Electric-Car Charging Network Proposed

[lpetrich]

U.S. House Democrats want to create nationwide EV charging network - Reuters

Two U.S. lawmakers on Thursday will unveil legislation that would create a nationwide electric vehicle (EV) charging network to promote the shift from gasoline-powered vehicles and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Democratic Representatives Andy Levin and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are releasing legislation dubbed the “EV Freedom Act” to create a network of high-speed charging stations within five years along the public roads of the national highway system in the United States at a U.S. Capitol press conference at 12 p.m. EST (1700 GMT).

...
Levin said creating a new fleet of charging stations nationwide will be expensive but will create good paying jobs. He said the government could partner with companies that are currently building EV charging stations.

Levin, Ocasio-Cortez bill would create national network of EV chargers

Levin said it's time expand on the idea of the interstate highway system "and bring America’s infrastructure into the 21st century. "

"If we are to avoid the doomsday scenario of climate change, we have to transform our transportation system and end our reliance on fossil fuels," he said in a statement. "By doing so, we have the tremendous opportunity to supercharge our economy and create the jobs of the future, further unify our country in a sustainable way and lead the world in green energy infrastructure."

Ocasio-Cortez added: "Cars, above all else, have historically represented America's problem with dirty oil. Establishing a nationwide network of electric vehicles charging stations helps us reduce emissions, creates good paying jobs and will help transition the U.S. economy to a cleaner future.”

Reuters on Twitter: "Democrats @AOC and @RepAndyLevin are unveiling legislation dubbed the 'EV Freedom Act' to create a network of high-speed charging stations within five years along the public roads of the national highway system [url]https://t.co/stT0mFqIgk https://t.co/71zSiBIQup" / Twitter[/url]

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Today’s Climate Infrastructure Drop, led by Michigan’s own @RepAndyLevin -
The EV Freedom Act: Plan & build a nat’l vehicle charging network along our public hway system, built w/ good, union jobs.️*
W/ special focus on communities polluted by vehicle emissions. https://t.co/Wvc4meH6Xg" / Twitter

 

[lpetrich]

I couldn't find anything on C-SPAN or congress.gov about this. So I have to scrounge through Twitter about it.

LCV – League of Conservation Voters on Twitter: "
Creates good-paying, union jobs?
Reduces our emissions & reliance on fossil fuels?
Gets us all the way to Grandma’s house in Florida, charging as often as you could fill up your gas tank?
The #EVFreedomAct is
Thank you @RepAndyLevin & @RepAOC! https://t.co/j4Fn2U6T0C" / Twitter

LCV – League of Conservation Voters on Twitter: ""In the absence of leadership on clean energy from the Trump administration, @RepAndyLevin & @RepAOC’s EV Freedom Act is the kind of climate solution we need to curb carbon pollution, create good paying clean energy jobs, and...."
Read our full statement: [url]https://t.co/GOseM1d99B https://t.co/lGlPa6gJDT" / Twitter[/url]

On Capitol Hill on Twitter: "We're proud to endorse @RepAndyLevin and @AOC's EV Freedom Act, which would open & diversify access to EVs by building a network of charging stations along our public roads, bringing down our greenhouse gas emissions. https://t.co/OeH2ROjEA2" / Twitter
noting
Earthjustice Endorses the Electric Vehicle Freedom Act | Earthjustice - "The bill proposes establishing a network of electric charging stations alongside public roads in a bid to encourage the adoption of EVs by the wider public and lower vehicle emissions"

Sierra Club on Twitter: "To effectively address climate change, we need to overhaul and update transportation infrastructure in America. Today @RepAndyLevin and @RepAOC introduced the #EVFreedomAct to create a nationwide network of publicly-available #EV charging stations and do just that. https://t.co/OmCiiAuqF1" / Twitter

Rep. Andy Levin on Twitter: "I just announced the details of the #EVFreedomAct with @RepAOC to create automotive and infrastructure jobs of the future while taking a major, necessary step toward reducing emissions and addressing climate change. https://t.co/acpIgkZdBF" / Twitter
with a video blurb by him.

It will be a nationwide network of EV chargers that will be built by American companies and workers. Its purpose is to make electric cars more useful by being able to charge them in more places.

