Electric Vehicles

Since 2015, the program has put more than $12.1 million into the pockets of Connecticut drivers who bought or leased an electric vehicle, helping to put nearly 7,000 electric vehicles on state roads. It’s far short of Connecticut’s goal of about 125,000 to 150,000 electric vehicles by 2025 and 500,000 by 2030 to meet the state’s greenhouse gas reduction target set by law.

NEW YORK, June 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The surging requirement for automobiles with low carbon emissions, because of the implementation of stringent carbon emission norms, and rapid advancements being made in the fuel cell technology are expected to power the global fuel cell electric vehicle market during 2021–2030.

Fuel cell electric vehicle market generated revenue of $3,059.5 million in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has hampered the progress of the fuel cell electric vehicle market. Because of the imposition of lockdowns in several countries, manufacturing activities have come to a halt. The ripple effects were clearly visible in crude prices, which fell into negatives. In addition to the falling crude prices, the high cost of the fuel cell electric vehicles also negatively impacted their sales, thereby affecting the market growth.

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The fuel cell electric vehicle market is divided into commercial vehicle and passenger vehicle categories, depending on vehicle type. Between these, the commercial vehicle category is predicted to demonstrate faster growth in the market during the forecast period. This is ascribed to the surging requirement for emission-free commercial vehicles for logistical operations and public transportation.

Across the world, the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region is predicted to demonstrate the fastest growth throughout the forecast period. This will be due to the enactment of strict emission regulations by the governments of China and Japan. Further, the existence of several leading fuel cell vehicle manufacturers such as Toyota Motor Corporation, SAIC Motor Corporation Limited, and Hyundai Motor Company, will propel the growth of the fuel cell electric vehicle market in the region during the forecast period. Additionally, initiatives such as the promotion of several zero-emission vehicles at major events like the 2020 Summer Olympics are also driving the market growth in the region.

Browse detailed report with COVID-19 impact analysis on Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) Market Research Report: By Type (PEMFC, PAFC), Range (Short, Long), Vehicle Type (Passenger Vehicle, Commercial Vehicle) – Global Industry Analysis and Growth Forecast to 2030 @ https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/fuel-cell-electric-vehicle-market

The players in the fuel cell electric vehicle market are actively focusing on collaborations, product launches, and partnerships in order to strengthen their industry position. For example, Hyundai Motor Group announced the launch of the Xcient Fuel Cell, which is its first ever truck powered by fuel cell technology, in July 2020.

Likewise, Toyota Motor Corporation started a joint venture with five other organizations for developing fuel cells in China, in June 2020. China FAW Corp., Guangzhou Auto, Beijing Automobile Group Co., Beijing SinoHytec Co., and Dongfeng Motor Corp. are the other companies in the joint venture. This venture is called the United Fuel Cell System R&D and it initially attracted an investment of $46 million.

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Toyota Motor Corporation, Honda Motor Co., Tata Motors Limited, Hyundai Motor Company, Solaris Bus & Coach sp. z o.o., Daimler AG, SAIC Motor Corporation Limited, Nikola Corporation, and Ashok Leyland Ltd. are some of the major fuel cell electric vehicle market players.

Browse More Reports

Commercial Electric Vehicle Market Report – Geographically, the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region is expected to observe the highest and fastest growth in the adoption of commercial electric vehicles during the forecast period.

Electric Scooter and Motorcycle Market Report – Electric scooters and motorcycles are rapidly finding their way into the fleet of e-commerce and last-mile delivery and shared mobility companies. Presently, APAC is the largest electric scooter and motorcycle market due to the dominance of China on the worldwide EV sector.

About P&S Intelligence

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DETROIT, June 29 (Reuters) – You glide silently out of the Tesla (TSLA.O) showroom in your sleek new electric Model 3, satisfied you’re looking great and doing your bit for the planet.

But keep going – you’ll have to drive another 13,500 miles (21,725 km) before you’re doing less harm to the environment than a gas-guzzling saloon.

That’s the result of a Reuters analysis of data from a model that calculates the lifetime emissions of vehicles, a hotly debated issue that’s taking center stage as governments around the world push for greener transport to meet climate targets.

The model was developed by the Argonne National Laboratory in Chicago and includes thousands of parameters from the type metals in an electric vehicle (EV) battery to the amount of aluminium or plastic in a car.

Argonne’s Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions and Energy Use in Technologies (GREET) model is now being used with other tools to help shape policy at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Air Resources Board, the two main regulators of vehicle emissions in the United States.

