Thirteen companies have signed on for a new U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) program to help support access to vehicle-charging stations for American workers. By expanding the availability of charging stations at work, the Workplace Charging Challenge will increase the convenience of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) and provide drivers with more options.
The first 13 employers to participate in the challenge are 3M, Chrysler Group, Duke Energy, Eli Lilly and Company, Ford, GE, GM, Google, Nissan, San Diego Gas & Electric, Siemens, Tesla, and Verizon. Participating partner organizations will assess workforce PEV charging demands and develop and implement a plan to install workplace charging infrastructure for at least one major worksite location.
The initiative is a collaborative effort to increase the number of U.S. employers offering workplace charging by tenfold in the next five years. The Challenge also supports the broader efforts of the DOE’s EV Everywhere Grand Challenge to make PEVs as affordable and convenient as gasoline-powered vehicles within the next 10 years.
“The market for electric vehicles is expanding dramatically, giving drivers more options to save money on gasoline while reducing carbon pollution,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu.
Eight stakeholder organizations also signed on to develop and execute plans to support and promote the workplace charging initiative, including: California PEV Collaborative, CALSTART, Electric Drive Transportation Association, Electrification Coalition, International Parking Institute, NextEnergy, Plug In America, and Rocky Mountain Institute.