Accelerating EV adoption in Louisiana
The adoption of EVs in Louisiana is growing
In order to accomplish these goals, project leaders and implementers will educate consumers, utilities, utility regulators, and government officials while engaging auto dealers and fleet leaders, conducting EV infrastructure planning, and developing local EV chapters.
In addition to accelerating EV adoption, the project will advance the state-of-the-art, innovative approaches to reduce interrelated EV market barriers and plans to create a “Replication Playbook” that other states can utilize to further their own initiatives. The activities, outputs, and outcomes in the project are built on seven “Priority Areas” of focused work.
Drive Electric Louisiana is part of DRIVE Electric USA: a project funded by the US Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Office. The project is running from October 2020 through December 2023 and is comprised of a group of diverse stakeholders, including Clean Cities Coalitions from fourteen states, electric vehicle and EVSE OEMs, and other committed partners who are dedicated to raising awareness and adoption of EVs across the United States. We will use our states as great and dissimilar examples of how to successfully build statewide EV efforts to drive the purchase and use of EVs of all sizes by general citizens and fleets.
Priority Areas
1) Statewide Branded EV Programs
The Project will create strong statewide branded EV programs, each guided by a committee of EV stakeholders and encompassing locally based chapters. These programs will attract support and resources, coordinate action across all other Priority Areas, and increase positive exposure.
2) Consumer Education & Local Chapter Development
Directly educate at least 14,000 consumers (average of 1,000+ per state) through direct participation in EV Ride-and-Drives (R&Ds) and other tactics. Develop and support local EV chapters (at least two per state) to coordinate R&Ds based on specific event models. Gather and analyze participant surveys.
3) Utility and Regulator Engagement
Educate state utility regulators, plus investor-owned, municipal, and cooperative utilities in 14 states. Base education on evolving best practices for utility EV programs and the benefits of transportation electrification for all stakeholders, including non-EV-owning utility customers. Conduct seminars, forums, R&Ds, and other convenings for utilities, regulators, and stakeholders in the sector.
4) EV Charging Infrastructure Planning
Conduct gap analyses and develop or update plans for EV charging infrastructure in each of the 14 Partnership states at statewide, regional, and community levels. Use analyses to educate a wide range of stakeholders and plan the deployment of EVSE at all levels and site types in each state.
5) State and Local Government Officials Education
Educate government officials in all 14 Partnership states. At the state level, focus on best practices for incentive programs for vehicles and infrastructure, state building codes, weights, and measures issues for public EVSE, among others. At the local level, focus on guidance for charging in public rights of way, signage and parking enforcement, local building codes, and government fleet electrification.
6) Dealer Engagement – Develop Preferred Dealer Programs
Develop “preferred” EV dealer programs in 14 states, then secure forty or more preferred dealers total, with at least two per state. Build web-based platforms to help channel interested EV purchasers to preferred dealers. Partner with “low touch” Internet-based retailers that sell EVs, especially in portions of states still underserved by supportive dealers.
7) Fleet Engagement & EV Adoption
Meet with personnel from 560 fleets across all Partnership states, then drive EV adoption in an average of at least 10 fleets per state.