Climate Changes the Landscape for Electric Vehicles (E57)

The concept of an electric car is nothing new; images abound of electric vehicles from a hundred years ago. Decades of inexpensive oil prices have forced electric vehicles into small niches like convenience transportation on golf courses. Reports of human-caused climate change have caused interest in electric vehicles to rise. Combine that with action from aggressive entrepreneurs like Elon Musk is setting the stage for a major transition to electric vehicles.

However, it is not as easy as changing a manufacturing plant from gasoline engines to electric engines, infrastructure must be implemented to accommodate the charging and maintenance of new modes of transport.

Today’s discussion looks at electric vehicles from the perspective of infrastructure, data, and federal leadership in using fleets of electric vehicles.

One impetus for making a federal transition to electric vehicles was the Executive Order in Jan 2021, to convert the federal fleet to electric. Charlotte Phelan from the GSA detailed some of the practical challenges of making this transition. For example, a major concern is where to place recharging stations. Her experience shows that every specific location has different challenges ranging from site assessments, landscape and environmental concerns, infrastructure below and above ground, and even state regulations.

David Sulek from Booz Allen reminds listeners that today we only have 3% electric vehicles. To make this enormous transition, Americans will have to concern themselves with power grid alterations, new ways to charge, a wider variety of vehicle types, and higher capacity batteries. One unifying element that will make this change possible is relying on new technologies to provide decision-makers with information to make data-based decisions on this epic transformation.

To view this webinar: Climate Changes the Landscape for Electric Vehicles.

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