 

[lpetrich]

Rep. Andy Levin on Twitter: "Today, I announced the #EVFreedomAct with Rep. @AOC to:
develop a nationwide network of high-speed EV chargers,
create good, union jobs,
reduce car emissions,
breathe cleaner air,
combat climate change. https://t.co/4rI2vhsT4d" / Twitter

Maxine Joselow on Twitter: ".@AOC: “A lot of naysayers will say [Democrats] are trying to get rid of cars.” But they’re actually trying to make all cars electric and built in America to meet the goals of the #GreenNewDeal. https://t.co/rdAtVjpiDw" / Twitter

Maxine Joselow on Twitter: "Another choice @AOC quote: “If we allow private corporations to set the pace on climate policy, we’re toast...So with respect to ExxonMobil and all the fossil fuel corporations...they can’t be the ones setting the pace.”" / Twitter

AOC has said elsewhere that Sunrise NYC on Twitter: "“I am not interested in turning oil barons into solar barons.” @AOC #GND4NYC https://t.co/eGwWPBY00l" / Twitter - at her Pelham Bay housing-project appearance last fall. Some other snippets from there in that Twitter thread. She promoted her Green New Deal while wearing a green new dress.

 

[lpetrich]

U.S. House Democrats Propose Electric Vehicle Charging Network - The New York Times

"This is the infrastructure bill that we need to be rallying around." Ocasio-Cortez said. "A lot of naysayers will say, 'They are trying to get rid of cars.' Well, we're not trying to get rid of cars. We're trying to actually advance and improve our fleets... We have to go electric."

...
The 18-page bill reviewed by Reuters notes a lack of charging stations poses a significant barrier to higher electric vehicle sales.

"There is just no way that we will get to broad scale adoption of electric vehicles until we crush range anxiety and then it will happen precipitously," Levin told Reuters.

Ocasio-Cortez, Levin eye national EV network in five years | TheHill

"We're trying to actually advance and improve our fleets and our vehicles, which means that we have to go electric and the way that we do that is with a public infrastructure," Ocasio-Cortez said.

Levin declined to give a specific cost estimate, but said that "it'll cost a lot of money to put all these chargers in place." He said "we'll see" how much will be paid for by taxpayers and how much hosts will pay.

He also didn't give specifics about the numbers of chargers or their locations, but said that it would be an "extensive" system across both interstates and the national highway system "such that it's a comprehensive system so that people can get everywhere."

Environment takes center stage in House infrastructure plan | TheHill - a big one, with electric-vehicle chargers a part of it.

 

[steve_bank]

Washington does have charging staions. Some companies allow employees to chare cars for free.

Seattle Metro has recived it firt all electric battery operated busses. The goal is to replace all diesel busses.

All well and good, but the electric infrastucre will not handle sudden increases in demand.

There is talk of making the Searle electric utility free of fossil based power in a short time. Aint gonna happen.

EV will not work without a national plan. Conservatives will say it is socials and let the market drive it.

 

[lpetrich]

H.R.5770 - 116th Congress (2019-2020): To establish a national network of electric vehicle charging stations, and for other purposes. | Congress.gov | Library of Congress -- the actual bill.

It is sponsored by Andy Levin, cosponsored only by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Reps. Andy Levin, Ocasio-Cortez Introduce Transformative Bill to Create Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure | Representative Andy Levin - at his Congressional site

 

[steve_bank]

H.R.5770 - 116th Congress (2019-2020): To establish a national network of electric vehicle charging stations, and for other purposes. | Congress.gov | Library of Congress -- the actual bill.

It is sponsored by Andy Levin, cosponsored only by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Reps. Andy Levin, Ocasio-Cortez Introduce Transformative Bill to Create Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure | Representative Andy Levin - at his Congressional site

It would have to overcome fossil fuel, auto industry lobbies.

There are EV unintended consequences. Here in Washington tax revenue from gasoline is declining. Increased fuel efficiency plus electric vehicles.

What is being considered is a mileage based tax to support road infrastructure. Tax EVs. I'd also like to see bike riders taxed it is only fair is it not?

https://www.engadget.com/2017/07/26/uk-to-ban-fossil-fuel-cars-by-2040/

France isn't the only big country getting ready to ditch fossil fuel vehicles. The UK is planning to ban sales of new fossil fuel-powered vehicles (including vans) from 2040. It's all about improving air quality, the government claims: airborne pollution is the "biggest environmental risk" to public health, and cutting off sales will help tackle pollution quickly. The move is part of a larger, £3 billion ($3.9 billion) strategy that will call on local government to retrofit buses, alter roads and even tweak traffic light patterns in the names of lower emissions and greater efficiency.
There have been hopes that officials would charge fees for driving in specific areas (such as London's planned zero emission zone) or institute pollution-oriented taxes, but the government wants to avoid measures that could be interpreted as punishing drivers.
Not everyone is happy with the plans. Greenpeace tells the Guardian that this plan is "miles away" from achieving its goal of rapidly cutting pollution. There need to be clean air zones, Greenpeace says, and more funding to tackle local pollution. The sales cutoff certainly won't address car-based pollution in the short term -- you won't have incentives to ditch your car before 2040, and you could keep driving your vehicle for a while longer than that.
Still, it's a big step. The UK is one of the world's most important car markets, and a fossil fuel car ban there will dictate what automakers around the world do with their lineups. This won't be particularly difficult for British brands like Aston Martin and Jaguar, some of which are already moving toward electric cars, but they will have to say goodbye to a lot of their engine work within two decades. The automotive landscape was already going to change with the rise of EVs, to be clear -- the UK is just giving it a big nudge in that direction.

