EV-COMUTE Act - Federal Workplace Charging Bill in Congress

[Lanny]

Many Leaf drivers, particularly in the Washington, DC area, work at Federal facilities that do not allow EV charging. The installation of charging stations for employees and contractors is barred, even if the users are willing to pay to reimburse the government for electricity and equipment. A bill was passed a few years ago that made an exception for Congress and staff but the rest of the Federal workforce was ignored.

Rep. Zoe Lofgren (she drives an electric car) introduced HR 4645, the EV-COMUTE Act which will allow government employees to pay to charge their cars at Federal workplaces.

I have some information from the staffer about the details of the bill that I've shared.

You might want to contact your US Representative and encourage them to support HR 4645.

Lanny

 

[greengate]

Many Leaf drivers, particularly in the Washington, DC area, work at Federal facilities that do not allow EV charging. The installation of charging stations for employees and contractors is barred, even if the users are willing to pay to reimburse the government for electricity and equipment. A bill was passed a few years ago that made an exception for Congress and staff but the rest of the Federal workforce was ignored.

Rep. Zoe Lofgren (she drives an electric car) introduced HR 4645, the EV-COMUTE Act which will allow government employees to pay to charge their cars at Federal workplaces.

I have some information from the staffer about the details of the bill that I've shared.

You might want to contact your US Representative and encourage them to support HR 4645.

Lanny

+1

 

[greengate]

Many Leaf drivers, particularly in the Washington, DC area, work at Federal facilities that do not allow EV charging. The installation of charging stations for employees and contractors is barred, even if the users are willing to pay to reimburse the government for electricity and equipment. A bill was passed a few years ago that made an exception for Congress and staff but the rest of the Federal workforce was ignored.

Rep. Zoe Lofgren (she drives an electric car) introduced HR 4645, the EV-COMUTE Act which will allow government employees to pay to charge their cars at Federal workplaces.

I have some information from the staffer about the details of the bill that I've shared.

You might want to contact your US Representative and encourage them to support HR 4645.

Lanny

+1

Forgot to mention that I called my Rep..cared for. Support the OP's suggestion. Make that 2 minute call!!

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

Sorry but this needs to apply to ALL Employers. Provide some stipulations like a ratio of station according to number of employees who.register.with.a.plug in but it needs to be.everyone!

 

[CmdrThor]

Sorry but this needs to apply to ALL Employers. Provide some stipulations like a ratio of station according to number of employees who.register.with.a.plug in but it needs to be.everyone!

Private employers are not currently barred from providing EV charging so I don't see how the bill would apply to them at all. They are already free to provide charging either free for the employee or at the employee's cost.

 

[D3Leaf]

What about State and Local Governments? I work in a State LEO and have inquired about charging stations, but the only response I have received is ... "We're working on it."

 

[greengate]

What about State and Local Governments? I work in a State LEO and have inquired about charging stations, but the only response I have received is ... "We're working on it."

Well, you are way ahead of my community where the reply is; "Not Possible. No way it's going to happen."

 

[nosuchthing]

Private employers are not currently barred from providing EV charging so I don't see how the bill would apply to them at all. They are already free to provide charging either free for the employee or at the employee's cost.

They may not be barred but they are certainly not motivated to do so either.

What we need is a California ZEV Mandate 2 that REQUIRES/FORCES employers of certain size businesses to provide charging for employees.

I finally persuaded my employer to consider it (400 employees). I suggested 10 stations with 20 parking spaces. What I will get is 2 stations with 2 spaces. That would be 2 years from now, I'm told. I'll be retired by then.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

Exactly!

 

[CmdrThor]

They may not be barred but they are certainly not motivated to do so either.

What we need is a California ZEV Mandate 2 that REQUIRES/FORCES employers of certain size businesses to provide charging for employees.

I finally persuaded my employer to consider it (400 employees). I suggested 10 stations with 20 parking spaces. What I will get is 2 stations with 2 spaces. That would be 2 years from now, I'm told. I'll be retired by then.

Oh really? I guess we should mandate employers install fuel cell stations as well? Government regulation is the wrong answer in this instance and would be a waste of money for employers that don't happen to have employees that drive EVs. The better employers will offer it as a perk, and as vehicle ownership increases, more and more employers will get on board.

 

[nosuchthing]

Thor.

It's no longer free ride on this planet. The ice caps are melting. Desperate times need desperate measures. Our vote counts. Setting example counts. CO2 is now everybody's business.

So hold your libertarian horses because your great-grandkids just might have no oxygen to breathe as the oceans turn into pickle juice. The employers will get over it. The planet will not.

 

[Graffi]

We are talking about a place that allows your Leaf to be plugged in for about 9 hours each day. There is no need for the employer to spend tens of thousands of dollars on EVSE's when a simple 120v/30a plug will do. Heck, they could just designate the spot closest to an existing outdoor outlet as for EV charging and let you use that one. In this case you may have to invest in a quality extension cord and a weatherproof junction box to cover the connection. So much easier and cheaper for the employer and we are already supplied with an EVSE that will work fine in these situations. Then based on the number of miles you drive to work and the electricity rates for the employer, you can easily calculate how much it will cost the employer each day. JMHO.

