EV- Urban Planning
By Jimmy Herrera, CAPP
Some municipalities and urban planning authorities incorporate electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure requirements into their long-term plans, to support sustainable transportation. It is important to keep in mind that the term EV means more than just Tesla models built for individual consumers. Busses are EVs too. However, they are not usually the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about EV charging stations.
Many cities around the country are adopting electric bus fleets as part of the efforts to reduce emissions and transition to more sustainable transportation options. The shift is driven in part by environmental concerns and is aided by government incentives. Some governments offer incentives for installing EV charging stations. Other local governments will go as far as requiring them.
Some governments offer grants or other funding programs to support the installation of EV charging infrastructure. These funds can be provided to local businesses involved in the deployment of these charging stations. There are also tax credits and rebates made available. They are meant to speed up the transition to the availability of the infrastructure. But should we as citizens and consumers allow the government to create these incentives? Most governments had a hand in building the roads buses drive on. Wouldn’t a charging station just be another step along that road?
Jimmy Herrera, CAPP, is a Facility Manager for SP+ Corporation. He can be reached at jherrera0@spplus.com.