Jarod Cory Kelly, principal energy systems analyst at Argonne, said making EVs generates more carbon than combustion engine cars, mainly due to the extraction and processing of minerals in EV batteries and production of the power cells.

But estimates as to how big that carbon gap is when a car is first sold and where the “break-even” point comes for EVs during their lifetime can vary widely, depending on the assumptions.

Kelly said the payback period then depends on factors such as the size of the EV’s battery, the fuel economy of a gasoline car and how the power used to charge an EV is generated.

NORWAY’S A WINNER

Reuters plugged a series of variables into the Argonne model, which had more than 43,000 users as of 2021, to come up with some answers.

The Tesla 3 scenario above was for driving in the United States, where 23% of electricity comes from coal-fired plants, with a 54 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery and a cathode made of nickel, cobalt and aluminum, among other variables. read more

It was up against a gasoline-fueled Toyota Corolla weighing 2,955 pounds with a fuel efficiency of 33 miles per gallon. It was assumed both vehicles would travel 173,151 miles during their lifetimes.

But if the same Tesla was being driven in Norway, which generates almost all its electricity from renewable hydropower, the break-even point would come after just 8,400 miles.

If the electricity to recharge the EV comes entirely from coal, which generates the majority of the power in countries such as China and Poland, you would have to drive 78,700 miles to reach carbon parity with the Corolla, according to the Reuters analysis of data generated by Argonne’s model.

The Reuters analysis showed that the production of a mid-sized EV saloon generates 47 grams of carbon dioxide (CO2) per mile during the extraction and production process, or more than 8.1 million grams before it reaches the first customer.

By comparison, a similar gasoline vehicle generates 32 grams per mile, or more than 5.5 million grams.

Michael Wang, senior scientist and director of the Systems Assessment Center at Argonne’s Energy Systems division, said EVs then generally emit far less carbon over a 12-year lifespan.

Even in the worst case scenario where an EV is charged only from a coal-fired grid, it would generate an extra 4.1 million grams of carbon a year while a comparable gasoline car would produce over 4.6 million grams, the Reuters analysis showed.

‘WELL-TO-WHEEL’

The EPA told Reuters it uses GREET to help evaluate standards for renewable fuel and vehicle greenhouse gases while the California Air Resources Board uses the model to help assess compliance with the state’s low-carbon fuel standard.

The EPA said it also used Argonne’s GREET to develop an online program that allows U.S. consumers to estimate the emissions from EVs based on the fuels used to generate electric power in their area. https://bit.ly/3y1fBnr

The results of the Reuters analysis are similar to those in a life-cycle assessment of electric and combustion-engine vehicles in Europe by research group IHS Markit.

Its “well-to-wheel” study showed the typical break-even point in carbon emissions for EVs was about 15,000 to 20,000 miles, depending on the country, according to Vijay Subramanian, IHS Markit’s global director of carbon dioxide (CO2) compliance.

He said using such an approach showed there were long-term benefits from shifting to electric vehicles.

Some are less positive about EVs.

University of Liege researcher Damien Ernst said in 2019 that the typical EV would have to travel nearly 700,000 km before it emitted less CO2 than a comparable gasoline vehicle. He later revised his figures down.

Now, he estimates the break-even point could be between 67,000 km and 151,000 km. Ernst told Reuters he did not plan to change those findings, which were based on a different set of data and assumptions than in Argonne’s model.

Some other groups also continue to argue that EVs are not necessarily cleaner or greener than fossil-fueled cars.

The American Petroleum Institute, which represents over 600 companies in the oil industry, states on its website: “Multiple studies show that, on a life-cycle basis, different automobile powertrains result in similar greenhouse gas emissions.”

Argonne National Laboratory is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and operated by the University of Chicago.

Reporting by Paul Lienert in Detroit; Editing by David Clarke

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

What happened

Wall Street’s unbridled love of electric vehicle stocks has waned, with investors getting a lot more choosy of late. Monday, however, was back to risk-on when it comes to the sector, with a handful of start-ups trading up big without any company-specific reasons.

Shares of Workhorse Group (NASDAQ:WKHS) and ChargePoint Holdings (NYSE:CHPT) were both up more than 10% as of 3 p.m. EDT, with shares of Churchill Capital Corp. IV (NYSE:CCIV) up 7% and Nikola (NASDAQ:NKLA) up more than 5%.

