Locally, the Miami Valley is rising to meet these changing demands. Efforts led by the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission would result in eighteen new, publicly accessible EV charging stations in 11 communities across the area. The increase in charging stations sends a strong signal that our region is ready to encourage customers to consider EVs by making their use more convenient. This builds on the region’s long, rich history of technology development, from the airplane to the pop-top.
Unfortunately, we are not seeing the same willingness to embrace the advanced transportation future in our state policy. Currently, up-front and registration fees on hybrid and electric vehicles are among the highest in the nation and are higher than our neighboring states. Ohio charges $200 for all-electric vehicles, $200 for plug-in hybrids, and $100 for internal combustion hybrids. When these fees are more than $100 per vehicle, the adoption of electric vehicles slows by as much as 20 percent over the first few years. This does not indicate to automakers that Ohio is ready to lead the way in a clean transportation future.
