A brief overview of the resource kit and how to use it
This resource kit is intended to help the user answer "What should my municipality do about electric vehicles?" It is written specifically for municipal managers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, with a focus on the Greater Philadelphia region. However, the information it provides is likely to be useful to other users, including businesses, fleet managers, and potential electric vehicle owners.
Municipalities have a range of motivations for considering electric vehicles, and range of questions they may be asking, such as the following:
- Can our municipality save money by replacing one of our gasoline vehicles with an electric vehicle?
- Our municipality is thinking of applying for an electric vehicle grant being offered by New Jersey or Pennsylvania. What vehicle should we buy? Where should we put the charger?
- Our municipality wants to be sure our residents and businesses are prepared for electric vehicles. How do we assure our municipal codes and ordinances support electric vehicles and charging infrastructure?
- What can we do to help electric vehicle owners feel welcome in our municipality?
This resource kit currently addresses the first two questions above. However, it is a living resource that will be regularly updated and expanded as needed to address issues not yet included, and in response to changes in technology, changes in the market, updates to grant programs, changes in laws and regulations, and to requests and recommendations from municipalities. DVRPC encourages users to contact us with questions, information based on their experience, and requests for guidance so we can assure this resource kit is useful to users.
The following sections are currently included in the resource kit:
- Where are Electric Vehicles Now and Where Will they Be?
- EVs 101 — Introduction to Electric Vehicles
- Incorporating PEVs Into A Municipal Fleet
- Determining the First Vehicle to Replace with a PEV
- Selection and Placement of PEV Chargers
- Resources to Purchase PEVs and Charging Equipment
- Contacts For Assistance
- Municipal PEV and Charging Equipment Case Studies
- Department of Energy Electric Charging Station Locator
- Links to Model and Municipal EV Ordinances
DVRPC encourages users to browse the resource kit. Some of the modules will be more relevant to some users than to others.