Maximizing the benefits of the electric vehicle switch
Electric vehicles can help us breathe easier, but they also pose challenges for power companies and transportation planners, ASU experts say
Downtown Phoenix at night, as seen from Seventh Street and Loop 202. ASU photo
Experts say it’s only a matter of time until most vehicles on the road are electric.
Buyers often choose what they drive with their wallets. And studies show that electric vehicles are cheaper to refuel and maintain than gas-powered cars and trucks.
This is good news, considering that transportation is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions nationwide. Fewer engines spewing carbon dioxide could help us all breathe easier.
But how quickly communities reap the rewards of this transition — and how widely the benefits are spread — depends on how well leaders plan for the switch.
What are the bottlenecks? Transportation planners must build a coordinated web of fast charging stations to keep electric vehicles on the road. Utilities also must provide enough power to recharge a growing number of vehicles while meeting future energy demands.
Getting this balance right requires accurate projections for peak demand — those times of the day or year when customers are using the most electricity. The smaller and more dependable those peaks are, the easier and cheaper it is to plan for what’s needed.
What we’re doing: The Transportation Electrification Activator — a new member of the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory’s Energy Forward group — is working to integrate charging infrastructure at more workplaces and apartment complexes.
The consortium also wants more companies, cities and schools to adopt electric delivery vans and light-duty trucks.
That could be transformative, considering that commercial vehicles typically travel more miles a day than consumer vehicles.
What’s next: The American market is adjusting as federal electric vehicle incentives are pulled back.
More electric vehicle models are expected this year with extended fuel ranges or that rival the price of their gas-powered competitors.
Meanwhile, Arizona’s first round of electric vehicle charging stations should debut near major highways later this year. And the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality is offering $50,000 rebates to organizations that purchase qualifying heavy-duty electric vehicles. Applications are open until June 15.
As electric vehicles become more common on Arizona roads, efforts like ASU’s Transportation Electrification Activator could help ensure the transition is not only faster, but smarter — easing strain on the grid while expanding access to cleaner transportation across communities.
This article is part of “Futurecast,” a biannual guide to how the Global Futures Laboratory is solving the most pressing water, power, air, heat and food issues.