Study Finds Public Policies Needed to Boost EV Fleet Purchases

by | Nov 16, 2010

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The Electrification Coalition, in partnership with PRTM, has released a new report that identifies some of the biggest challenges facing fleet operators in adopting plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs), while providing several public policy recommendations to overcome these challenges.

The report, “Fleet Electrification Roadmap,” shows fleet managers the best opportunities and benefits of adopting PHEVs and EVs. The report also provides total cost of ownership modeling for these vehicles in fleet applications for a number of industries. The analysis indicates that with targeted policies fleet adoption of PHEVs and EVs could result in 200,000 vehicles on the road by 2015.

Some of the recommended public policies include tax credits for light-duty PHEVs and EVs deployed in fleets as well as for medium- and heavy-duty PHEVs and EVs, clean renewable energy bonds for infrastructure, guarantee of residual value for the first generation of lithium-ion batteries and federal fleet electrification including the Postal Service.

A recent Pike Research report indicates that global adoption of PHEVs and battery electric vehicles (BEVs) is expected to takeoff over the next five years, with sales totaling 3.2 million vehicles between 2010 and 2015, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 106 percent.

A recent boost to the EV market for fleet purchases was GE’s recent announcement to buy 25,000 electric vehicles by 2015.

Gearing up for the launch of its first all-electric vehicle, Ford Motor Company has announced the first markets that will sell the Focus Electric.

The first markets are Atlanta, Austin and Houston, Texas; Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, New York, Orlando, Fla., Phoenix and Tucson, Ariz.; Portland, Ore.; Raleigh Durham, N.C.; Richmond, Va., Seattle, and Washington, D.C.

Ford says market selection was based on several different criteria including existing hybrid purchase trends, utility company collaboration and local government commitment to electrification.

As part of the collaboration with dealers, utilities and local governments, Ford will help develop consumer outreach and education programs on electric vehicles as well as share information on charging needs and requirements to ensure the electrical grid can support customers’ needs.

The Focus Electric will be available in late 2011, and will be built at the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Mich.

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