Initiative to Accelerate Adoption of Electric Vehicles through “Ride and Drives” and Other Outreach

Release by: Bay Area EV Strategic Council

OAKLAND, C.A., June 12, 2013 – The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) announced today that it issued a Request for Proposals for a consultant to assist in the implementation of a region-wide electric vehicle (EV) promotional campaign to accelerate adoption of plug-in electric vehicles (EVs). MTC developed the campaign plan in partnership with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) and the Bay Area EV Strategic Council, an executive leadership group comprised of local business, government and non-profit leaders.

“The EV Promotional Campaign is part of the Climate Initiatives Program, which is designed to promote a variety of new techniques for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and vehicle-miles traveled around the Bay Area,” explained MTC Legislation and Public Affairs Director Randy Rentschler. “The acceleration of EV adoption in the Bay Area will help us meet Bay Area GHG emission reduction goals. It will also help reduce consumer spending on fuel and boost job creation in the region, two important benefits.”

“Adoption of more electric and plug-in electric vehicles will advance our clean air goals, reduce asthma and boost public health,” said Jack Broadbent, executive officer of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. “This effort will help us meet the region’s Clean Air Plan goals of deploying 100,000 plug-in vehicles by 2020.  The smarter our transportation choices, the better it will be for air quality around our neighborhoods and the more money from gas savings in our pockets.”

The EV Promotional Campaign, which is scheduled to launch early next year, will focus on increasing awareness of EVs in the Bay Area through education and outreach, including “ride and drive” events that enable Bay Area residents to experience the “electric feeling” of driving the new generation of EVs available from an increasing number of manufacturers -- ranging from Tesla and BMW to Chevy, Nissan, Mitsubishi, and many others coming to market later this year. Marin County Supervisor and MTC Commissioner Steve Kinsey, who co-chairs the Bay Area EV Strategic Council, noted, “This campaign will provide another jumpstart for the EV market in the region, which already is emerging as the EV Capital of the U.S.  We look forward to partnering with all the EV manufacturers, major employers and other industry partners to ensure these ride and drive events are a success.”

MTC, which launched its Climate Initiatives Program in October 2010, has invested approximately $8 million to date in regional EV demonstration projects, including pilot programs for charging infrastructure and incentives for municipal and car-sharing fleets.

“Meeting the region’s targets could reduce Bay Area drivers’ fuel costs by $120 million a year or more,” explained BACC’s Executive Director, Rafael Reyes. “While EVs are in an early stage of adoption, their share of the total vehicle market is actually growing more quickly than conventional hybrids did when they were first introduced. Each quarter there is sales growth of EVs in California, so we know this market will accelerate quickly as consumers experience the high performance, low operating costs, and environmental benefits of EVs.”

Currently there are approximately 10,000 EVs in the nine-county Bay Area, and the region accounts for 36 percent of all plug-in vehicles in California. Building on work by EV Strategic Council members such as Plug In America, San Francisco’s City CarShare and other groups, the EV Promotional Campaign will target potential “early adopters” to encourage drivers to buy or lease EVs or to use plug-in EVs through car-sharing outlets. The campaign will provide opportunities for the public to try EVs at company campuses and public locations throughout the region, and will include integrated media promotion.

About the Bay Area EV Strategic Council

The Bay Area EV Strategic Council is an executive forum created to establish the Bay Area as an “EV Capital” region, as measured by the mass adoption of EVs. In addition to Broadbent and Kinsey, members of the EV Strategic Council include San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed, Oakland Mayor Jean Quan, Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates, MTC Executive Director Steve Heminger, ABAG Executive Director Ezra Rapport, and senior executives from the Silicon Valley Leadership Group; Tesla; PG&E; Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers; ChargePoint; ECOtality; City CarShare; Plug In America; the Clean Cities Coalitions of the Bay Area; and the Monterey Bay EV Alliance. The EV Strategic Council is co-facilitated by the Bay Area Climate Collaborative and the EV Communities Alliance.

