The Portland Oregon city council has approved an 8-step action plan to accelerate the take up of electric vehicles, as one of several key strategies that will help the city achieve its climate action targets. The US city estimates that in order to achieve these goals about 50,000 vehicles on Portland’s roads will need to be electric by 2030.
Titled ‘Electric Vehicles: The Portland Way’, the approved action plan states that 13% of all non-commercial vehicle miles traveled in Portland by the year 2030 will need to be in electric vehicles (EVs), if the city is to achieve its climate action goals, including: a reduction in overall carbon emissions of 40% from 1990 levels by 2030 and reductions in transportation-related carbon emissions of 10% from 1990 levels by 2015, 25% from 1990 levels by 2020 and 30% from 1990 levels by 2030.
The 8-step EV plan
The Portland EV strategy encompasses the following actions:
- Adopt and update policies to facilitate the transition to the use of EVs in Portland: a. Streamline electrical permitting. b. Provide limited use of the right-of-way for EV charging. c. Adopt consistent signage and parking enforcement standards. d. Reduce vehicle miles traveled by continued education about using transit, walking or biking for trips of 3 miles or less. e. Continue to research best practices regarding EV-friendly development regulations and policies.
- Promote State and Federal EV tax incentives for Portland residents and businesses: the City will ensure every potential EV buyer is aware, and takes advantage of, federal and state tax credits aimed at reducing the cost of purchasing EVs and installing charging stations. For example, Portland residents purchasing an EV can currently benefit from up to $7,500 in federal tax credits and up to $750 in Oregon Residential Energy Tax Credits. The City will use outreach efforts such as its ‘Climate Action Now!’ campaign to educate residents about for example the importance of charging EVs with renewable electricity.
- Create a new program to serve EVs in garage-free homes: As a significant number of homes in Portland do not have the off-street parking that is generally required to install a home EV charging unit, the City is exploring a first of its kind partnership with the largest US carshare organisation, to provide fast and reliable charging to all residents in Portland. Moreover, the City is exploring partnerships to retrofit and market underutilised parking spaces throughout the city to serve those residents in garage-free homes.
- Develop strategic relationships and economic development initiatives to support regional job growth within the clean-tech cluster: the Portland Development Commission has identified an emerging cluster of EV related businesses in Portland and Oregon and is working with Business Oregon to help support these businesses, grow the cluster and in turn create jobs.
- Create the most sustainable municipal fleet in the country: The City will implement a Green Fleet vehicle plan that will aim at having 20% of the City’s fleet in EVs by 2030. Today, about 2,800 vehicles make up the City’s fleet.
- Partner with the freight community to facilitate adoption of EVs and plug-in-hybrid technology in the trucking industry
- Work with carshare companies and transit agencies to ensure affordable access to EV technology: One of the quickest and most cost effective ways to get the benefits of EV technology to the residents of Portland is through policies that support carsharing companies like Zipcar and U-Carshare.
- Foster existing public and private relationships and look for new partnerships that support EV infrastructure deployment, promote EV adoption and explore progressive technologies: For example, The City will explore partnering with education, institutional, utility and private industry partners on an EV and energy efficiency education center in a central city location.
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