The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
Pa. 17th in switch to electric vehicles
Pennsylvania ranks 17th among the 50 states and Washington, D.C., in transitioning from gas-fueled vehicles to electric vehicles, according to a study conducted by the American Council for Energy Efficient Economy.
The Washington-based nonprofit, which works to advance energy efficiency policies, rated the states on concerted efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the quality of life by improving access to electric vehicles.
The study, “The State Transportation Electrification Scorecard,” concludes that the most common actions states can take are planning for more vehicle charging stations, offering rebates, tax credits and grants to buy electric cars and buses, and providing utility programs that offer lower costs for electric vehicle users.
California is the leader in transitioning to electric vehicles, followed by New York and D.C., according to the 174-page report.
“Transitioning to electric vehicles is vital for the climate and for reducing costs for households and businesses,” said Bryan Howard, the organization’s state policy director and author of the study.
In Pennsylvania, the state Department of Environmental Protection partnered with PennDOT to form a Drive Electric Pennsylvania Coalition to increase knowledge about electric vehicles through webinars, flyers and other materials.
The two state agencies are working to develop charging stations every 50 miles on major highways that are within five miles of the highway.
Last week, DEP announced that a $936,619 grant was awarded to fund 16 fast chargers in hightraffic areas.
“Our transportation decisions affect Pennsylvania today and tomorrow,” DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell said in a press release. “We can turn in the direction of healthier air quality and slow down climate change by switching to electric vehicles, whether we’re government officials, business owners, school administrators, community leaders or individual consumers.”
McDonnell said DEP is committed to increasing public knowledge of electric vehicles, making it easier for consumers to find electric models and helping to expand charging infrastructure.
The funding for the chargers comes from the state’s share of a national settlement with Volkswagen Group of America for cheating on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency emissions tests.
DEP awarded $750,000 to EVgo Services in Los
Angeles for these projects:
• A fast-charging station in Philadelphia within a half-mile of Interstate 76 and 3 miles off Interstate 95.
• A fast-charging station in Ridley Township, Delaware County.
• A fast-charging station in Moon Township, Allegheny County.
DEP also awarded $186,619 to EVBuild Inc., Shawnee, Kan., for a project to install fast-charging stations along Route 309 in Quakertown, Bucks County.
In January 2019, Gov. Tom Wolf signed an executive order calling for an increase in the use of electrical vehicles to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Pennsylvania is among 15 states and D.C. to commit to having 30 percent of the trucks and vehicles on the road electric powered by 2030 and 100 percent by 2050.
In 2019, the most recent year available, Pennsylvania had 10,875 registered electric vehicles. The 30 percent goal would involve 3.2 million electric vehicles on the road by 2030, assuming the total number of vehicles in the state doesn’t increase.
In 2018, there were 143 electric vehicles in Berks, rising to 219 in 2019, according to the state.
Pennsylvania has identified highways that are designated as electric vehicle corridors, including Interstates 78, 76, 276 and 476.