So what

These companies have different focuses, but they all revolve around the electrification of the automotive industry. Workhorse and Nikola are developing electric-powered trucks and ChargePoint is rolling out a network of charging stations. Churchill Capital, meanwhile, is a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) preparing to merge with electric car maker Lucid Motors.

Exterior shot of the forthcoming Lucid Air sedan. Image source: Lucid Motors.

All of these stocks are relatively new to the market, and all got an enthusiastic initial welcome. But some of that excitement has faded. Workhorse earlier this year missed out on a potential $6 billion deal to build a new fleet of delivery vehicles for the U.S. Postal Service. Nikola has been battling fraud charges that led it to separate from its founder.

The market, of late, seems to be taking a fresh look at some of these companies. ChargePoint’s strong performance Monday follows an equally impressive showing last week fueled in part by a partnership with Mercedes. Churchill last week finalized the date it would close its deal with Lucid, adding to investor confidence the deal will get done. And Workhorse is appealing the Postal Service decision, giving investors at least some hope the outcome might be reversed.

Even hard-hit Nikola is plugging along, working toward its goal to develop sources of “clean” hydrogen gas. On Monday, at least, enthusiasm about the potential for these businesses is outweighing concerns from critics.

Now what

The bulls are in charge today with these names, but investors should remain cautious. We are still in the early days of the electric vehicle revolution and a lot can go wrong. None of these companies have in any way secured their place among the winners once the shakeout is over.

Of the four Lucid would be my preferred choice, with a clear business plan and the funding to execute thanks to its pending merger with Churchill. Workhorse’s appeal still seems like a long shot, with perhaps just a small slice of the order its best possible outcome. Nikola has a lot of work to do to establish itself as a credible business, and ChargePoint is battling to be a part of what could be a quickly commoditized market.

Be it Lucid or any of these others, any investor looking to buy in should limit these names to a small part of a well-diversified portfolio.

During the eighth annual Maui-based Hawaii Energy Conference last week, a presentation by Ulupono Initiative provided an update on the state’s progress toward electrification of transportation amid a new mandate that Hawaii change 100 percent of its light-duty passenger vehicles to electric by 2030 and the rest of its light-duty fleet by 2035.

Gov. David Ige on Thursday signed that mandate, along with two other bills, into law. The three bills expand the state’s use of electric vehicles to help meet Hawaii’s clean energy goals.

Despite Hawaii’s ambitious energy goals, though, officials acknowledged during the energy conference presentation that there is public hesitancy to switch to electric. 

Some challenges include ensuring there are enough electric vehicle charging stations for people who can’t charge at home, upfront capital costs to invest in the vehicle and the human pattern toward being creatures of habit, they said.

Volta chargers fronting Whole Foods in Kahului are pictured recently. State Department of Transportation is in the process of switching 100 percent of its light-duty fleet to zero-emission vehicles by 2035. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

State Department of Transportation Maui district engineer Robin Shishido said he experienced “range anxiety” when he drove his personal electric vehicle for the first time from his home to the summit of Haleakala National Park.

“I took our EV up to Haleakala and I think when I left my house, I had 180 miles of range,” Shishido said during the presentation. “I got up there. I ended up with like 75, so I got a little nervous, but all the way down with the regenerative braking, I think I ended up back at my house with 130. So, you know, net was only using 50 miles going all the way to the summit.”

He said it’s helped to know that many charging stations exist around the island.

The presentation said that most EVs can drive from Hilo to Kona and back on one charge, which is a drive of more than 76 miles one way.

Beyond personal vehicles, officials are hoping that the state commitment to convert its fleet will lead the charge for the larger-scale transition. 

“If we’re going to hit our 2045 goals, the state has to lead,” said state DOT Deputy Director Ed Sniffen during the presentation. “We have to start converting our vehicles, make it easier for everybody else, then the public can follow.”

Sniffen said his department has 300 vehicles; of those, 240 may convert to electric and 60 may be removed from the fleet.

The state highways division has an aging fleet, with the average age of vehicles in the light-duty fleet being 14 years (47 vehicles) for Maui district; 14 years (37 vehicles) for Kauai district; 13 years (75 vehicles) for Hawaii district; and 13 years (196 vehicles) for Oahu district, according to the presentation.

Sniffen added that Tesla, Bolt and Leaf were compared for the state contract. Tesla came out on top for cost, resale value and maintenance record, along with system upgrades and support.

