Skip to main content

Plug-in electric vehicles: challenges and opportunities in the US

A new paper from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy indicates that large-scale introduction of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) into the light-duty fleet would substantially reduce U.S. oil consumption. It could also deliver important environmental benefits- specifically reduced emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) and other pollutants, but these benefits will vary with the source of the electricity used to charge the PEVs. A wealth of policies and programs are in place to support PEV adopt
July 25, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
A new paper from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy indicates that large-scale introduction of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) into the light-duty fleet would substantially reduce U.S. oil consumption. It could also deliver important environmental benefits- specifically reduced emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) and other pollutants, but these benefits will vary with the source of the electricity used to charge the PEVs.

A wealth of policies and programs are in place to support PEV adoption, including federal, state, and local government measures; activities in the private sector; and activities undertaken by utilities and utility regulators to prepare for and promote PEV adoption. However, while a great number and variety of PEV policies are in place, these policies are not yet sufficiently comprehensive or coordinated to achieve widespread adoption of PEVs in the immediate future.

This report discusses the challenges facing widespread adoption of PEVs from both transportation and utility sector perspectives. It explains the importance of addressing those challenges and presents recommendations to achieve that end.

Related Content

  • UK Government Air Quality Plan – call for funding for FCEVs
    July 27, 2017
    Following the release of the UK Government’s final Air Quality Plan, in which it announced that it will ban all petrol and diesel vehicles (including hybrids) from 2040, ITM Power says this represents an historic first step towards cleaner and greener transport in the UK. However, it is calling on the UK Government to provide equivalent financial support for fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) infrastructure as it has already provided for plug-in battery electric vehicle (BEV) infrastructure. The company, wh
  • European Bank presents transport funding plan to 2024
    November 4, 2019
    The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is setting out its new transport development plan for the coming five years.
  • ACE report: private sector and user-pay for English roads
    May 16, 2018
    It’s one minute to midnight for funding England’s roads, according to a timely new report - and the clock’s big hand is pointing to some form of user-pay solution, reports David Arminas. Is there any way out of future user-pay funding for England’s highway infrastructure? The answer is a resounding ‘no’, according to the recently-published report Funding Roads for the Future. The 25-page document by the London-based Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) calls for a radical rethink about how to
  • Full analysis: Massive US EV infrastructure plan
    February 21, 2023
    The White House has announced a huge financial boost, new standards, and major progress for a made-in-America national network of EV chargers to support the future of US EV charging