by Brianna Crandall — December 3, 2014—A report from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) shows that plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) charging access at work has nearly doubled in the last two years. According to DOE, workplace charging enables both large and small organizations to attract and retain talented employees; reduce petroleum use and greenhouse gas emissions; and demonstrate innovation, leadership, and environmental stewardship.
To boost their programs and share their best practices with others, leading employers from across the country partner with DOE through the EV Everywhere Workplace Charging Challenge. Partners receive assistance from DOE to help them establish and expand workplace charging. The Challenge aims to achieve a dramatic increase in the number of employers offering workplace charging by 2018.
Plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) charging access at work has nearly doubled in the last two years.(Click on image to enlarge)
Starting with 13 founding partners in January 2013, the Challenge has since grown to 150 partners. Currently, Challenge partners are providing access to PEV charging stations for more than 600,000 employees at more than 300 worksites all across the country.
Through a survey in August 2014, these leaders shared how their efforts are making an impact in their communities and helped identify best practices for workplace charging. The Energy Department released the Workplace Charging Challenge Progress Update 2014, which highlights key findings from the survey, at a recent Challenge Summit in Alexandria, Virginia.
According to survey respondents, employees of Challenge partners are 20 times more likely to drive a PEV than the average worker. In fact, 1 in 73 partners’ employees drive a PEV, in contrast to the national average of 1 in more than 1,400.
Additional findings from responding partners include:
- The number of partner workplace locations offering workplace charging increased by 40% in 2013 and an additional 45% in 2014.
- 90% of partners reported that their workplace charging stations are fully occupied at least 5 days a week.
- Partner charging stations in operation by June 2014 provide an estimated annual kWh usage of 6.7 million kWh—an estimated savings of 800,000 gallons of gasoline and 5.5 million pounds of GHG annually — the equivalent of removing nearly 1,500 average cars from U.S. roads.
In addition to the Progress Update, the Energy Department also released a number of new resources for employers, including a toolkit to inform employees, a charging station procurement guide, and a guide to meeting Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements for workplace charging stations.
The U.S. Department of Energy invites more organizations to join the Challenge and make a difference for their employees, community, and nation.
