The list of Workplace Charging Challenge company partners, which stands at 72 partners at the end of April.A couple of weeks ago, I hoped to be at the the Ohio Workplace Charging event, but another writing project was extended and I could not make it. However, I did view from afar, via Twitter, and this event was important due to key stakeholders being there: Sarah Oleksak from the Workplace Charging program at the Dept of Energy, Jansa Tomic at Calstart, a Google rep discusssing their charging infrastructure and some other luminaries.
Workplace charging is a vital billboard for electric cars. On this blog, I stay away from politics and my only position on government's role in this Democracy, is just that, keep sustaining a Democracy by bolstering policies for the middle class. I want government to work for the middle class, not the few.
Government has a taken a much needed role in moving and pushing electric cars, scale is so great.
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Related Content:
2014 Update | Will the DOE’s Workplace Charging Challenge Breakthrough? (EV Parade)
Workplaces Are Installing Charging Stations To Attract Top Talent (Inside EVs)
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Anyway, the thing I like about the DoE's EVs Everywhere and workplace charging challenge program is that it hasn't overreached, delegating to regional players and providing best practices and standardization from Washington D.C. I reported on some of its challenges late last year, Will the DoE's Workplace Charging Challenge Breakthrough?
So I asked the Dept. of Energy to provide a 1st qtr. scorecard on workplace charging for 2014. The response wasn't much and really wanted some feedback on this question:
How can the DoE get domestic and foreign automakers here in the U.S. to communicate their electrification programs (goals) to businesses and municipalities? To help clarify the picture for businesses and communities on possible capital charging expenditures?
From EV Parade's point of view, there's a problem with the Big Three in the U.S. not providing any political cover to municipalities on charging infrastructure. As a municipal planner told me, if we had more direction then implementing electric vehicle infrastructure would be much easier.
The Big Three, while jarred a bit from the Great Recession, are all about costs and they don't see electrification as an opportunity from this view. What about leveraging with Tesla Motors in this dealership battle to sell just electric cars via online. GM salespeople are not gung-ho on selling electric cars and automakers should steal that idea from Musk.
It seems the only strategy is cost-cutting from the Big Three and that's no strategy for electrification. A recent GM Facebook message board hinted heavily that the company's former management was not keen on losing money on electrification, so they put a $75,000 price tag on the Cadillac ELR.
How are sales with the ELR? Not good.
Workplace Charging Challenge Update
EV Parade: So what trends have emerged in 2014 with workplace charging?
Workplace Charging Program: In a variety of regions across the country, we have seen increased plug in electric vehicle (PEV) sales and interest in workplace charging. In Southeastern cities including Charlotte and Atlanta, both employers and community leaders are actively engaged in the Workplace Charging Challenge and community readiness initiatives. Industry, government and stakeholders in other areas such as Massachusetts, Maryland, and Florida have also shown an active interest in workplace charging through various PEV deployment activities.
EV Parade: What is the total number workplace partner companies as of late April?
Workplace Charging Program: Seventy-two employers have joined as Workplace Charging Challenge Partners. The Partner list is available on Workplace Charging Challenge website.
EV Parade: As the Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) incentives disappear, how does the DoE adjust its expectations for 2014?
DOE remains committed to its Workplace Charging Challenge goal of increasing the number of U.S. employers offering workplace charging by tenfold by 2018.
I see 2014 as a real challenge to acquire more workplace charging partners due to the expiration of the EVSE tax credits, up to $30,000 for businesses. They had about 52 at the end of the year and if they can get to 100 for the year, it would be a job well done by the DoE.