Legislators also agreed to boost domestic oil production through new drilling permits.
Residents have received warnings in recent days to conserve energy usage to prevent outages as a record-setting heat wave engulfs the state. EV charging only accounts for about 0.4 percent of the overall energy load.
Gov. Janet Mills and other clean-car advocates argue that obstacles, like cost and availability, can prevent widespread adoption of zero-emission vehicles and the state’s transition must not leave out rural and low-income residents.
Diesel-powered school buses produce more than 5 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions. EV school buses eliminate harmful pollutants and cost less to maintain than diesel buses. But they aren’t cheap.
A group of Republican attorneys general have filed a lawsuit in hopes of preventing California from setting its own vehicle emissions standards, claiming the state’s rules could negatively impact other states down the road.
The rideshare company has partnered with Motional, an autonomous vehicle company, to develop autonomous EVs for rideshare purposes. For now, the new vehicle will be accompanied by two safety drivers.
Georgia has committed billions in incentives to electric vehicle and battery manufacturing companies for building factories across the state. The law is expected to stimulate investments that give consumers more choices.
The federal Inflation Reduction Act includes a provision that would update the tax credit regulations for new electric vehicles to decrease or eliminate foreign-made parts in cars, which could possibly make EVs more expensive.
The state has partnered with Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan to build a 1,000-mile electric vehicle charging circuit along a scenic Lake Michigan tourism route. The network is expected to be completed over the next few years.
New incentives included in the Manchin-Schumer “Inflation Reduction Act” could help overcome range anxiety and cost concerns. Meanwhile, states are submitting plans to spend millions of federal dollars on EV charging networks.
The CHIPS and Science Act is awaiting signature from President Biden after it received approval from Congress last week. Many expect the legislation to be a huge boost to Michigan’s auto industry.
The state will receive $57 million to build electric vehicles and six stretches of new road, which will increase the state’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure corridor by 44 percent.
A survey from Consumer Reports found that 71 percent of Americans expressed at least some degree of interest in buying or leasing an electric vehicle, with 14 percent saying they would definitely buy or lease one.
Researchers at North Carolina State University have created a computer system that shows where electric vehicle drivers will need to recharge and where places are to support the electric demand.
A Livermore-based company hopes to implement fleets of driver-optional, electric tractors to farms and vineyards by the end of this year. But critics say the company has yet to prove its autonomous tractors are safe enough for use.
The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program will provide $140 million to develop electric vehicle charging stations. About 40 percent of the federal funding will be invested in disadvantaged communities.
Most Read
