PHOENIX — Phoenix wants more residents to drive electric cars on its streets and is willing to potentially make some investments to achieve that goal.
The city's committee on electric vehicles has recently released a plan for how Phoenix could have up to 280,000 electric vehicles registered in the city by 2030.
Some of the steps Phoenix has outlined for achieving this goal include:
- Installing up to 500 electric vehicle charging stations on city property.
- Buying at least 200 light-duty electric cars for the city's fleet.
- Exploring the city's electric vehicle building codes.
- Investigating opportunities to streamline the permitting process for installing workplace, business, and home charging stations.
- Launching an awareness campaign on electric vehicles.
"Businesses, governments, and the public are all signaling a strong future demand for EVs, and almost all vehicle manufacturers have declared plans for a transition to fully electric offerings within the coming decade," city records state.
As of last summer, Arizona reported having 28,770 electric cars registered throughout the state, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
Barriers preventing more Valley residents from driving electric cars include the costs of ownership, limited access to charging stations, and a lack of knowledge of electric vehicles, according to the city's plan.
Some of Phoenix's leaders believe more electric cars will help reduce the city's greenhouse gas emissions and, ultimately, make the city a more appealing place to live.
"Supporting and accelerating the transition to electric vehicles is one of the most significant actions that we can take on climate and public health and in protecting the economic vitality of Phoenix," said Councilwoman Yassamin Ansari during a council meeting last week.
The city's currently conducting a public survey on its drafted electric vehicle plan before a final version is presented to the city council later this summer.
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