Electric Vehicles

A new report on the electric vehicle charging experience suggests 1 in 3 first attempts at charging still fail — even as operators eye more inventive approaches to raise its availability and convenience.

Officials have a long-term goal of fully electrifying city vehicles. Currently, 16 are fully electric, including a police patrol vehicle unveiled last week. Leaders adopted an EV preference in 2021.

The state has opened grants to cover electric school buses and charging infrastructure through mid-December, with preferences for districts in low- to moderate-income communities.

In the face of an increasing number and severity of e-bike accidents this summer, the Virginia Beach City Council wants a task force to devise enforcement methods to keep riders and pedestrians safe.

The debut this week of its 20th federally funded electric vehicle charging outpost puts it ahead of other states for stations built using National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program funds.

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in large ridership declines for commuter rail systems, which are now being reimagined for new riders and travel patterns. Systems in California and Philadelphia have made notable gains.

After approval of its revised plan to spend $52 million in federal funds, the state Department of Transportation expects to seek proposals next spring to add more electric vehicle fast chargers.

The City Council gave first reading to an ordinance that would ban electric scooters on sidewalks and roads with speed limits over 30 miles per hour. The devices would also be limited to speeds of 20 miles per hour.

The city is weighing new rules for electric cargo bikes, to free up curb space, fight traffic congestion and reduce greenhouse gases. The proposal before the City Council is similar to one New York City adopted last year.

Developers and owners of multifamily housing complexes should understand the nuances around planning and operating electric vehicle charging, those familiar with the industry said, indicating it will soon be an expected feature.

The University of Michigan examined the topic, comparing lifetime emissions of battery, hybrid and gas vehicles from the 2025 model year. The electric vehicles should produce fewer greenhouse gases, it found.

The Sacramento-area city has plans to transition its fleet of 1,000 city vehicles and more than 40 buses to electric by 2040. A digital twin is helping leaders learn more about how their conveyances are used.

A new study by HERE Technologies and SBD Automotive ranks the electric vehicle market in all 50 states, offering insights into the rate of EV adoption and strength of the public charging landscape.

Collaboration across sectors and at the state and local level, along with education and information campaigns, and infrastructure rebates could help electric vehicle use speed up, experts said.

City officials said autonomous vehicle company Waymo will begin testing its vehicles in the city. In compliance with state law, a human specialist will be behind the wheel, for now, to take control if needed.

Among its priorities are well-traveled but underserved neighborhoods. Massachusetts has the fourth most stations per capita of any state, but will need to add more EV chargers to meet its climate goals.

Gov. Maura Healey’s administration is seeking to expand charging stations for electric vehicles as part of broader efforts to get more drivers to ditch their gas-powered vehicles.

The California Energy Commission announced $55 million in new funding to develop high-speed electric vehicle charging. Meanwhile, the federal government has restarted a national program to build charging stations.