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Your weekly intelligence on EVs and Transportation Decarbonization
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In a relatively quiet week for transportation electrification news, state leaders heralded policy and infrastructure developments while many Americans remained unpersuaded of EVs’ benefits.  


In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the construction of over 100 EV fast chargers in New York City by 2026, SILive writes. The city’s transportation department will construct 76 using state funds, while the city itself will build 20 and LaGuardia Airport will build an additional 16 for public use.  


Similarly, Virginia announced plans for 18 EV charging sites located along interstate routes, TheVirginia Mercury reports. Factors like proximity to shopping centers or federally designated disadvantaged communities were considered in locating the facilities. The state will use $11 million in federal funding  and developers must provide a 20% match for installation costs.  


The Star Tribune reported that  EVs accounted for 5.4% of vehicles purchased in Minnesota in 2023, up from 3.5% in 2022. While below the national average of 7.5%, Minnesota’s EV penetration ranks second to Illinois among Midwest states.  


About 11% of vehicles sold in New Jersey in 2023 were electric, but NJ.com reports over half of the state’s residents oppose the state’s Advanced Clean Cars rules — which would have all vehicles sold in the state by 2035 be electric — or are otherwise uninterested in purchasing EVs.  


E&E News covered similar trends in a nationwide survey of consumers’ attitudes toward EVs. Nearly a third of Americans surveyed said they’d never consider an electric vehicle. For the 40% considering the switch to an EV, factors like initial cost and charger availability may act as a deterrent. 


The annual consumer sentiment survey by auto comparison company Edmunds found that consumers most desire lower cost (less than $40,000), availability of electric sedans and SUVs as opposed to pickup trucks, and more electric choices from trusted brands like Honda and Toyota.  


This week’s curation also includes: 

  • Fortune’s reporting on an international study of the U.S.’ slow adoption of EVs compared to the European Union and China.  

  • Business Insider’s coverage of a test highway being built in Indiana to charge EVs in motion.  

  • Analysis from the Portland Press Herald of Maine’s recent rejection of EV standards and its effects on emission-reduction targets. 

All that and more in this week’s Intelligence Report: 


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Electric Vehicles

 
 

U.S.

U.S. judge sides with Kentucky attorney general in ruling against highway emissions rule

A federal judge has sided with Kentucky's Republican attorney general in ruling that the Biden administration overstepped by requiring states to set goals for reducing heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions from vehicle tailpipes and other sources on federal highways. U.S. District Judge Benjamin Beaton, of Kentucky's Western District, in an order said the Federal Highway Administration lacked legal authority to issue the "arbitrary and capricious" rule. Reuters reported the judge stopped short of enjoining the regulation's enforcement or vacating it, noting a federal judge in Texas had already struck it down nationwide before Beaton could finish considering the case. Kentucky Lantern


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Electric Vehicles

California

San Diego wants to build a sprawling electric vehicle charging network -- but council members have questions

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

America's 'in the slow lane' on EV adoption because it has a culture problem, study says

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 to challenge Biden's electric vehicle plans at the WTO

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

Renault's Chief Calls for Airbus-Style E.V. Alliance

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

Norway could become first country to have more electric cars than petrol

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

We've been promised that EVs will lead to cleaner air. This Bay Area study just proved it

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

Maine's expanding charging network could boost confidence in electric vehicles

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

Oversight of Maine's electric vehicle standards likely to shift from citizen board to lawmakers

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's targets to reduce emissions may be harder to hit without electric vehicle standards

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

Amid progress on electric vehicles, political setbacks frustrate advocates in 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

Minnesota EV sales rose last year, widespread adoption still far off

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

Car dealers in N.J. are ready to sell more electric vehicles. There's just no demand.

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

N.Y. Gov. Hochul announces over 100 fast-charging electric vehicle stations coming to NYC

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

NYC's curbside EV chargers are popular -- and often blocked

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

Westmoreland County lawmaker proposes annual fee on electric cars to help first responders

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 plan to ban gas-powered car sales by 2035

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.

Why some conservatives think EVs are bad for the environment

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.

I tested one of GM's first highway EV fast-chargers. Here's how it went.

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.

30% of Americans say they'll never buy an EV -- survey

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.

Engineers are testing out highway to charge your EV while you drive

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.

EV sales slump to continue until makers offer EVs consumers want: poll

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.

Buttigieg rejects critics of EV future: Like people in 2000s saying we could have landlines forever

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

VDOT announces sites for electric vehicle charging stations

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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