The need for transportation electrification is perhaps nowhere more obvious than from the vantage point of our headquarters in Venice, California. According to the American Lung Association, Los Angeles is among the most polluted metropolitan areas in the USA, ranked:
#1 for high ozone days
#5 for annual particle pollution
Transportation emissions are the primary source of carcinogenic particulate matter, air toxins and smog in California – pollution that increases hospital visits and premature deaths.
And the dirty little secret that’s now come to be widely acknowledged is that this pollution disproportionately affects low-income and minority communities.
Transportation is also the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in California, responsible for 40% of all emissions.
With Senate Bill 350, the Clean Energy and Pollution Reduction Act of 2015, the Legislature established widespread electrification of the transportation sector as a statewide policy that is necessary to meet the state’s 2030 and 2050 climate goals [1], as well as the state’s air quality requirements.
On the flip side, Los Angeles faces the bittersweet prospect of having too much clean solar generation during the mid-day peak in solar production, coupled with the subsequent need to be able to quickly ramp up alternative sources of electricity supply as solar generation stops and net demand spikes in the evening.
Charging electric vehicles with cheap solar electricity mid-day can help alleviate supply and demand imbalances, while eliminating tailpipe emissions.
Accelerating the market for zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) — which include both plug-in electric and fuel cell electric vehicles — is a cornerstone of California’s long-term transportation strategy.
To lay the groundwork for a clean transportation future, we at Enervee have joined forces with the Energy Foundation, Advanced Energy Economy and other founding partners and signatories to promote the principles behind the Transportation Electrification Accord.
Launched on November 9, 2017, the Accord outlines how transportation electrification can be advanced in a manner that benefits all utility customers and users of all forms of transportation, while supporting the evolution of a cleaner grid and stimulating innovation and competition for U.S. companies.
At Enervee, we envision a self-sustaining market for clean vehicles that will not depend on widespread subsidies, but rather on transparent vehicle and energy markets that value the grid and societal benefits that ZEVs can deliver.
Enervee’s specific focus will be on helping all car shoppers understand the advantages of ZEVs (including available incentives, while they last), as well as to nudge them towards the most eco-friendly choices that meet their requirements. Together with our utility clients, we are well on our way to being able to offer consumers a seamless experience that allows them to select an EV, purchase a compatible Level 2 EV charger, take advantage of a solar concierge service to get rooftop solar installed to power their car – and sign up for the most advantageous utility tariffs. So stay tuned!
Notes
[1] In 2015, Governor Brown announced an ambitious set of climate goals, including reducing petroleum use in California by up to 50% from 2015 levels by 2030 and reducing greenhouse gas emissions 40% below 1990 levels by 2030.