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

  • Smarter transport remains key to smart cities
    January 9, 2018
    Colin Sowman looks at some of the challenges and solutions that will provide enhanced transport efficiency in tomorrow’s smarter cities. However you define a ‘smart city’, one of the key ingredients will be an efficient transport system. As most governments and city authorities face financial constraints, incremental improvements in the existing systems is the most likely way forward. In London, new trains and signalling are improving the capacity of the Underground but that then reveals previously
  • UK government to invest in autonomous cars, low emission vehicles
    November 24, 2016
    Presenting his Autumn Statement, Chancellor Philip Hammond announced investment in transportation, including £390 million for future transport and a major new investment in the UK transport infrastructure. The £390 million investment in future technology includes: investment in testing infrastructure for driverless cars; provision of at least 550 new electric and hydrogen buses, reduce the emissions of 1,500 existing buses and support taxis to become zero emission; installation of more charging points fo
  • Economic stimulus and investment in ITS solutions
    February 2, 2012
    Scott Belcher, President and CEO of ITS America looks at the year ahead
  • Trends in automotive technology
    March 14, 2012
    Continental has become a leading player in vehicle technology and telematics. The firm’s executive board chairman Elmar Degenhart describes to Jason Barnes Continental’s views on the ‘megatrends’ of the automotive industry Strategic moves to diversify Continental’s business from rubber-related products began in the late 1990s with the acquisition of ITT Teves and its brake business. This brought on board know-how relating to the then new electronic stability control (ESC) systems which today form an import