Ohio and other states are in the process of determining how to dole out a $15 billion settlement from Volkswagen after allegations in 2016 it cheated on emissions. The Ohio EPA says some of the money will be available this summer to use for electric vans, buses and even tractor-trailers. The money can also fund charging stations.
In "Charge Forward: Electrify the Future with Electric Vehicle Charging Stations," Cincinnati 2030 District, an initiative of Green Umbrella, covered the basics as to why businesses and municipalities need to amp up.
On the Green Umbrella Zoom call June 23, Clean Fuels Ohio's Andrew Conley says there is money available from the state from VW and applications are due this summer. He said there are different categories including vehicles, which include EV vans, panel trucks and semis. Grants are also available for electric school buses and charging stations.
With charging stations, "It must be public accessible charging and the plan that the EPA published states that they will give a priority for funding locations on Ohio corridors." Conley says the state is still deciding what those corridors will be.
EVunited's Abby Roen suggests businesses and municipalities should start planning now for extra charging stations if they haven't already. Among the considerations is the voltage required. "Is there extra space in your current panel? How much? Is there enough for the project you have now, or should you be planning for this project or Phase 2?" she asks.
Considerations For Building Charging Stations
- Need for speed (voltage required)
- Who will pay for the electricity
- How long do you need to charge
- Number of spots needed
Roen suggests planning five to 10 years in the future.
In many cases the future is now. Here are some of the latest developments. Mercedes has a drone van. Volvo plans to have an electric motor in every car by 2020. GM has plans for 20 all-electric vehicles by 2023. Ford is adding 13 all-electric models and Amazon has announced an order of 100,000 custom vehicles from Revian.
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