As the Chevy Volt’s premiere gets closer and closer, General Motors is taking every step necessary to pave the way for sales of its fuel-efficient car. In addition to GM’s victory in the Green Car Vision Award contest at the Washington Auto Show, the company unveiled a rough sketch of how it will work with cities like San Francisco to create plug-in friendly environments. The automaker’s representatives were quick to say that its first draft of a “checklist for a plug-in ready city” will evolve as colleges, cities and government agencies get involved.
The GM “checklist” starts out by asking government agencies at all levels to knock down barriers to EV ownership. State governments are asked to eliminate sales taxes on vehicle purchases, acquire electric vehicle fleets and offer tax credits for home remodeling to handle recharging equipment ($3,000 per home). GM also wants local governments to get involved by installing public charging stations and create free parking spots near these stations. While GM is certainly serving its own needs with this list, it is hitting the major issues that other EV manufacturers will face in the United States.
The automaker’s initial plug-in “checklist” covers all aspects of community life down to small businesses. GM wants state Departments of Transportation to allow carpool lane access for EVs and cut down on registration costs for fuel-efficient vehicles. Large corporations and local businesses that get involved on the ground level are asked by GM to create employee purchase incentives (up to $2,500 per vehicle) to engender a green business culture. Finally, GM wants colleges and universities to provide free parking and on-campus stations to charge EVs of all types.
General Motors recognized early in its research for the Volt that consumers and cities need to be prepped for a plug-in electric vehicle. San Francisco has been running tests and creating pilot programs for public charging, electric grid management and green transportation that represent the future of American transportation. The marriage between public and private entities seems natural to ensure a market for the Volt and necessary to create a domino effect in American communities. As San Francisco ticks off entries on the “checklist,” Western cities like Portland, Seattle and Los Angeles will be pressured to follow suit. The GM “checklist” also focuses on achieving uniformity for charging stations and outlets based on Society of American Engineers (SAE) standards, which will create a competitive marketplace for non-GM electric vehicles.