 

[bigfield]

I haven't been following the politics in the US, but in Australia politicians have failed to sell the "Green New Deal". The policy is fine. It's a plan that provides economic growth, local jobs and cheaper transport while reducing emissions. But the politics are a mess. Politicians are trying to sell this policy to multiple different groups of people at once. In one sentence, they're selling emissions reductions to middle class voters while also promising to create new skilled jobs for blue collar workers.

The message needs to focus exclusively on the jobs and ignore the emission reductions as if it's a mere side-effect. Many people are ambivalent about climate action but can understand an overt promise of more jobs.

 

[bigfield]

Sorry, forgot to make my point specific to the thread topic:

"We should build an EV charging network because it's good for the environment" is not going to convince many people.

"We should build an EV charging network because it will create new skilled jobs for workers in every state" actually sells a clear and direct benefit.

 

[lpetrich]

What's wrong with doing both? That would be a good rebuttal to anti-environmentalists who claim that environmental-protection efforts only put people out of work.

 

[bigfield]

What's wrong with doing both? That would be a good rebuttal to anti-environmentalists who claim that environmental-protection efforts only put people out of work.

It's too late for a rebuttal. The "anti-environmentalists" already won the public debate by flooding the media with misinformation.

Convincing people to build this network is a political problem, not an academic one. You need to sell it to the majority of Americans who aren't alarmed about climate change and may not tolerate government spending for the sake of emissions reductions. So sell them jobs instead of climate action.

What's wrong with doing both? Do both, but your audience for each message is different. If you're speaking to alarmed middle class professionals, sell them climate action; if you're speaking to aspiring blue-collar workers uncertain about their economic future, sell them security and prosperity.

 

[steve_bank]

Rural electrification and the Tennessee Valley Authority along with the national highway system under Eisenhower. Different times and afferent politics. Both served an obvious purpose of expanding the economy. Both had tremendous impact.

Selling an electric car grid would mean showing how it benefits the economy. EVs are already reducing employment in assembly plants. There is a vast secondary and tertiary market that serves gasoline powered cars.

As is being reported, all people really car about is jobs and wages. Remember 'It is the economy stupid'?

It is not just the grid. Supply has to rapidly increase. The only practical way is nuclear power. 24/7 reliable generation.

 

[bigfield]

Selling an electric car grid would mean showing how it benefits the economy. EVs are already reducing employment in assembly plants. There is a vast secondary and tertiary market that serves gasoline powered cars.

Aldous Huxley recognised that inefficient, labour intensive products and services are great for keeping people employed.

Electric vehicles are better technology because they consume fewer resources, but they are also worse technology because their use doesn't generate as much economic activity as petroleum-fuelled cars.

People opposed to this scheme can say "fewer jobs for mechanics", "fewer jobs in parts manufacturing". So it may also be necessary to promise the people that electric vehicles will be super cheap to own, framing the reduced secondary market as a benefit for car owners.

 

[Tigers!]

Sorry, forgot to make my point specific to the thread topic:

"We should build an EV charging network because it's good for the environment" is not going to convince many people.

"We should build an EV charging network because it will create new skilled jobs for workers in every state" actually sells a clear and direct benefit.

How skilled would such jobs be? The aim would be to have the charging stations easy, quick to build and relatively cheap.
That means that they would be modular i.e section A plugs into section B etc.
Even the final electrical attachments could be plug based.
Not much up-skilling skill involved really.

 

[bigfield]

How skilled would such jobs be? The aim would be to have the charging stations easy, quick to build and relatively cheap.
That means that they would be modular i.e section A plugs into section B etc.
Even the final electrical attachments could be plug based.
Not much up-skilling skill involved really.

Installing the charging stations themselves is probably comparable to installing solar panels. There's also a infrastructure that needs to be built to supply electricity to the stations, such as underground wiring. That will require crews with people who are qualified to do excavation, pipe-laying, electrical fitting, and standing around while looking at a hole.

