CL&P to test electric car charging stations in state

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Tuesday, May 3, 2011 9:41 PM EDTBy BRYAN KOENIG
STAFF WRITER

BERLIN — Connecticut Light & Power Tuesday announced the planned installation of electric vehicle charging stations throughout the state as part of a research project aimed at assessing the feasibility of such cars.

CL&P’s parent company, Northeast Utilities, already has charging stations at its headquarters in Berlin and Hartford along with sites in Springfield, Mass., and Manchester, N.H.

Those stations will now be joined by 20 other Connecticut towns and businesses that are expected to participate in the research project. Already signed up are UBS in Stamford along with Torrington, Westport and Mansfield. West Hartford may sign up soon as well, according to a news release from CL&P.? This marks the first comprehensive electric-car study in New England.

“By gathering information from municipal and business customers, we can gain tangible experience to help guide future decisions about our infrastructure, our policies and how we will ultimately serve all of our customers as EVs (electric vehicles) become more common,” CL&P President Jeff Butler said in a statement.

The study is expected to demonstrate the level of use individual charging stations get, which can be compared to data from home-charging stations.

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State lawmakers consider by-the-mile electric car tax

SALEM — State lawmakers are considering charging electric-vehicle owners for every mile they drive to replace the gas tax payments they won’t be making.

A House committee will take up the legislation Friday and could vote on it.

The bill would charge drivers of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles up to 1.43 cents for each mile they drive beginning with cars from the 2014 model year.

The state Department of Transportation would be responsible for finding a way for vehicles to electronically report the distance they’ve traveled, and drivers could receive refunds for miles driven outside of Oregon.

“It’s a fairness issue,” said Sen. Bruce Starr, R-Hillsboro, a proponent of the bill. “They’re not paying any gas tax. Everyone else is paying, why should they get a fair ride?”

Opponents say it’s too early to tax electric vehicle use because the state should be doing everything it can to make nonpolluting vehicles attractive to buyers.

It may be unfair, “but the point is we’re trying to increase the number of nonpolluting vehicles on the road,” said John Christian, chair of the Oregon Electric Vehicle Association. Christian said he agrees that electric-vehicle owners should pay road-use fees but he’d prefer the tax doesn’t kick in until 25 to 50 percent of vehicles are nonpolluting, Christian said.

Oregon has relied on gas taxes for road maintenance since 1919, when it was the first state to create a fuel levy. The tax is now 30 cents per gallon, projected to pump $1.1 billion into the state highway fund over the next two years to pay for road construction and maintenance.

Oregon officials have been concerned about the potential for dwindling gas-tax revenue since fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles were introduced a decade ago. A pilot project explored GPS devices that tracked and reported the number of miles driven inside Oregon, but the approach was dropped amid privacy concerns.

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Electric vehicle package working through state legislature

Published on: Thursday, March 24, 2011

By David Saleh Rauf, Capital News Service

In a small office tucked away in the Chesapeake Innovation Center, SemaConnect engineers hand assemble prototypes of electric vehicle charging stations.

The future of the roughly three-year-old Maryland startup is tied directly to an anticipated boom in the electric vehicle market. And to some degree, the company’s success relies on what happens about five miles away from its headquarters — at the State House.

“For Maryland to look at this issue and set the right incentives and policies is critical,” said Mahi Reddy, SemaConnect’s CEO.

As the first generation of electric cars produced by major automakers trickles into the market, Maryland lawmakers are considering a trio of proposals intended to spur sales and lay the foundation for the high-tech autos.

Electric vehicles aren’t expected to zoom around in mass for years, analysts say. But the planning starts now because Maryland and the District of Columbia are projected to be among the top areas for electric vehicle adoption.

“I think a lot of people in this area are progressive minded and willing to take the steps to move forward with this type of technology,” said Ivan Haggins, one of the first Marylanders to invest in an electric vehicle made by General Motors.

Haggins slapped his name on a waiting list in July for GM’s plug-in electric hybrid vehicle, the Chevrolet Volt. He drove the car off a dealer lot in Silver Spring on Christmas Eve, making him one of the so-called early adopters of the technology.

“The thought of an electric car is not just that I want to have the first one,” he said. “But it’s one of those things we need to move into the future on, and I wanted to make sure I’m a part of that.”

