Cities jockey for chance to be EV trailblazers
It's a major question as municipal governments try to obtain the handful of battery-powered vehicles they believe will vault them to the leading edge of innovation and business prospects.
Last week, I wrote about Sault Ste. Marie trying to enter the game. At the same time, the Toronto Atmospheric Fund officially invited public- and private-sector fleet managers across the GTA to join a group that will seek 300 or more plug-in vehicles.
Coincidentally, Think, the Norwegian company that plans to start selling its tiny battery-powered City car in North America this year, published a ranking of 15 U.S. prospects for electric vehicles.
Think's "EV-Ready Cities Index" awards points for:
Generous incentives, including cash, tax deductions, access to HOV lanes and parking privileges.
Installation of charging stations.
Popularity of hybrid cars in the area.
Poor air quality – the worse it is, the higher the local demand.
Renewable or low-carbon electricity for recharging batteries.
The company had previously named Oslo, Copenhagen and Amsterdam as Europe's brightest prospects. Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and New York top its American list.
The rankings will help determine where Think will initially sell its two-person (plus optional back seat) urban runabout, with a top speed of 110 km/h and range of up to 160 km between charges.
Think and other manufacturers are creating the impression that at first, demand will far outstrip the supply of cars, and cities will have to bow and scrape for the opportunity to be sold a few.
The GTA's EV300 buying group appears designed to minimize such grovelling: Fleet operators that join are to collectively decide what vehicles they need (plug-in hybrid or all-electric; cars or trucks) then ask carmakers to bid on supplying them.
Ben Marant, the Atmospheric Fund's manager of special projects who is spearheading EV300, says he has talked to "a good many" potential suppliers and "they're all supportive of this consortium concept," which holds out the prospect of a convenient, high-impact deal.
By calling for at least 300 cars, the GTA would "be able to shout from the rooftops (that) we're getting ready for electric vehicles."
Still, our local group can't avoid the bidding war.
Think hasn't assessed Canadian markets, but Marant expects Toronto would rank high on its index. Starting July 1, the province will offer rebates of up to $10,000 on each plug-in car sold, matching the most generous American incentives.
The government also promises preferential access to HOV lanes and special green licence plates, and might score clean-power points with its plan to close Ontario's coal-fired generating stations.
Toronto will also offer charging stations, although fleets won't need them. "Manufacturers want confidence, before their products are sold, that a system is in place to charge them." Marant says.
EV300 now has just three members – the City of Toronto, Toronto Hydro and the provincial Ministry of Transportation – but every day brings a new inquiry, he says.
Whether it becomes beggar or chooser remains to be seen.
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