SEVA Applauds Gov. Inslee’s Clean Transportation Agenda

Seattle Electric Vehicle Association Applauds Gov. Inslee’s Clean Transportation Agenda

CONTACT:      John McCoy                                                                  December 17, 2014

SEVA Legislative Director (Volunteer)

jjmccoy72@gmail.com

(206) 295-0196 cell

SEATTLE — The Seattle Electric Vehicle Association (SEVA) applauds Gov. Jay Inslee’s ambitious climate and electric transportation agenda, which he rolled out Wednesday morning at the Seattle REI store.

“Washington residents are voting with their feet and choosing electric vehicles in ever greater numbers,” said Stephen Johnsen, SEVA’s President.  “We have some of the highest adoption rates of electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) in the nation and we need to keep that momentum going.  Gov. Inslee’s proposals will help do that.”

“We call on the Legislature to support these bills, so that more Washington residents can enjoy the benefits of electric transportation, including cleaner air, lower fueling costs, better water quality, and much less climate-warming carbon pollution.”

Founded in 1979, SEVA is an all-volunteer organization with more than 150 members in Seattle, King County and surrounds.  SEVA exists to promote, educate, and proliferate electric cars in the Puget Sound Region and in the State of Washington.  More at http://www.seattleeva.org

Gov. Inslee unveiled several proposals Wednesday that SEVA enthusiastically supports, including:

  1. Extending the Clean Fuel Vehicle Sales Tax Exemption past its current July 1, 2015 expiration date.  This important incentive helps level the playing field, and it brings EVs closer to the purchase price of their conventional gas-burning counterparts, though EVs generally still cost several thousand more after incentives.  SEVA would support extending the exemption until 2020, when a related exemption for charging equipment is also set to expire.
  2. Building More Highway Fast Charging with Dedicated Funding from the $100 Electric Vehicle car tab the EV drivers already pay.  Washington has gotten a good start with West Coast Green Highway, but much more needs to be done.  The network currently does not cover most of the state, and the stations are too far apart in spots.  It also provides only one plug per station, which is often inadequate and leads to back-ups when multiple cars need to charge.  Additional quick charge stations will give EV drivers a greater range of destinations, promote additional EV sales, and lower both carbon emissions and air pollution.
  3. Providing New Incentives for Building Owners to Install EV Charging Stations in new and existing buildings. EV charging stations can cost $1,000 or more to install, but convenient charging at home and in the workplace is essential to making electric vehicles a practical transportation solution.  Over time these charging stations will save families and employees money.  Today, most EV charging happens in single family homes, but these new incentives will help bring them to people who live in apartments and condos as well.
  4. Bringing the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate to Washington. Car buyers in California, Oregon and seven other states have many more choices for electric vehicles than we do in Washington, due to the mandate that carmakers sell a certain percentage of zero emission vehicles each year.  We welcome the effort to bring that requirement to Washington, as well, so that Washington consumers have the best range of choices available.  It also helps build the market for zero-emission vehicles by joining together with these other states to form a big purchasing bloc.

We also look forward to learning more about the Governor’s proposal to allow for clean vehicle credits on the state’s “Good to Go” passes.

“SEVA thanks Gov. Inslee for his leadership,” said John McCoy, the group’s Legislative Director.  “We know how much fun these cars are to drive, as well as how much they reduce pollution and improve air quality.  We stand ready to support this agenda in the 2015 Legislative session.”