Beyond environmental benefits, the state’s transition to electric vehicles will save taxpayer money, officials said. DOT estimates 75 percent cost savings in vehicle maintenance over the lifetime of the vehicle and between $200 to $200 per vehicle per year in fuel.

The average cost of gas per year over the last five years is $1,185 per vehicle, according to the presentation. Estimated electricity cost per year is $898 per vehicle. The estimated fuel savings per year is $287 per vehicle.

While the benefits abound for electric vehicles, lawmakers said they understand when people are hesitant to make the switch.

“It’s always hard to start doing something new — you’re used to something you’re comfortable with. This is sort of like basic human psychology,” said state House Chairwoman Rep. Nicole Lowen in the presentation.

Lowen said that in this case, supply will build demand as the government takes the lead.

“A lot of Hawaii’s workforce works in government; you’re just really expanding that exposure to EVs. And I think that will help to build the market,” she added.

Ige at the Oahu news conference last week praised Hawaii’s leadership, saying the state was the first state to commit to 100 percent renewables as well as the first to commit to the Paris Agreement.

Still, work needs to be done, he said.

“Ground transportation here in Hawaii accounts for about a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions,” Ige said. “It is a large contributor to our dependence on imported fossil fuel. Coupled with our renewable energy goals, electric vehicles support the transition away from coal and fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy.”

The governor signed into law the following three bills:

¯ House Bill 424, which requires all state agencies to “adopt a preference for renting electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles” for state employees, “provided that such a vehicle is suited for the specific travel requirements and available when needed.”

¯ HB 552, which establishes clean ground transportation goals for state agencies, including the transition of 100 percent of their light-duty vehicles to zero-emission ones by Dec. 31, 2035.

¯ HB1142, which allocates three cents of the barrel tax to funding for the installation of EV charging systems via a newly established subaccount in the Public Utilities Commission’s special fund for a rebate program. It also sets penalties for parking in an EV charging system space while not actively charging and mandates new charging systems to be at least Level 2 and network capable starting in 2022.

HB 424, authored by South Maui Rep. Tina Wildberger, who was at the news conference last week, lays the groundwork for the rental car industry to invest in Hawaii’s “clean transportation future.”

“It signals to rental car companies that they can invest in an EV fleet and those vehicles will get rented by state employees traveling on state business,” she told The Maui News on Sunday. “It’s a significant market share.”

Presented by Maui Economic Development Board and supported by the County of Maui Office of Economic Development, the Hawaii Energy Conference on Tuesday and Thursday explored “Energy Transition in Hawaii: Focus on investments in people and projects.”

The two-day online event featured keynotes, panel discussions, interviews, showcases and exhibits.

Typically held in person on Maui prior to the pandemic, the conference annually gathers regional and national experts on energy policy, strategies, leadership and innovation to present for hundreds of attendees across various industries.

For more information, visit HawaiiEnergyConference.com.

* Kehaulani Cerizo can be reached at kcerizo@mauinews.com.

While only comprising around 1% of new car sales, electric vehicles (EVs) are now a policy priority. This year alone, governments in Victoria, New South Wales and the ACT have all announced subsidies for EVs, while the Queensland government is progressing its Electric Super Highway.

But are we ready for them? EVs are projected to account for at least 30% of Australia’s vehicle fleet by 2040, but Australia currently has less than 2,500 charging stations. Combatting ‘range anxiety’ will be key to driving consumer demand for EVs – as such, planning authorities must consider what planning measures can be implemented to accelerate the roll out of EV charging infrastructure.

Key points

• Car parks and service stations are prime locations to provide EV charging infrastructure;
• Existing planning controls do not require EV charging infrastructure to be provided and, in the case of service stations, contain assessment criteria that are irrelevant to EVs; and
• Local governments need to consider whether current planning instruments sufficiently accommodate electric vehicles.

Where will the infrastructure go?

At the moment, EV charging stations are typically small-scale, servicing a few vehicles. If EVs are to become the dominant form of private transport, large-scale charging infrastructure will be needed.

There are two obvious existing land uses that could easily be converted to cater for this: car parks and service stations.

Car parks

Whether returning home, going to a shopping centre or visiting friends, EV drivers will want to ensure their car is sufficiently charged for their next journey. Installing charging infrastructure in car parks offers convenience for consumers, without compromising existing land use.

Installing this infrastructure will, of course, come at some cost, and governments are unlikely to be able afford all of it, or gain access to private car parks to install it. Developers and building owners will need to contribute, particularly for high rise apartment and commercial developments, where residents and tenants will otherwise have limited ability to connect their vehicles to power themselves. Planning authorities should consider whether their planning schemes include requirements for the provision of charging infrastructure.

