California
San Diego is taking key steps toward creating a regional network of reliable electric vehicle charging stations that will both make it easier for residents to own electric cars and help the city replace its 5,000-vehicle gas-powered fleet. The proposed contract, which the City Council is scheduled to consider in late April, requires no upfront city investment and forces the contractor to pay for the use of city property. But depending on the results of a complex revenue-sharing agreement that would run for 10 years, the city could owe as much as $60 million in reimbursement costs for the electrical infrastructure the contractor installs. The San Diego Union-Tribune
International
A new report by automotive research firm JATO Dynamics investigating what's keeping U.S. EV adoption "in the slow lane" blames culture. The report explains why U.S. sales of battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) have lagged behind China and Europe. China accounts for more than half of global BEV demand, while Europe accounts for 22% and the US just 12%. Fortune
International
China has filed a World Trade Organization complaint against the U.S. over what it says are discriminatory requirements for electric vehicle subsidies. The Chinese Commerce Ministry didn't say what prompted the move. But under a new U.S. rule that took effect Jan. 1, electric car buyers are not eligible for tax credits of $3,750 to $7,500 if critical minerals or other battery components were made by Chinese, Russian, North Korean or Iranian companies. The Washington Post
International
The latest proposal comes from Luca de Meo, CEO of Renault Group, who is pushing for an Airbus-inspired alliance that would help European automakers fend off competition from cheaper Chinese-made electric vehicles. The New York Times
International
The number of battery electric vehicles on Norway's roads is on track to overtake petrol cars by the end of this year or in early 2025, a first for any country, according to calculations by Reuters and analysts. The shift has been driven by generous incentives, afforded in part thanks to Norway's huge oil and gas wealth. Still, analysts think it will take a few more years for BEVs to surpass the number of diesel vehicles in Norway. The Independent
International
Electric vehicles have long been lauded as a key part of our transition to a low-carbon future, and now researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, have quantified the effect: Between 2018 and 2022, CO2 emissions from all sources across the San Francisco Bay Area dropped about 1.8% annually, a decrease the researchers attribute to the rise in EVs, according to a study published today in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. Vehicle emission rates specifically dropped 2.6% annually. Fast Company
Maine
Several high-level government officials visited a Hannaford supermarket in Rockland to unveil Maine's first electric vehicle charging station funded by a $1 trillion infrastructure bill Congress passed in 2021. About $15 million of that funding has come to Maine and will eventually pay for the installation of nearly 600 chargers across dozens of communities, including Bangor, Newport, Hermon, Portland, Rumford, Windham and Bridgton. Maine has fallen behind in meeting the goals for electric vehicle adoption that were established in its 2020 climate action plan, and officials expressed hope that the gradual expansion of charging infrastructure will give more residents the confidence to invest in them. Bangor Daily News
Maine
Lawmakers have advanced a bill declaring that the Legislature, not a board of citizens appointed by the governor, is in charge of approving Maine's electric vehicle standards. The move delays the substance of the rules - which would limit the sale of new gas-powered vehicles - from being implemented until the Legislature begins its 2025 session. Portland Press Herald
Maine
Maine officials looking to reach ambitious carbon-reduction targets are considering a range of sources after regulators rejected electric vehicle sales standards that would play a big role in cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Portland Press Herald
Maine, Connecticut
After setbacks to adopting electric vehicle sales targets in Maine and Connecticut, New England clean transportation advocates are regrouping with a focus on charging infrastructure and consumer education. Energy News Network
Minnesota
Electric vehicle sales are up in Minnesota, but the widespread surge of environmentally friendly rides needed to shrink carbon emissions nationwide still has yet to arrive. Minnesota Star Tribune
New Jersey
Statewide figures show EVs made up 11% of car sales in 2023 -- up from a mere 1.4% in 2019 -- but the Garden State has a lot of road to cover if it wants to hit Gov. Phil Murphy's goals of having all new car sales be fully-electric vehicles starting in 2035. Yet more than half of New Jerseyans surveyed in a poll not only oppose the plan, but also say they aren't likely to buy an electric vehicle, the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University said in February. NJ Advance Media
