The LPDD team is proud to announce the release of two new model laws facilitating the expansion of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, both on the street and in the home.
The first, a model ordinance on using street lights for electric vehicle charging, is available here. From the introduction to the model law:
The LPDD team proposes a model law to have municipalities use their street light poles to support Level Two electrical vehicle chargers. When municipalities convert street light poles to LED lights, they can use the excess electric power freed up by the conversion to power charging stations at the base of the pole, which can be installed by a private company (e.g. Ubitricity) at a cost of the equivalent of 110 US Dollars in 20-30 minutes (see, e.g., https://www.cleanenergywire.org/news/mobility-start-ubitricity-wants-revolutionise-e-car-charging). The adjacent parking space may be reserved for the limited time it takes to charge the EV. The LPDD team proposes that municipalities set a goal of installing by 2025 one charge point or port for every 50 units in neighborhoods or blocks with multi-family residences, to the extent there are sufficient street light poles on the same block. The charge ports would be accessible to those electric vehicle users who bring their own smart cable that allows for immediate charging and billing, so that the municipality does not lose money, and the concern that charging cables might be left on the street and destroyed is eliminated.
The second, an EV-Ready building code for one- and two-family homes, is available here. Excerpting from the introduction to the model law:
To meet the EV penetration goals identified in the LPDD text, every garage or parking structure, be it residential, commercial, or industrial, being built or significantly altered should be designed and constructed so that a substantial percentage of parking spaces are EV charging ready. This is especially so because buildings and parking structures constructed today will still be in place in 30 years. There is currently a scarcity of EV charging stations as well as a public perception that underestimates the availability of existing charging options.
It should be noted that EV-ready charging infrastructure is significantly less expensive to install during new construction than it is for a building retrofit. Preparing for the electrification of the transportation sector now with building codes that plan for the growth of the EV market will save retrofit costs.
Municipalities should consider the adoption of an EV-Ready building code requirement within their jurisdictions. The proposed ordinance would require new or significantly altered one- or two-family residential buildings to be equipped with the installation of Level 2 electric vehicle supply equipment in proximity to the garage or carport dedicated for resident parking.