Recap of “Today, Explained” Podcast: It’s Electric!

Recently, we listened to Vox’s Umair Irfan discuss on his Today, Explained podcast how Norway has been trailblazing in the world of electric mobility and what strides the US can make to follow suit. We not only found the episode a fascinating exploration of how our Scandinavian friends serve as both innovators and motivators, but it elucidated ways in which EVCS can and has been working toward similar goals within the US. Below are some of the key takeaways from the podcast as well as how it relates to what we’re doing here and now.

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Fossil Fuel Funds

Norway has been appropriating funds generated from fossil fuel usage to perpetuate further adoption of renewable energies. The nation of 3.5 million people known for its majestic fjords and Viking folklore has managed to implement a nearly 100% sustainable energy grid powered by hydro, wind and solar. This is accomplished not through government subsidization, but by taxing the purchase of ICE vehicles at a whopping 25%, which pays for the infrastructure, while waiving those taxes and all registration fees for EVs.

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Incentives for EV Drivers

A unified Norwegian government incentivized electric vehicle participation by allowing EV drivers to use the bus lane, pay lower tolls and access free public parking. Once a greater variety of new models like the Nissan Leaf and Tesla Model S became available, drivers started taking advantage. Market share subsequently rose from 3% in 2012 to over 54% in 2020. Further, increased visibility resulting from higher EV usage in major metropolitan areas like Oslo, celebrity endorsements from A-ha to Will Ferrell, and a flood of advertising by major EV manufacturers made the idea of owning an EV “cool.”

Event hosted by the Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association
Photo Courtesy of Norsk Elbilforening

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Infrastructure

According to Irfan’s guest, Christina Bu, Secretary General of the Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association, Norway does not build superior infrastructure to other countries. Moreover, the country faced similar issues to the US, including the chicken-and-egg conundrum of whether the cars or chargers should come first. But visionaries began to see the possibilities. Now, 10 different charging companies install and operate stations across the country, with competition driving innovation that continues to make them faster, easier to use, and more ubiquitous. Thus, in Norway, it seems, the chargers came first.

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How EVCS is Helping America Compete

US consumers actually buy more EVs in total than Norway due to our larger population, but not more per capita. EVs only account for about 2% of all US vehicles, half of which are in California where EVCS has allocated the most resources installing chargers. However, the new infrastructure bill boasts $174 billion in spending for EV-related infrastructure, which, according to another knowledgeable guest, will go toward 1) building out a national charging network to eliminate range anxiety; 2) purchasing an all-electric government motor pool to help sway manufacturers; and 3) new incentives that make EVs more price competitive with ICEs. While Norway uses a carrot-and-stick approach to facilitating EV adoption, the US is clearly more focused on the carrot.

EVCS is participating in the carrot tactic by offering fast, convenient charging options at more relevant points of interest, creating a simple and often free turnkey process for interested site hosts, and offering transparent subscription plans and payment options for drivers. We will be able to take advantage of the aforementioned government spending by helping create a national charging network that improves accessibility for drivers everywhere, not just in metro areas, as Norway did, which fueled the growth of their EV market and should do likewise here.

The podcast also noted how US electrical grids are still predominantly powered by fossils fuels, but we have already begun taking steps to address that issue as well by investing in chargers 100% powered by renewable sources, just like our neighbors across the Atlantic. The future may have started in Norway, but it will be here soon.

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You can listen to the entire podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/its-electric/id1346207297?i=1000518117399

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Installation of the Month (February 2021): Hollywood & Highland

In the movie Spider-man, Uncle Ben tells Peter Parker, “With great power comes great responsibility.” The phrase, which came to be known as the “Peter Parker Principle,” is just as true today as it was 20 years ago when the movie first premiered. And just as Peter took seriously his newfound powers, we take seriously our responsibility to facilitate broader access to vehicle electrification options – quite literally the “great power” here is the electricity that keeps EVs moving. We also understand the power of movies and television to convey the importance of electric mobility, be it through information, entertainment or influence marketing. As such, Hollywood has become a tremendous partner in advancing the EVCS mission.

Installation of the Month (January 2021): Barlow Respiratory Hospital

While 2021 brings hope and promise for greater widespread adoption of electric mobility, a quick glance at our portfolio reminds us of all the headway we’ve already made toward that end. Last year, we seized on positive customer sentiment and abundant fiscal opportunities in the green energy space, allowing us to become one of the top installers of EV charging infrastructure in the State of California (with 500+ installations completed and counting). As such, we thought it might be worthwhile to share some of these installations with you – a new success story each month – so that you can see firsthand the favorable strides we’re making toward a carbon-neutral future.

2020: A Year in Review

Two thousand twenty has been a year of undeniable adversity, but also one of remarkable achievement. A year of firsts and hopefully a few lasts. A time of toil and tribulation, but also of triumph. For genuine success is partly defined by our ability to hurdle those implacable obstacles that make the result so noteworthy in the first place. Now, as the EVCS team looks back on this unusual year, we take stock of our unique achievements that made 2020 one for the books.

Electrification Progress in the Age of COVID

It’s pretty clear that vaccine or no, COVID will be here for a while, and with it the new normal of face masks, social distancing, telecommuting and (consequently) less road travel. While some might view this with trepidation, we see it as an opportunity. Since the earliest weeks of the pandemic, major metro areas like Los Angeles, Seattle and Chicago – those with large reductions in automobile traffic – immediately began seeing improvements in air quality, according to articles in the New York Times and Washington Post. More recent, an NPR story noted ozone pollution has decreased as much as 15% in many of these places. It seems an unintended consequence of the lockdown has been to accelerate the transition to responsible mobility by demonstrating its positive effects on the environment.

Commentary on Geotab’s 2020 EV Fleet Trends Article – Part II

Two weeks ago, we published part one of our commentary on Geotab’s in-depth article, “Electric Vehicle Trends 2020: Top 6 Factors Impacting Fleet Electrification” (https://www.geotab.com/white-paper/electric-vehicle-trends/). Again, the idea was to assess whether each of the trends were evolving as Geotab predicted and, if so, how EVCS was responding to them in the marketplace. Below are the final three trends referenced and our thoughts on each.