Developers may reasonably ask why they should bear the cost of this infrastructure when EV uptake remains low. Achieving consensus between different levels of government and industry on what infrastructure should be provided will be key to ensuring an effective, uniform roll out.

Service stations

For travellers or commuters using EVs, who may not have access to the charging facilities that they would at home or work, service stations present a convenient alternative.

However, traditional environmental and planning controls for service stations are often unsuitable or irrelevant for EV charging stations. Such planning controls and conventions include:

• Contamination controls: traditional service stations are well-known to pose risks of contamination. As such, service stations are often sited away from “sensitive uses”, such as residential or educational sites. EV charging stations do not pose a similar risk of contamination.
• Noise and air emissions controls: service stations are generally required to meet noise and air quality criteria, to minimise their adverse amenity impacts on nearby land uses. EV charging infrastructure will not emit odours as petrol stations do and EVs are significantly quieter than internal combustion engine vehicles. These benefits will, however, need to be balanced against additional noise generated by consumers if they are spending longer periods at the service station (discussed below).
• Co-located uses: service stations are often co-located with facilities aimed at providing ‘convenience’, such as fast food and convenience stores. This is largely because consumers will spend only a short time at a service station. However, without significant reduction in charge times, current EV charging technology will require customers to spend more time at a service station while ‘filling up’. Therefore, service stations may be more appropriately co-located with cafes, restaurants (rather than fast food), retail, public spaces or tourist amenities to enhance drivers’ charging time.

Policy ideas for planning authorities

Given that current provisions do not adequately provide for, or encourage, the implementation of EV charging infrastructure, planning authorities may consider the following ideas to facilitate and accelerate the roll out:

• potentially introducing a new definition for a ‘charging station’, which could be clearly distinguished from a ‘service station’. This would then also allow planning authorities to introduce new, EV-relevant assessment criteria into their planning schemes;
• alternatively, authorities may consider lowering the level of assessment (including removing redundant assessment criteria) for ‘service stations’ that cater solely to EVs (and again introducing new, EV-relevant assessment criteria);
• reducing compliance costs for building approvals, where developers seek to install charging infrastructure into existing buildings;
• introducing requirements in planning schemes requiring the provision of EV charging infrastructure, particularly for medium and high density residential and commercial developments;
• using infrastructure charges to fund the government-provided EV charging infrastructure which, in time, could be an alternate government revenue source; and
• requiring new petrol service stations to be designed so that they can be easily repurposed as EV charging stations in future.

Inadequate charging infrastructure remains one of the key barriers to EV use in Australia. Setting up the right planning controls now will help overcome that.

By Pietro Lombardi

Renault SA said Monday that it has signed two agreements to team up with partners in the design and production of batteries for electric vehicles.

The French auto maker said the partnerships will help create around 4,500 jobs in France by the end of the decade and will play a role in building a manufacturing ecosystem in Europe.

David Clement is the North American affairs manager and Elizabeth Hicks is the U.S. affairs analyst of the Consumer Choice Center.

KINGSPORT — The idea of electric cars may sound like a far away, futuristic narrative. But it’s much closer than you think.

Dave Hrivnak is a Kingsport native and electric vehicle owner. If you ask him, it’s clearly an industry that is growing — even here in the Tri-Cities.

“We have north of 100 EV owners now in the Tri-Cities that I know of,” Hrivnak said. “And there are probably hundreds more I don’t know of. Virtually every week people ask me about electric cars. There’s an interest.”

Electric vehicles and their charging stations have also been popping up throughout the Tri-Cities.

Recently, East Tennessee State University announced the addition of eight new charging stations in Johnson City. Last month, Washington County Schools unveiled Tennessee’s first electric school bus. And the Pinnacle in Bristol offers a Tesla supercharging station while places like the downtown Kingsport parking garage, Wallace Nissan in Kingsport, MeadowView Conference Resort & Convention Center and even Rush Street offer public charging stations as well.

But why go electric?

For Hrivnak, he first became interested in electric vehicles when gas prices were on the rise.

“We had a Chevy Avalanche,” Hrivnak recalled. “I was trying to figure out how to make it more energy efficient. I added an electric motor and batteries. I realized new lithium batteries had great opportunities and promise and electric motors had crazy torque and extra power. I guess that was the first thing that really hooked me into it.”

