EDTA Takes U.S. Department of Energy’s Workplace Charging Challenge

On Jan. 31, EDTA President Brian Wynne appeared with U.S. Energy Secretary Stephen Chu at the Washington Auto Show, announcing that EDTA has joined other leading organizations in the electric drive industry to serve as an Ambassador for the Department of Energy’s (DoE) Workplace Charging Challenge.

The goal of the Workplace Charging Challenge is to increase the number of American employers offering workplace charging for electric vehicles by tenfold in five years. As an Ambassador, EDTA has been recognized by DoE as a stakeholder organization that is committed to developing and executing a plan to support and promote deployment of workplace charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.

“EDTA signs onto the Challenge during an exciting time for the electric drive industry,” said Wynne. “The Washington Auto Show is a great venue to talk about electric drive successes and to build momentum in awareness for this rapidly advancing technology.”

Automakers have seen exponential growth in electric drive sales over the last year while showing a commitment to electrification by increasing consumer offerings. Yearly plug-in vehicle sales increased 198 percent in 2012, and the number of available models in the U.S. market is expected to triple by model year 2015. Since entering the market just over two years ago, over 70,000 plug-in vehicles have hit American roads.

Wynne continued, “Strategically focusing on the expansion of charging infrastructure in the workplace enables us take advantage of where cars are already parked nearly half of the day — at our jobs.”

Installing EV charging stations in the workplace helps employers offer attractive employee benefits, enhance corporate sustainability efforts, and signal corporate leadership in adopting advanced technology. Workplace charging units also help to increase consumer awareness, a key to accelerating electric drive adoption. In addition to rapid expansion of home and workplace charging, public infrastructure is growing steadily, with over 5,000 stations operating in cities, suburbs and along highways. A projected 1.5 million locations will be available by 2017.