Electrify America has announced that the second, $300 million cycle of its National Zero Emissions Vehicle investment plan is available and that the 30-month investment period begins on July 1.
Electrify America was established to implement the ZEV Investment Commitment, a program that aims to expand the awareness and infrastructure needed to expand the adoption of zero emission vehicles. The program was created as part of Volkswagen’s settlement with federal regulators after the company admitted to installing software in its diesel cars to cheat on emissions tests. The program calls for an overall investment of $2 billion in four, $300 million cycles over 10 years and a separate $800 million investment in California.
Electrify America’s second investment cycle will continue its focus on expanding non-proprietary charging stations in metropolitan markets and will expand that focus to include new target metro areas.
Charging station coverage in existing target markets -- Boston, Chicago, Denver, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia, Portland, Seattle and Washington, D.C. – will be expanded to include cities near existing target areas, namely, Boulder, Colo., Bremerton and Olympia, Wash. (for the Seattle market), and Bridgeport, Conn. (for the New York City market. In addition, new metro areas will be included in the second investment cycle: Atlanta, Baltimore, Honolulu, Las Vegas and Phoenix.
Electrify America plans to place direct current, fast charging stations in retail locations and near multi-unit dwellings. Electrify America also plans to invest in direct current, fast charging stations to serve shared mobility drivers, such as ride share and taxi drivers.
The targeted metro areas are expected to account for more than 50% of battery electric vehicles outside of California through 2022, Electrify America said, citing a 2017 Navigant report.
In its second investment cycle, Electrify America also plans to build at least two charging stations for autonomous electric vehicles and to invest in renewable generation for select stations to help to reduce station operating costs and reduce carbon dioxide emissions related to electric vehicle charging.
Electrify America also will continue to invest in educational efforts to increase consumers’ awareness of electric vehicles through a brand-neutral campaign to drive zero emission vehicle adoption and a branded media campaign intended to drive station utilization.
“This Cycle 2 plan allows us to further accelerate progress on our goal of making electric vehicle charging more available, more accessible and easier for drivers to use,” Giovanni Palazzo, president and chief executive officer of Electrify America, said in a statement.
More information about Electrify America is available here.