New York
New York City will get more than 100 fast-charging stations for electric vehicles, Gov. Kathy Hochul recently announced. The city Department of Transportation and the New York Power Authority will build 76 of the fast chargers at new hubs as part of New York's EVolve NY program, an initiative that encourages electric vehicle ownership and operates electric vehicle charging stations around the state. Staten Island Advance
New York
In the three years since New York City began installing curbside chargers for electric cars, demand for the spaces has boomed -- both from EV owners looking for a place to plug in and from gas-engine drivers willing to risk a ticket in exchange for street parking. "We expected moderate demand," with usage rates around 15%, said Roy Rada, project manager for e-mobility innovation at Consolidated Edison Inc. It's been "exponentially higher," he said. The 100 chargers are online 99.9% of the time with an average utilization rate of 72% in 2024, according to the New York City Department of Transportation. Bloomberg
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania reports a 45% increase in electric cars compared to last year, and with that technology comes new costly challenges for first responders: electric car fires. Blankets help put the fires out, but they can cost up to $3,000 -- and some can only be used once. So Westmoreland County Rep. Eric Davanzo is proposing an annual fee of $250 for electric and $125 for plug-in hybrid cars to help offset first responders costs. WPXI-TV
U.S.
Nine states are planning to ban new gasoline-powered vehicle sales by 2035 as part of an initiative to cut climate-warming emissions. The Advanced Clean Cars II rules originated in California with the state Air Resources Board. The regulations in California look to phase out the sale of new gas vehicles beginning with the 2026 model year, scaling back over time until 2035 -- when a total ban on the sales will go into effect. FOX Business
U.S.
Research that shows electric vehicles shed tires more quickly than their gasoline-fueled peers has been touted by conservative media outlets to suggest the environmental virtues of EVs are overblown. But the researcher behind that study says that while his work shows that battery-powered models do in fact wear down tires more quickly than their lighter gas-fueled counterparts -- and that does produce particulate pollution -- electric cars and trucks still produce far less carbon dioxide than internal combustion engine vehicles. E&E News
U.S.
Better late than never. Much better, based on the Detrit Free Press' Mark Phelan's recent experience with one of the first electric-vehicle fast chargers in the nationwide network General Motors and Pilot Flying J service stations are building. Detroit Free Press
U.S.
Americans are showing greater resistance to buying electric vehicles, whose prices are out of reach for most car customers, according to a new report. The survey from Boston Consulting Group found that while nearly 40% of U.S. drivers who use only gasoline-powered cars are considering switching to an EV for the first time this year, they could be deterred by the driving ranges and price tags of existing models. E&E News
U.S.
Indiana researchers are testing out a highway that can wirelessly charge electric vehicles. They say their technology is so powerful that it can even charge an electric semitruck. Transmitter coils installed under the pavement transmit energy to receiver coils on the EVs. Business Insider
U.S.
Judging by the EVs on the market, EV makers aren't there listening to what consumers want, according to auto comparison company Edmunds. EV battery longevity worries, range anxiety and lack of charging infrastructure are all known concerns, but there's also a wide gap between what car shoppers want and what's for sale, Edmunds' 2024 EV consumer sentiment survey shows. These factors together can make the uphill climb to mass EV purchases even steeper. USA Today
U.S.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg rejected criticism of the Biden administration's push for America to embrace a future where electric vehicles overtake internal combustion engines, comparing the dynamic to that of landline phone loyalists at the dawn of the cellular age. Fox News
Virginia
Gas stations, hotels and a South Hill Kentucky Fried Chicken are on track to receive federal funding to build out electric vehicle charging stations throughout Virginia's interstate highway system. The Virginia Department of Transportation announced at a March 19 Commonwealth Transportation Board workshop meeting the list of 18 different sites to receive about $11 million from the National Electric Vehicle and Infrastructure program under the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Virginia Mercury
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