About the Bay Area Climate Collaborative

The Bay Area Climate Collaborative (BACC) is a public-private initiative of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group and established by the Mayors of San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland to accelerate the clean energy economy. Major partners include Bank of America, PG&E, Environmental Defense Fund, and local governments representing over 70 percent of the Bay Area population. In addition to co-facilitating the Bay Area EV Strategic Council, the BACC is driving electric vehicle innovation through the Local Government EV Fleet National Demonstration Project, the largest collective municipal all-battery EV fleet deployment in the US, and Ready, Set, Charge, California! A Guide to EV-Ready Communities delivering key guidance on EV preparedness. For more information on the BACC, please visit: www.baclimate.org

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PALO ALTO, C.A., Jun. 6, 2013 – The Bay Area Climate Collaborative (BACC) and Silicon Valley Leadership Group, today announced the winners of the 2013 Ready, Set, Charge! Bay Area Electric Vehicle (EV) Readiness Awards at the 2013 Silicon Valley Driving Charged & Connected Symposium, taking place at SAP in Palo Alto, California.

Awards were presented in three categories to the following recipients:

• Most EV Ready Business (tied) – Google, SAP
• Most EV Ready Community - Small/Medium category – The City of Davis; Large category – The City of San Jose
• Most EV Ready Development – Madera Apartments

Award nominees were evaluated by a committee of industry experts on multiple criteria including leader and community engagement, number of EV charging stations, adopted policies and ordinances supporting charging station investment and dissemination, streamlined permitting for charging station construction, and outreach and education to further accelerate the EV market.

This year’s award winners distinguished themselves as the most EV ready in the Bay Area among dozens of applicants. Google continuously provides employees with access to a rapidly growing pool of over 50 plug-in carsharing vehicles, over 75 EVs for intra-campus service and mobility, and a robust EV charging infrastructure with over 400 vehicle chargers. SAP was recognized for its employee EV leasing program, early adopter approach for EV stations on campus and EV shuttles, financial incentives, executive engagement in EV strategy, and outstanding EV ecosystem products. The City of Davis was selected as the most EV ready small community for its impressive proliferation of EV charging stations throughout the city, and for strongly emphasizing community involvement and outreach to advance the local EV ecosystem. The City of San Jose was recognized as the most EV ready large community for their intergovernmental operations of streamlining charging station permitting processes, incorporating and enforcing EV-friendly policies, and installing numerous public chargers in accessible locations. In the Development category, Madera Apartments was acknowledged as a notable model for establishing a pre-wiring infrastructure for Level 1 charging stations and individual house meters throughout its complex.

The awards were presented by Jason Wolf, CEO of Collaboratev, an independent roaming and clearing company that enables charging operators to simplify and enhance the EV driver's experience and drive further growth of the EV industry. “Achieving mass adoption of EVs is a primary goal for society as a whole, and it is important to recognize Bay Area private and public sector organizations who are leading the way. Collaboratev is proud to support this year’s Bay Area EV Readiness Awards,” said Wolf.

“These businesses, developments, and local governments are leading the charge in the state’s ambitious goal of 100,000 electric vehicles by 2020,” said Rafael Reyes, Executive Director of the Bay Area Climate Collaborative. “With their leadership, the state is that much closer to realizing over $120 million in fuel savings annually – improving the economy, community health and reducing climate impacts.”

The Ready, Set, Charge! Bay Area EV Readiness Awards evaluation committee included the following EV experts:

• Don Bray, Joint Venture Silicon Valley
• James Helmer, LightMoves Consulting
• John Kalb, EV Charging Pros
• Richard Battersby, East Bay Clean Cities Coalition
• Whitney Pitkanen, CALSTART

About Collaboratev, LLC.

Collaboratev is a platform that provides a seamless charging experience for EV drivers. Collaboratev is an industry-wide platform for interoperability, data exchange, station information and financial reconciliation, and invites all of the industry to join as affiliates. For more information on Collaboratev, please visit: www.collaboratev.com

About the Bay Area Climate Collaborative

The Bay Area Climate Collaborative (BACC) is a public-private initiative accelerating the clean energy economy. Major partners include Bank of America, Pacific Gas & Electric, Environmental Defense Fund and local governments representing over 70 percent of the Bay Area population. The BACC is driving electric vehicle, energy efficiency, residential upgrades and distributed renewables innovation. For more information on the BACC, please visit: http://www.baclimate.org/.

About the Silicon Valley Leadership Group

The Silicon Valley Leadership Group, founded in 1978 by David Packard of Hewlett-Packard, represents more than 335 of Silicon Valley’s most respected employers on issues, programs and campaigns that affect the economic health and quality of life in Silicon Valley, including energy, transportation, education, housing, health care, tax policies, economic vitality and the environment. Leadership Group members collectively provide nearly one of every three private sector jobs in Silicon Valley. For more information on the Leadership Group, please visit: http://svlg.org/.

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