Cities that have seen the most success with large-scale fleet transition programs have exhibited internal support at all levels, including from the mayor, sustainability and resiliency offices, and administration departments, including fleet and procurement. Cities are encouraged to work with all internal departments to cultivate support within the city leadership to ensure the fleet deployment is harmoniously implemented.
To help navigate potential barriers, including staff education, outreach, marketing support, and other essential elements of a fleet transition deployment, the EC released a policy toolkit for electric vehicle deployment. The toolkit can be found here.
In August 2022, the U.S. Access Board released new ADA charging design guidance for the first time since 2014. The release provides accessibility guidelines under laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Architectural Barriers Act (ABA), and Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
These recommendations are to accommodate drivers with limited accessibility (mobility, sensory, auditory, etc.) as more EVs come online and as technology for charging equipment advances. Under these guidelines, fleet EV charging stations at facilities designed, built, altered, or leased with federal funds for charging organizations’ vehicles must be accessible. The complete guidance can be found here.
The Electrification Coalition released a memo with a summary of considerations that should be made regarding this guidance. Check it out here.
With the passage of these two acts, the Federal Government unlocked funding and tax credits for electric vehicles and electric vehicle infrastructure. These laws marked a significant ability to accelerate the transition to transportation electrification. Keep up with potential opportunities for funding here. Learn more about the policies here.
As of December 2022, the 45W credit extends to commercial and tax-exempt entities, making government entities eligible to claim the credit. The credit is up to $7,500 for vehicles under 14,000 pounds and up to $40,000 for all other vehicles. Only certain vehicles are eligible for the credit, as the new law stipulates certain manufacturing and final assembly requirements. To check if a vehicle is eligible, the Alternative Fuels Data Center for the U.S. Department of Energy has a tool to determine eligibility. The tool can be found here.
The credit will be claimed as a direct payment to governments. The entity will elect to receive the compensation on a tax filing. Check the IRS page to learn more about how to claim the credit.
The EC developed a Federal Funding Finder tool to help find additional funding available for your entity. The tool can be found here.
Electric Vehicle Readiness ordinances serve to ensure that a municipality is prepared for the transition to EVs. These policies require a specified percentage of parking spaces to be equipped with electrical infrastructure that facilitates an easy transition to EV charging in the future. You can learn more about these policies here and see examples below:
EV-first policies can be adopted by municipalities to ensure EV procurement within the fleet. These policies outline requirements for departments to examine EV options for replacement vehicles and prioritize EVs over ICE vehicles when they fulfill operational needs.
