelerated EV adoption in the community
Although vehicle manufacturers, dealers, utilities, and other EV advocates will be promoting and encouraging EV adoption in general, there are barriers to EV adoption in the region including lack of access to charging infrastructure and myths and misconceptions about EVs and their use. The Ad Hoc committee recommends the following to address these and other barriers to adoption:
- Assign dedicated staff to focus on public education, outreach & business training;
- Launch qualitative and quantitative data gathering to inform future actions; and
- Launch a robust EV education and awareness campaign that clarifies the benefits of EVs, dispels myths, provides resources (such as vehicle buying guides and information on charging infrastructure), and identifies the best applications for EVs.
3. Expand access to public EV charging
- Work with cities, regional planning agencies and the state on a regional EV infrastructure needs assessment and siting recommendations for public EV charging stations; and
- Leverage local, state and federal funding to install 500 City-hosted public charging stations by 2030 including installing a minimum number of EV charging stations each year in parks, City parking facilities and in rights-of-way.
4. Support access to home, business and workplace EV charging
- Investigate opportunities to streamline the permitting process for installing workplace, business, home, and multi-family EV charging stations;
- Develop proposals for EV-ready building codes and zoning ordinances for stakeholder input and future adoption; and
- Work with utilities to develop an education program specific to builders, developers, and businesses.
5. Develop and pilot a local model of low-carbon mobility investment in an underserved community
- Assign dedicated staff to focus on equity and build relationships with community leaders and advocates;
- Develop an understanding of the unique mobility needs of underserved communities and design solutions to meet those needs; and
- Launch a local model of low-carbon mobility investment in an underserved community as recommended by community leaders and advocates.
6. Lead by Example
- Conduct an assessment of infrastructure/power needs and financial resources to support the transition of light-duty vehicles to EV;
- Adopt a “preferred purchasing policy for EVs” in cases that it meets the business needs and is in a similar price range to a non-EV model from a life-cycle cost perspective (.i.e., accounting for savings in fuel costs and maintenance);
- Pilot electrification in medium and heavy-duty equipment such as transit buses, refuse trucks, and street sweepers to better understand electric equipment operating characteristics;
- Proactively install supporting charging infrastructure to prepare for future adoption of EVs in the City fleet;
- Identify City employee charging needs and provide access to charging infrastructure to City employees to meet demand; and
- Implement training of employees for EV driving, EV charging and EV maintenance prioritizing employee change management to achieve effective employee engagement.
Next Steps
The committee as a whole and each of the subcommittees have been meeting monthly since August 2021. Two key activities, outlined below, remain prior to sunset of the committee in June 2022.
1. Conduct extensive outreach in English and Spanish on the draft EV Roadmap to 2030 in April-May, 2022 including:
- Direct outreach to disadvantaged communities;
- Village Planning Committee meetings;
- Online and in person surveys to residents and businesses (English/Spanish);
- Engagement with City employee affinity groups and forums;
- EV webpage information;
- Social media; and
- City communication channels such as PHX At Your Service: Monthly Newsletter and City Services Bill inserts.
2. Submit a final proposed EV Roadmap that incorporates community and staff input to City Council in June, 2022 that includes recommendations for actions the City should undertake by 2030 to meet the overall goal of supporting adoption of 280,000 electric vehicles registered in the City by 2030.
Additional information on the Ad Hoc Committee, its meeting notes and recordings, and other supporting information can be found on at: https://www.phoenix.gov/sustainability/electric-vehicles/ad-hoc-committee
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Karen Peters and the Office of Sustainability.