The beginning of the electric vehicle revolution has arrived. Thanks to newly released funding, the future just got a lot clearer. This is created a need for developing and managing a comprehensive electric vehicle strategy.
The Biden-Harris Administration recently announced more than two-thirds of electrical vehicle (EV) infrastructure deployment plans from states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico have been approved ahead of schedule under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program.
With this early approval, these states can now unlock more than $900 million in NEVI formula funding from FY22 and FY23.
This news means a busy season for EV charging companies, property owners, municipalities, and more. The charging network rollout has been accelerated to this point, but charging station availability isn’t as widespread as we initially expected it to be in late 2022. Especially for fast-charging stations.
But as news continues to break on the growth of the EV market, those implementing charging station infrastructure need to be ready to scale quickly – and correctly. And as the industry sizzles, how can you implement an EV strategy that doesn’t fizzle?
That’s where hiring an expert partner like SEAM Group can ensure solid, accurate, and sustainable action during what I argue is the most critical part of the rollout process: Strategy.
Why is an Electric Vehicle Strategy is so Important?
A solid foundation means more confidence in qualified installation and maintenance services. Better program management. Enriched focus on safety and reliability. Better end-user experiences. Future-proofed EV investment.
All was ensured through a holistic approach from day one.
The Current State of Electric Vehicles
There are more than 2 million EVs currently registered in the US. The ideal ratio of EVs to charging stations is 40 Level 2 charging ports and 3.4 DC fast chargers (DCFC) per 1,000 EVs, according to a report from the US Department of Energy.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, includes up to $7.5 billion in dedicated funding to help make EV charging stations accessible to all Americans for local and long-distance trips.
In addition, businesses that receive Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for their buildings are eligible for tax credits, zoning allowances, reduced fees, and expedited permitting from several U.S. government agencies.
In short, the funding and flexibility for EV infrastructure is there.
The one thing you want to avoid is a mistake out of the gates that could have been prevented with proper planning, as most equipment errors, failures, and downtime are a result of poor planning or installation.
As a hardware-agnostic partner on fleet electrification, we’re already seeing some of these issues pop up. Given the breakneck speed to market, companies can find themselves fighting a time-versus-quality battle.
Be leery of ‘turnkey’ providers of EV solutions. Given the amount of variance in each project, it’s difficult to offer plug-and-play services in this space. At SEAM Group, we rely on value engineering and design capabilities that help set customers up for immediate success, without sacrificing either speed or quality
Key Questions to Ask About Electric Vehicle Strategy
Once you’ve made up your mind on fleet electrification, there are a few EV strategy questions your leadership should be asking:
- Are there any required utility upgrades?
- How many trade partners will you need throughout the project?
- What type and how many EV charging stations will you purchase?
- Where is the best place to put them to ensure optimal utilization?
- What will your maintenance and repair plan look like?
If these questions overwhelm, talk with a SEAM Group expert about your EV project. Customers across the country partner with SEAM Group to leverage our safety, sustainability, maintenance, and reliability expertise to drive optimal utilization of their EV investments.
Our fleet electrification solutions help customers unlock the power of working with one partner on their lifecycle strategy. Our expert team has decades of combined EV industry experience to deliver leading-edge solutions and advisory services from concept to execution.
Email contact@seamgroup.com or call 866.772.6770 for more information.