As the proud successor to the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, and recently named the world’s top environmental think tank, C2ES provides independent analysis and innovative solutions to the twin challenges of energy and climate change.

Plug-in Electric Vehicle Dialogue

Plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) are a transformative technology – offering a way to reduce America’s reliance on imported oil, combat rising gas prices, improve local air quality, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Nearly 10 companies already have PEVs on the road, and over the next year or two, all of the major automakers will be offering them.  But to realize the full PEV potential, a broad range of stakeholders must work together.

The PEV Dialogue Group convened by C2ES brings together automakers, electric utilities, policymakers, environmental groups and others to develop consensus approaches to accelerate PEV deployment nationwide.

Over the past year, the PEV Dialogue Group has focused on three challenges – (1) making sure PEV owners can conveniently plug in at home and on the road, (2) safeguarding the reliability of America’s electrical grid; and (3) informing car buyers. The Group’s report, An Action Plan to Integrate Plug-in Electric Vehicles with the U.S. Electrical Grid, provides a roadmap for achieving these objectives.  

The Action Plan, released on March 13, 2012, recommends coordinated action by the public and private sectors at the state and local levels to harmonize regulatory approaches across the country, balance public and private investments in charging infrastructure, and help consumers understand the benefits and choices offered by PEVs.

In developing its recommendations, the Dialogue Group produced two other reports – a summary of PEV state of play, and a literature review of the challenges facing the PEV market.   

To meet our climate, energy, and transportation challenges, we must also push ahead with stronger fuel economy standards, advance other alternative fuels and technologies, and pursue other innovative strategies. PEVs are only part of the solution, but potentially, a significant one.

Using the Action Plan as a foundation, C2ES will continue working with the PEV Dialogue Group and others to:

  • Promote state-level action by convening transportation agencies, public utility commissions, and others to develop and share best practices, and to ensure the compatibility of efforts at state and local levels.
  • Provide strategic input to individual state and local PEV planning efforts, focusing on regulatory issues, optimizing public and private investments, and facilitating rollout.  
  • Conduct research on PEV driver behavior as it relates to vehicle charging infrastructure needs, grid stability, transportation system financing, and maximizing electric miles traveled. 
  • Provide tools and information to educate consumers on the PEV value proposition and PEV technology.

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