Industry Executives Form Coalition to Design National Model for EV Deployment
As electric vehicles (EV) become more affordable and more mainstream, finding solutions to various EV barriers is paramount. A newly-formed group of blue chip company executives in the transportation and utility industries is working to eliminate barriers to electric transportation.
Recently, the group, aptly named the Electrification Leadership Council, announced they are working together to design a large-scale electric vehicle (EV) demonstration project that will help “create a comprehensive national model for EV deployment.”
The Electrification Leadership Council (ELC) is comprised of top executives from Automatiks, A123 Systems, Azure Dynamics, CODA Automotive, ECOtality, the world’s largest express transportation company FedEx Express, GE Capital, Hertz, Navistar, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, large delivery service companies, auto manufacturers and representatives from various federal, state and local governmental agencies.
The group’s strategy is to “achieve the broader societal goals of fostering an EV industry, improving urban quality of life, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and supporting energy independence.“
One of the first tasks for the ELC is to design a demonstration project that will focus on large-scale EV deployment in densely populated areas to ensure that EVs, the electric grid, charging stations, network of support services and technologies work together.
The group will help communities address various barriers such as charging infrastructure, government and regulatory policies, public awareness and EV availability, pricing, mechanics, demand and support. Mark Aubry, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Navistar Defense says the creation of the public and private model will help determine what will be required to operate thousands of electric vehicles within a community.
Currently, the ELC is evaluating various markets for the demonstration projects. The locations of the sites will be announced at a later time.
Jace Shoemaker-Galloway is a freelance writer from Illinois. While much of her writing focuses on technology, parenting and online safety issues, she has a strong interest in environmental and renewable energy-related issues as well.
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