 

[steve_bank]

Selling an electric car grid would mean showing how it benefits the economy. EVs are already reducing employment in assembly plants. There is a vast secondary and tertiary market that serves gasoline powered cars.

Aldous Huxley recognised that inefficient, labour intensive products and services are great for keeping people employed.

Electric vehicles are better technology because they consume fewer resources, but they are also worse technology because their use doesn't generate as much economic activity as petroleum-fuelled cars.

People opposed to this scheme can say "fewer jobs for mechanics", "fewer jobs in parts manufacturing". So it may also be necessary to promise the people that electric vehicles will be super cheap to own, framing the reduced secondary market as a benefit for car owners.

I wasn't arguing against EV, I was pointing out the hurdle presented by the auto industry and after markets.

The term for those opposed to technology that cheapens life is Luddite. 19th century I believe.

Keynes wrote the best stimulus the govt can do to create demand is to pay some people to dig holes and others to fill them in.

It puts cash in economy for people to spend.

 

[steve_bank]

Battery chargers are cheap, very simple electronics. I don't know if they are built into the EV so all's you need is AC. I assume they are. If it does not already exist a national probably international standard is needed for the connectors and cables.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

There are EV unintended consequences. Here in Washington tax revenue from gasoline is declining. Increased fuel efficiency plus electric vehicles.

This is caused by a few things, but mainly just 1 and 2.

1) Flat tax amount not connected to inflation
2) Increased efficiency
3) electric vehicles on the road, but this is a tiny amount of it

Increase the tax and connect it to inflation and problem solved. EV's are honestly still an emerging tech. Do we want to tax those to recover lost revenue yet?

 

[steve_bank]

There are EV unintended consequences. Here in Washington tax revenue from gasoline is declining. Increased fuel efficiency plus electric vehicles.

This is caused by a few things, but mainly just 1 and 2.

1) Flat tax amount not connected to inflation
2) Increased efficiency
3) electric vehicles on the road, but this is a tiny amount of it

Increase the tax and connect it to inflation and problem solved. EV's are honestly still an emerging tech. Do we want to tax those to recover lost revenue yet?

Globally EVs are reported to be growing faster than expected. From an NPR segment demands for EV fleet cars and trucks exceed demand. Higher up front cost but cheaper in the long run.

The report from the Washington government is efficiency plus EV. Which is why a mileage tax is being tossed around. The governor is proposing banning fossil fuel vehicles by 2030.

Networks have been developing in the NW for quite a while.

Also it is not just EVs, hybrids reduce gas consumption.

https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/business/innovative-partnerships/electric-vehicle-charging-infrastructure

Through a competitive application process, WSDOT awarded $1 million in grants for the 2017-2019 Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Partnerships Program (EVIPP) of about $1.5 million, for a total investment of about $2.5 million.

The funds are helping to install a total of 15 new charging locations near highway exits about 40 miles apart along I-5, I-90, and I-82/US-395/I-182. Grant funding is used for siting, equipment purchases, electrical upgrades, installation, operations and maintenance. All new locations include equipment serving all plug in cars with Level 2 equipment and duel fast chargers with both standards.


https://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/Programs/Pages/Electric-Vehicles.aspx

Currently, the biggest limitation for drivers considering EVs is the absence of a reliable network of charging facilities to increase the range of these vehicles and alleviate fears of “running out of juice.” Even so, by 2020, plug-in cars could account for as much as 20 percent of new vehicles sold in Oregon.



Eight states spanning east to west have created a collaborative “Multi-State ZEV Action Plan” that will guide efforts to put 3.3 million zero emission vehicles on the roads by 2025. Oregon, California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont created the first promised milestone for the bi-coastal collaboration aimed at paving the way for the cleanest cars in the nation – ZEVs. The plan focuses on infrastructure, policies, standards and other components critical for the success of a growing market.


Electric vehicle charging stations are locations where vehicles can plug in to an electrical source to re-charge batteries. EV charging stations are necessary to support what is expected to be a growing fleet of EVs throughout Oregon. In fact, every vehicle manufacturer has announced plans to release plug-in vehicles, and many of them are arriving in Oregon daily. But their popularity will only increase to the degree that there are charging stations available for vehicle owners to re-charge their cars. And the charging stations have to be conveniently located to ensure EV owners they don't get stranded in between charges.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Battery chargers are cheap, very simple electronics. I don't know if they are built into the EV so all's you need is AC. I assume they are. If it does not already exist a national probably international standard is needed for the connectors and cables.

Only if you don't care about the lifespan of the batteries.