The electric vehicle package is part of Gov. Martin O’Malley’s legislative agenda, which is ripe with renewable energy proposals. So far, the electric vehicle bills are part of a small cluster of the governor’s legislative priorities that have advanced to the full House or Senate.

The Senate on Friday approved a measure to create a policy and planning body to guide statewide decisions on infrastructure for electric vehicles. The House did the same with a similar bill last week.

Last month, the Senate voted unanimously to pass a proposal that requires the Public Service Commission to start a pilot program to create incentives for consumers to plug in their vehicles at night when the energy grid has excess capacity.

The third, and possibly most critical component, is a tax credit of up to 20 percent for electric charging stations. Supporters have called this part of the legislative package, which would award up to $1.5 million in tax credits over three years, “the backbone of a robust electric vehicle infrastructure.”

The tax credit bills are still in House and Senate committees.

Government is playing a growing role in helping nudge forward the electric vehicle market.

President Obama pumped billions in stimulus dollars into rebate programs for first-generation electric vehicle owners. That includes a tax credit up to $7,500 toward the purchase of an electric auto.

O’Malley and the General Assembly sweetened the pot last year when Maryland approved a $2,000 tax credit of its own and granted drivers of the futuristic autos use of HOV commuter lanes regardless of their passenger count.

“This is going to be the wave of the future,” said Sen. Rob Garagiola, a Montgomery Democrat and a co-sponsor of the electric-vehicle package. “We need to be agile and move quickly to position ourselves so we can develop the roadmap for the future of electric vehicles.”

GM lobbyists, along with representatives from other big companies with a stake in the future of electric autos, have been making the rounds for weeks at committee hearings, pressing lawmakers to pass the package.

In those hearings, GM hasn’t been shy to remind lawmakers about the company’s recent commitments to the state. Those include a nearly $250 million investment to build electric motors at a manufacturing plant in Baltimore County and the decision to tap Maryland along with the District as early roll-out markets for the Volt.

The Volt, which can run for about 40 miles on a full charge before a gas engine kicks in, is the first of the autos produced by major manufacturers to arrive in Maryland. Nissan’s all-electric Leaf will hit dealer showrooms across the state this spring. Ford’s initial electric offering is slated to become available in the District later this year.

About 2,000 electric autos will commute on Maryland roads by the end of 2012, according to a report from the Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Center for Automotive Research. By 2015, more than 11,600 electric vehicles are projected to be registered in the state, ranking Maryland among the top 15 states for electric auto registrations.

That same year, the number of plug-ins and electric autos on roads across the country is expected to reach more than 469,000, according to the report.

Ultimately, consumer demand will be influenced by incentives offered by state and local governments, ranging from grants, rebates, tax credits and fee exemptions.

In December, Haggins, the Volt driver, became one of 13 Marylanders to receive the $2,000 state tax credit approved by the legislature last year. He missed out on the $7,500 federal rebate because he is leasing his Volt.

“I think our government is doing a fair amount but could do more,” said Haggins, who would like to see more electric vehicle incentives for businesses.

Haggins also received a federal rebate for the 240-volt charging station attached to a wall in his garage. The device cuts the time it takes to charge his Volt from eight hours to four.

“I would have thought a little longer about the charging station in the garage without the tax incentive,” said Haggins, who is slated to receive up to a 30 percent tax credit on the $500 he spent on the charging station.

The cars, rebates and the legislative package debated at the State House are all signs of the first wave of vehicle electrification in Maryland. Lawmakers are hopeful electric vehicles will play a part in reinvigorating the state’s post-recession economy.

O’Malley’s administration estimates that GM’s decision to build electric motors in Maryland will attract 800 direct and spinoff jobs by 2018.

At SemaConnect, the Annapolis-based startup that specializes in building commercial charging stations, the company is readying for expansion as production of electric vehicles ramps up.

The six-man firm is busy building 55 charging stations as part of a roughly $367,000 state contract, the company’s first major deal. The charging stations are expected to be up and running by this summer at 15 locations across Maryland, including select Metro stations, municipal buildings and the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.

By the end of June, SemaConnect’s Reddy estimates about100 public charging stations will populate the state. In the future, they will be commonly installed in apartment buildings, parking lots, hotels and shopping centers, he said.

Each charging station, Reddy said, will have a ripple effect for employment — from the engineers and programmers that design the stations to laborers who dig trenches for installation.

