Mainebiz

V O L . X X V I I N O. X X I V N OV E M B E R 1 , 2 0 2 1 12 L O G I S T I C S / T R A N S P O R TAT I O N F O C U S Noting that that will take time, Lee says of his own business: "It's very realistic that someday we'll be selling mostly electric or a majority of electric cars, but that time is still very far off." It isn't just individual consumers who will drive the EV market, but also purchasers of commercial and government fleets, with McKinsey predicting the U.S. market for services to support the charging of EV fleets to be worth $15 billion by 2030. As that transition happens, Portland- based financial technology service provider WEX Inc. recently expanded its partnership with ChargePoint, of Campbell, Calif., to better integrate EVs into fleets. "e adoption is going to be com- plex for a lot of our customers, so we're working with ChargePoint to give cus- tomers a one-stop shop to help them manage this new type of fleet," explains Hannah Young, WEX's global fleet strategy director. Peggy Watson, WEX senior vice president for global fleet and marketing, adds that while cus- tomers are coming up on the learning curve, there are still a lot of unknowns about the charging infrastructure and how to reimburse for EV usage, say- ing, "We want to help them navigate through all that." Rebates and chargers For Maine car buyers wanting a price break on a new electric car, close to 70 dealers statewide offer rebates through a program run by Efficiency Maine. Rebates range from $1,000 to $2,000 for eligible new models of plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicles, with additional amounts offered to qualifying low- income customers. While rebates aren't the only incentive to go electric, they are a factor: Of the 2,500 EVs added to Maine roads since the program began in September 2019, Efficiency Maine has given rebates on 2,000. ere are also manufacturer rebates and federal tax credits. While those won't offset high production costs, that will eventually change as battery costs come down and automakers add more EVs to their lineups. Besides cars, that includes SUVs and trucks like the 2022 all- electric Ford F-150 EV Lightning that got an endorsement from President Joe Biden in May. Clad in his signature aviator sunglasses as he pulled up to a media gaggle following a test drive in Dearborn, Mich., he remarked: "is sucker's quick." Beyond the Biden buzz, experts predict the Ford F-150 will be a game-changer for pickup drivers in rural states like Maine — along with Tesla's plan to open its Supercharger network to all EV cars. Plans are also underway to add to Maine's current network of 600 char- gers through a pilot program recently launched by Central Maine Power and ReVision Energy, as well as additional chargers funded by Efficiency Maine. Michael Stoddard, Efficiency Maine's executive director, says the quasi-state agency is keen to add high- speed chargers through Aroostook County and east to Calais as well as in urban areas near apartment complexes to serve future EV drivers without access to off-street parking, and along U.S. Route 1. But what about the burden on the electric grid when everyone needs to plug in? at's another question for policy makers to hash out with energy and utility companies. "Charging thousands of vehicles at peak times could potentially cause a lot of strain on the grid," warns Jack Shapiro, climate and clean energy direc- tor at the Natural Resources Council of Maine. "However, if we create the right EV charging rates — incentivizing charging at night for example and/or incorporating smart charging technol- ogy — it could provide big benefits to both consumers and the grids." Mapping Maine's EV policy future While Maine is at the forefront of the move to EVs, ranking No. 9 by PlugIn America in 2021 in terms of support- ive policy measures, further moves are planned to help the state meet its goal of curbing greenhouse gas emissions, half of which come from transportation. e state's climate action plan, released in December 2020, estimates that Maine needs 219,000 light-duty EVs on the road by 2030 to meet its emission targets; policies for how to achieve that will be included in Maine's upcoming clean transportation roadmap due out this December. Hannah Pingree, director of the Governor's Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, also happens to be an EV driver, charging her Hyundai Kona at her North Haven home. She says the clean transportation roadmap will spell out the policies needed to meet Maine's aggressive goals for EVs and plug-in hybrid vehicles. Pingree says she's keen to expand Maine's charging network to rural areas and make it accessible to everyone. "As a policy maker, I understand both the challenges and opportunities for charging infrastructure," she says. Of her new Hyundai, she says the heat works well even on the ferry when the car engine is off, and that she's never had to be towed because she's run out of juice. Equally enthusiastic about his Tesla, E2Tech's Grohman compares the interior to an airplane cockpit with lots of controls like the aerodynamic cars depicted in the "Jetsons," the 1960s-era futuristic animated series. "Most EVs are very streamlined to slip through the air, and that is what makes me think of it," he says. R e n e e C o r d e s , M a i n e b i z s e n i o r w r i t e r, c a n b e r e a c h e d a t r c o r d e s @ m a i n e b i z . b i z a n d @ r s c o r d e s » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Video campaign channels humor A s the world waits for more electric models to be released, Efficiency Maine aims to educate consumers about the pluses of going electric — and allay any anxieties — through an entertaining yet informative video series. The vignettes feature Maine humorist Tim Sample as an elderly dad peppering his daughter with questions about EVs. A "car guy" in real life who's owned more than 30 cars, Sample says he plans to convert himself, telling Mainebiz from New Mexico, "I think it's pretty obvious that at some time in the near future I'll add an EV to my stable of cars." After the campaign wraps up, Efficiency Maine Executive Director Michael Stoddard says its success will be measured by surveying consumers, while the key indicator will be increasing annual rates of EV purchases. V I D E O F R A M E S / C O U R T E S Y O F E F F I C I E N C Y M A I N E Hannah Pingree, director of the Governor's Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, is keen to expand Maine's EV charging network in rural areas.

• Cover