Arizona public power utility Salt River Project on Sept. 27 announced that more than 53,500 electric vehicles were purchased or leased in its service territory as of April 30, 2024, the end of its 2024 fiscal year.
“Helping customers reach this new EV adoption milestone is a clear sign that interest in sustainable transportation is growing,” said Jason Smith, SRP’s manager of Electric Vehicle Strategy, in a news release.
“We're seeing a significant shift in how people think about transportation, with electric vehicles being recognized as not just a smart environmental choice, but also a smart financial one. SRP remains fully committed to supporting this progress with events and tools to help educate customers, as well as innovative programs and price plans to help them save even more money.”
Ultimately, SRP aims to support the adoption of 1 million electric vehicles in its service area by 2035 and manage 90% of the charging.
The steady uptick in EV ownership underscores the impact of SRP's customer incentives and education efforts, which are designed to provide information on the many benefits of transportation electrification, and facilitate the adoption of EVs, including by minimizing any financial and logistical barriers in the process, the utility said.
Among them is a specialized EV price plan, which allows customers to charge their vehicles at a significantly lower rate during super off-peak hours.
“Driving an electric vehicle can help customers reduce costs and provides a better driving experience,” said Terry Rother, manager of Electric Vehicle Programs for SRP. “EVs offer lower maintenance costs, cheaper fuel and the kind of torque and acceleration that make them fun to drive. We’re proud to continue to support our customers who choose EV ownership.”
In addition to the EV price plan, SRP’s residential smart charger program provides customers a $250 rebate on a qualified smart charger or discounted pricing on chargers through srpmarketplace.com. During fiscal year 2024, 3,193 chargers were purchased or discounted through the program, a 58% increase over the previous year’s total of 2,020 chargers.
SRP said it is also simplifying the process of installing EV chargers at home.
In partnership with Qmerit, the utility offers a program that provides complete home installation services for smart EV chargers. Customers receive upfront pricing estimates and professional installation services, streamlining the transition to EV charging at home.