“Across the spectrum, from one end of the blue collar to the other end of the white collar, you got job creation,” Reddy said.

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State of Hawaii Selects AeroVironment to Deploy up to 320 Public Electric Vehicle Charging Docks in Support of Clean ...

Think About! - Electric Vehicles - Solution or Diversion?

HONOLULU March 18, 2011; Lt. Governor Brian Schatz today announced that AeroVironment has been selected to help lead the way to a cleaner transportation future through an $820,000 contract from the Hawaii EV Ready Grants Program. The contract will fund the deployment of up to 320 AeroVironment 240-volt electric vehicle (EV) charging docks throughout the islands. Once deployment is completed, Hawaii will have one of the nation's first statewide public charging networks supporting electric vehicle drivers.

AeroVironment (AV), the official home charging-dock provider for the Nissan LEAFR and co-developer of the first modern-day electric vehicle, the GM Impact, will partner with Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) to design and build public and semi-private charging stations at convenient locations for electric vehicle owners, including high-rise buildings, resorts and rental car facilities.

AeroVironment's charging docks, including the two-port or four-port EVSE-RS+ and EVSE-CS (commercial) dock, will be strategically located throughout Oahu, Hawaii Island, Maui, and Kauai to offer drivers a practical, safe and reliable EV charging experience. AeroVironment has installed more than 1,000 charging docks in more than 300 communities across 18 states since November 2010.

The State of Hawaii is offering a rebate of up to $500 for installing charging docks through its Hawaii EV Ready Rebate Program. Customers who purchase an EV are also eligible for a state rebate of up to $4,500. In combination with the Hawaii EV Ready Grant Program and other development efforts, the rebates aim to establish the state as a leader in the clean transportation movement.

"We look forward to working with AeroVironment to help reduce the use of oil for transportation," said Robbie Alm, Hawaiian Electric executive vice president. "Wide use of electric vehicles will not only help reduce our fossil fuel dependence, it will make it easier to increase our use of renewable energy sources such as wind power and others, all contributing to our energy, economic and environmental security."

Alm added, "AeroVironment shares this vision and is an outstanding example of a supplier with a comprehensive solution for the EV market, a history in Hawaii, experience working with leading auto manufacturers and consistent high quality customer support."

The Hawaii Natural Energy Institute (HNEI), University of Hawaii at Manoa will work with AeroVironment and Hawaiian Electric to collect data from chargers to analyze the impact of EVs and associated infrastructure on the power distribution grid.

"AeroVironment's team focuses on the entire user experience from the start by providing the right tools and a full range of practical, groundbreaking solutions," said Richard Rocheleau, director of the HNEI. "As a result, we'll have the unique ability to collect and analyze usage patterns that will help us project the increased demand on Hawaii's utilities as EV adoption accelerates."

AeroVironment has been working on clean transportation programs in Hawaii for more than a decade, beginning with deployment of fast charging stations for passenger EVs in the early 2000s. AeroVironment also established world altitude records with its solar-electric, unmanned aircraft systems at the U.S. Navy Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands on Kauai.

"AeroVironment and the state of Hawaii are pioneers in the EV movement and have a long partnership focused on introducing clean transportation solutions," said Mike Bissonette, senior vice president of Efficient Energy Systems for AeroVironment. "Together, we're deploying practical solutions for a game-changing electric transportation ecosystem that will dramatically alter the vehicle refueling paradigm for drivers in Hawaii, the United States and the world."

About AeroVironment, Inc.

AV is a technology solutions provider that designs, develops, produces and supports an advanced portfolio of electric transportation solutions and electric-powered Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). AV's comprehensive EV charging solutions include EV home charging, public charging, fast charging, data collection, grid-integrated communications and complete installation, training and support services for consumers, automakers, utilities, government agencies and businesses. AV's industrial fast charging systems support thousands of electric materials handling vehicles in mission-critical supply chains for Fortune 500 enterprises. AV's power cycling and test systems provide EV developers and EV battery manufacturers with market-leading simulation and cycling capabilities. Agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense and allied military services use the company's battery-powered, hand-launched unmanned aircraft systems to provide situational awareness to tactical operating units through real-time, airborne reconnaissance, surveillance and communication. More information is available at www.avinc.com.

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