California Plug-In Electric Vehicle Collaborative gets ready for 1 million plug-in vehicles in California

What does Back to the Future have to do with electric cars? Sure, you might have answered this electric DeLorean (or this one), but that's not what we're about today. Today, the 25-year-old movie reference is to be applied to the California Plug-In Electric Vehicle Collaborative, which made an announcment at Universal Studios Hollywood today about its plan to make the state, "be ready for up to 1 million plug-in hybrid and battery-powered cars by 2020." The Collaborative says it chose the spot "where Back to the Future's electric car was first introduced 25 years ago." Wasn't that car powered by lightning and trash?
In any case, the Collaborative has announced a plan, called "Taking Charge: Establishing California Leadership in the Plug-in Electric Vehicle Marketplace," (PDF link) with 30 suggested actions to flesh out a successful electrified transportation system in California. Some are pretty easy – "institute a broad-based communications campaign" – while some are going to take a lot of work – like adjusting plug-in vehicle incentives as the market grows. The overall message of the plan, though, is to make it as easy as possible for people to switch to plug-in vehicles. There are a lot of big plug-in players involved in the Collaborative (see the list after the jump), so we'll keep watching to see how the words get translated into action.

[Source: California Plug-In Electric Vehicle Collaborative]


PRESS RELEASE

Uncommon Alliance to Accelerate Plug-in Cars in California
1 million by 2020, starting this month

Universal City, CA – Dec. 13, 2010 – With plug-in cars arriving in showrooms this month, a new plan outlines steps to be ready for up to 1 million plug-in hybrid and battery-powered cars by 2020.

The report was unveiled at Universal Studios Hollywood where Back to the Future's electric car was first introduced 25 years ago.

"It's a bright, clean new world when automakers, electric utilities, infrastructure providers, regulators, public health organizations and others join hands to support a new transportation plan for California," Diane Wittenberg, Executive Director and Chairman of the California Plug-In Electric Vehicle Collaborative. "We're determined to pave the way for healthier, cleaner and cheaper transportation options for the 21st century."

The new plan, "Taking Charge: Establishing California Leadership in the Plug-in Electric Vehicle Marketplace," was developed by an uncommon alliance and offers 30 suggested actions to build a successful electrified transportation system in California.

Key recommendations from the plan include:
  • Simplify the process to get home charging stations installed quickly
  • Develop solutions to enable charging at apartments and condos
  • Structure electricity prices to encourage off-peak charging
  • Increase consumer demand through education and awareness programs
  • Develop new service industries to make charging a car easier than fueling at a gas station
  • Encourage tech-based solutions (e.g. smart phone apps) to help drivers find existing public charging stations
  • Ensure local governments help establish the strategic placement of a public charging network
  • A full list can be found at www.pevcollaborative.org/strategic-pla
"We aim to address all the questions. It must be simple, simple, simple for consumers to choose plug-in electric vehicles," added Wittenberg.

This plan will serve as a roadmap for developing a specific course of action. The Collaborative will support ongoing work and start up new efforts to address the 10 major recommendations in the report.

The California Plug-In Electric Vehicle Collaborative endorses a systematic, customer-focused approach to creatively overcome challenges in this new California marketplace where consumers enthusiastically adopt clean, cutting-edge technologies. Go to www.pevcollaborative.org for more information.

Members include:

Diane Wittenberg, California Plug-In Electric Vehicle Collaborative; Robert Babik, General Motors; Aram Benyamin, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power; Janice Berman, Pacific Gas and Electric Company; James Boyd, California Energy Commission; Elisabeth Brinton, Sacramento Municipal Utility District; Catherine Dunwoody, California Fuel Cell Partnership; Mark Duvall, Electric Power Research Institute; Anthony Eggert, California Energy Commission; Bonnie Holmes-Gen, American Lung Association in California; Nancy Gioia, Ford Motor Company; Roland Hwang, Natural Resources Defense Council; Enid Joffe, Clean Fuel Connection, Inc.; Don Karner, ECOtality; Christine Kehoe, California State Senate; Doug Kim, Southern California Edison; Andreas Klugescheid, BMW Group; Barbara Lee, Northern Sonoma County Air Pollution Control District; Alan Lloyd, International Council on Clean Transportation; Bonnie Lowenthal, California State Assembly; Richard Lowenthal, Coulomb Technologies; Patricia Monahan, Union of Concerned Scientists; Mary Nichols, California Air Resources Board; Diarmuid O'Connell, Tesla Motors, Inc.; Alex Padilla, California State Senate; Dan Pellissier, Office of Governor Schwarzenegger; Nancy Ryan, California Public Utilities Commission; Nancy Skinner, California State Assembly; Dan Skopec, San Diego Gas and Electric; Daniel Sperling, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis; Eileen Tutt, California Electric Transportation Coalition; V. John White, Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies; Jason Wolf, Better Place; Tracy Woodard, Nissan North America, Inc.; Toshio Yoshidome, Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North America

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