Communities Transition to Green Transportation

On this page you will find:

Resources for Public Charging

Ensuring Reliability in Public EV Charging
Veloz
This factsheet, published as part of the Veloz webinar series in spring 2022, provides information about a primary barrier related to charging infrastructure: public EV charger reliability. This topic is further defined by whether a charging station works and how well it works. Tips provided here address topics including what impacts reliability, networked vs. non-networked chargers, and how we can ensure charging reliability.

Energy/Building Codes

Planning for Electric Vehicles, Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington

Guidance in Complying with Americans with Disabilities Act Requirements—Provided by the U.S. Dept. of Energy

 

Building Code Development for EV Infrastructure

In this October 2020 webinar, state and local experts discussed what is currently required to accommodate EVs and charging infrastructure, and how code development supports these changes.
Presenters: Chuck Murray, Washington Dept. of Commerce; Andrea Pratt, City of Seattle; and Kathleen Petrie, King County and the Regional Code Collaboration
Webinar Materials:

[Webinar Recording] https://energy.wsu.edu/videos/gtp_20201028/

Equity and Accessibility in Transportation Electrification

Equitable transportation electrification ensures that all communities, regardless of race, ethnicity, location, and income level, have increasing opportunities to access and benefit from e-mobility solutions. Advancing Transportation Electrification in Diverse Communities is a public policy toolkit that includes insights and recommendations identified by the EVHybridNoire team through extensive research in Black, LatinX, underserved and other diverse communities across the country.

Workforce Development

Fleet Electrification: How Technical and Staff Roles Will Evolve
Fast Forward
In this 16-minute video, Fleet Forward editor Chris Brown looks at the new needs and considerations for fleet and maintenance technicians in the electrified environment. Al Curtis, director of fleet management for Cobb County, Georgia, answers questions about:

  • The technician’s role in the shift from ICE engines to EVs.
  • Training needed for today’s technicians.
  • How to work with outside maintenance shops and understanding the value of maintenance needs on EVs.
  • What other fleet systems and technology need to be evaluated in the transition to EVs.

General Motors Plans 8,000 New Tech Hires to Power EV Goals
Reuters, Jan. 26, 2022
As General Motors accelerates its development of EVs and software-driven services, it is expanding teams that electrify cars, develop vehicle software and autonomous technology, and engineer fuel cells.

Research Review for Workforce Development

WSU Energy Program staff performed a two-part research review to provide a foundation for future workforce development policies and actions. The goals of this effort are to address current issues and support Washington’s green transportation goals, including jobs in manufacturing, installing and maintaining charging stations, and manufacturing components for the EV supply chain. Outcomes are available below.

Phase 1: Initial Research Review for Workforce Development
Provides an overview of transportation electrification technologies, policy goals, and industry targets that are most likely to have employment impacts on public fleets in state, county and municipal governments; ports; and school districts. Evaluates how existing jobs are likely to change; what new skills, training, or certifications are likely to be needed; and what post-secondary education changes may be needed.

Phase 2: Workforce Challenges of Public Fleet Employers Scaling Up Transportation Electrification
The work completed in Phase 1 revealed a lack of information necessary to anticipate changes in skills, occupations, and labor demands. Given the rapidly changing transportation electrification (TE) sector, and the evolving knowledge and skills needed to do this work, the author reached out to employers and managers of public fleets and staff at electric utilities working on TE implementation to gather information to inform workforce development efforts.

Environmental Impacts

The Real Brake on America’s Electric-Vehicle Revolution
The Wall Street Journal, Jan. 28, 2022
Capital is pouring into U.S. EV and battery plants, but not into the foundations of a domestic battery industry, leaving the supply chain uncomfortably dependent on China. (Sign in to read full story.)

EV Batteries factsheet

EV Batteries factsheet: Modern EVs came on the market in the U.S. in 2010. Since then, EV batteries have vastly improved and lithium-ion battery technology is now standard. Concerns about battery cost, safety, range, longevity, and environmental impacts have largely been resolved; this factsheet addresses lingering concerns.

Used Nissan EV batteries find new purpose in east Japan train crossings
Nissan Motor Corporation, Nov. 10, 2021
East Japan Railway Company, one of Japan's leading rail providers, is experimenting with using repurposed Nissan LEAF EV batteries in railroad crossing devices, an entirely new way to combine the technologies used in both rail travel and EVs.