If you need more, see if they can put in a 240v/40a outlet and you can get a JESLA to make full use of the 6.6kw charger.

As was pointed out earlier, Federal buildings are not allowed to let employees plug in. This bill WILL allow them.

 

[LTLFTcomposite]

So the plan is to put it on the same plane as ADA compliance?

 

[smkettner]

If it was up to me the government would provide free charging to active employees.
Contractors can pay a minimal rate and full boat for the public.
And no I do not work for any government.

 

[greengate]

Thor.

It's no longer free ride on this planet. The ice caps are melting. Desperate times need desperate measures. Our vote counts. Setting example counts. CO2 is now everybody's business.

So hold your libertarian horses because your great-grandkids just might have no oxygen to breathe as the oceans turn into pickle juice. The employers will get over it. The planet will not.

Well said!!

I can see clearly now.

 

[rogersleaf]

What about State and Local Governments? I work in a State LEO and have inquired about charging stations, but the only response I have received is ... "We're working on it."

I work for a large public transit agency with a formal Sustainability Program and can't get a 120v. wall outlet to trickle charge. In all fairness, only 3 employees have inquired about EVSE's and I'm the 1st to purchase an EV. I get the same response..."We're working on it." Ironic that the decision makers in the agency think nothing of using State-owned cars & agency purchased tax-exempt gasoline for their own personal commuting.

 

[DNAinaGoodWay]

Some better employers already offer charging, but as with the general public, need education, encouragement, and incentive. We've had a two plug ChargePoint L2 at work for over a year now. At first, management was interested, but dissuaded by the cost. We sent the decision makers contact info to several sales reps and when they found out ChargePoint could hook them up with a free unit, courtesy of the US DOE, they went for it and sprang for the install. Then it was instantly decided to replace their security vehicle with a C-Max Energi. Couldn't argue with cost savings. But it's not free, cost for employees is $0.40/hr while actively charging and a $.50 CP session fee, about the same as home here with a 3.3, cheaper if I had a 6.0 kW.

Installations at a govt workplace could be similar, subsidize an install, but charge a fair fee.

In the first year, with over 1000 employees, it's still just me and the security car using it. Someone did buy a PIP, but oddly, doesn't care to charge at work. Go figure. They're still thinking in MPG.

MA is about to start a $2500 rebate, so maybe I'll have to share a plug someday, but for now, most people aren't interested. Too new, too different, not enough range. People are afraid of change.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

They may not be barred but they are certainly not motivated to do so either.

What we need is a California ZEV Mandate 2 that REQUIRES/FORCES employers of certain size businesses to provide charging for employees.

I finally persuaded my employer to consider it (400 employees). I suggested 10 stations with 20 parking spaces. What I will get is 2 stations with 2 spaces. That would be 2 years from now, I'm told. I'll be retired by then.

Oh really? I guess we should mandate employers install fuel cell stations as well? Government regulation is the wrong answer in this instance and would be a waste of money for employers that don't happen to have employees that drive EVs. The better employers will offer it as a perk, and as vehicle ownership increases, more and more employers will get on board.

this will probably have to start at the local level but I envision a law that states if you employ people and they register with employer that they have an EV and would like to charge at employer provided parking facilities then said employer must provide a certain number of plugs based on number of employees registered. The employer may charge for this service and there is no stipulation as to what kind of plug it need be. So what would be the cost of a bank of 120 volt plugs? guessing not too much. And yes, ALL employers conforming to a certain characteristic should be required to do this.

its my opinion that some employers contribute a huge amount to congestion (along with the associated pollution) and provide very little if any support towards managing the problem. Keep in mind; heavy congestion by passing trucks, etc is what is making the toll but do we penalize the trucks or should we penalize the business that created most of the traffic? I think its time businesses ponied up a more equitable share of the pie

 

[kubel]

If it was up to me the government would provide free charging to active employees.
Contractors can pay a minimal rate and full boat for the public.
And no I do not work for any government.

So taxpayers not only have to pay for the state's free charging, but they also have to pay for their own on top of that?

 

[abasile]

this will probably have to start at the local level but I envision a law that states if you employ people and they register with employer that they have an EV and would like to charge at employer provided parking facilities then said employer must provide a certain number of plugs based on number of employees registered. The employer may charge for this service and there is no stipulation as to what kind of plug it need be. So what would be the cost of a bank of 120 volt plugs? guessing not too much. And yes, ALL employers conforming to a certain characteristic should be required to do this.

+1

While I feel reluctant to get the government involved in more and more areas of life, I do believe that employers of all sizes should be required to make "reasonable accommodation" for employees who drive EVs and demonstrably need to charge at work to comfortably make their commutes year round. Asking employees to cover reasonable estimates of the initial and ongoing costs would be fine. To keep costs down, existing 120 V outlets should be used whenever possible, and metering should not be required. I say this because many employers seem impossible to persuade, seemingly without solid reasons. That was my experience in a recent position that I held.

If employers would just do the right thing, then we wouldn't be asking for legislation. But the reality is that we've already needed legislation in California to get HOAs to accommodate EV-owning residents, at no cost to HOAs.