The biggest reason for most centers around the environment and the reduction of emissions, which can be harmful to the environment.

Hybrid and all-electric vehicles produce zero tailpipe emissions. However, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, electric car emissions can be produced by the source of electrical power, such as at a power plant. So the amount of emissions produced by the car as a whole depends on the types of fuels used for charging. There remains a benefit, however.

A report from the International Council of Clean Transportation said electric vehicles typically have much lower life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions than a typical car, despite possible emissions created at power plants. The report also said various trends — such as battery recycling and an overall increase in renewable energy — could further decrease greenhouse gas emissions in electric cars in the future.

The U.S. has also pushed for the move toward electric vehicles.

The president proposed a $174 billion investment in America’s electric vehicle industry. That proposal also calls for 500,000 new charging stations. Meantime, car companies have also committed to the move toward electric vehicles. Ford and GM have increased their electric vehicle spending. Jaguar has vowed to go all electric by 2025 and Honda is aiming to implement zero-emission electric vehicles in North America by 2040.

There’s also been an interest at the state level.

The Drive Electric Tennessee program aims to see 200,000 electric vehicles on state roads by 2028. Earlier this year, The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and the Tennessee Valley Authority also signed an agreement to add fast-charging stations every 50 miles along Tennessee’s interstates and major highways. The total anticipated cost of the project is about $20 million.

TDEC Deputy Communications Director Kim Schofinski said in an email the state currently has 976 publicly accessible Level 2 plugs at 515 locations, 72 CCS fast-charging plugs at 31 locations and 49 CHAdeMO DC fast-charging plugs at 44 locations.

Though the industry is growing nationally and locally, Hrivnak said he believes there are still misconceptions regarding electric cars. The biggest misconception is power, which he said his Tesla Model 3 helps him combat.

“At Bristol, I lined up against a Mustang and other cars and none of them can beat you off the line or catch you at a quarter mile,” Hrivnak said. “People say, ‘What kind of car is that?’ All of the sudden that golf cart image disappears.”

Hrivnak and his wife just traveled from Colorado to Ohio stopping at various national parks by way of his wife’s Toyota Rav4 Prime, which is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. The car offers about 31 miles per gallon while pulling their camper.

The car typically offers 42 miles on its electric charge, which Hrivnak said reduces emissions while still offering the option of using the car’s backup fuel after that. That also helps when considering where you might find a suitable charging station.

According to the U.S. Department of energy, 80% of electric car owners “fill up” at home, which is usually the case for Hrivnak. While that works for those who can charge overnight for eight or 10 hours, finding a charge on the road without taking too long can be an issue for some.

For a 2021 Nissan Leaf, it takes about 20 hours to fully charge on a level one charger, which is the slowest option. On a level two charger, it takes four to eight hours, and on a level three it takes about 30 minutes.

For those with cars like Hrivnak’s Tesla, charging doesn’t take as long as others. The car also routes you through any necessary charging stations when you enter the destination. But charging time for electric vehicles varies according to the vehicle and the charging station.

That’s an issue the state hopes to tackle in adding fast-charging stations to Tennessee roads.

“A network of public fast-charging stations will promote EV growth by giving drivers more confidence that they’ll have easy access to refueling while they’re away from home,” Schofinski said, “eliminating so-called ‘range anxiety’ that keeps many consumers from considering EVs a viable option.”

On road trips, Hrivnak and his wife typically stop for lunch or dinner with their charging station needs in mind.

“When we go on a trip, we try to figure out if we want to eat in Knoxville or Chattanooga, for example,” Hrivnak said. “We try to pair our eating with charging. The reality is it’s about 40 minutes in a Tesla for full charge. By the time you order and eat, you’re usually talking 45 minutes.”

The downside to electric cars, Hrivnak said, is if you’re at a campsite or a place with no electricity, you’re out of charging options — which is when a hybrid vehicle comes in handy.

Hrivnac is also part of Drive Electric Tennessee’s local chapter. He often leads driving events to introduce locals to electric cars. Mostly, he said, folks are impressed by the speed and walk away with a new idea on electric cars

“They’re fun and fast,” Hrivnak said. “I usually get a big grin and a ‘Wow.’ They say, ‘I had no idea it could drive like this.’”

For more information on the state’s initiative, go to https://www.tn.gov/environment. To access the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuel Data Center Station Locator, go to https://afdc.energy.gov/stations/#/find/nearest.