Did you know?
That up to the mid 1920’s there were more electrical vehicles in use than gas powered ones? They were used as town delivery trucks, provided the means around town for transport and for taking short road trips. The electric cars and trucks gave most town people the freedom to not be restricted by tracks or permanent pieces of public transportation such as streetcars and overhead trolley lines.
…..And then came the movement of many people to the suburbs, and this new lifestyle made electrical vehicles lose most of its appeal. Electrical Vehicles did not have the range or the speed of the gasoline powered vehicles and you were, at that time, restricted to lengthy charging times for batteries.
Now, it seems that the electrical vehicle industry is making a strong comeback, which will challenge all of us now and into the future. Electrical vehicles (EVs) will provide less pollution (cleaner air); they have increased in speed and acceleration, increased in their range (no longer are you restricted to just a short trip), the batteries have been improved with shorter charging times, and they provide an answer to helping the electric grid by some of them being able to put power back into the grid system. To be sure, the cost is coming down drastically, and there are special rates for charging at off peak demand times and rebates to make them more attractive.
Opportunistically, you are receiving a special flyer about the Electric League’s Lunch and Learn scheduled for Thursday, March 28 from 11:00 a.m.to 2:00 p.m. at the BGE Energy Sales and Service Building in Woodlawn (see attachment).
China is becoming our chief competitor in the electric vehicle market and has made many innovative changes that make US car manufacturers take notice. We have begun to manufacture special hybrid vehicles (small city EV’s). We are researching new type batteries for swift charging and developing “smarter” charging equipment. Fortunately, Mr. Schumacher will discuss this in more detail on March 28.
Another incentive for owning and operating electrical vehicles is receiving rebates, as indicated by recent decisions by the Public Service Commission of Maryland.
Residential Program: BGE is authorized to provide rebates to 1,000 residential customers for smart chargers, up to $300 per customer. The utilities are authorized to provide EV-only time of use rates using the EV charger as a sub-meter to the overall household use.
Commercial Program: BGE is authorized to provide approximately 700 rebates for smart charging equipment to multi-unit dwellings (MUD). The Commission is looking into special rates for workplace, fleet, and other applications. The Commission approved a proposal to provide limited duration bill credits to offset demand charges associated with EV charging.
Public Charging: The Commission approved BGE construction, ownership and operation of 500 public charging stations.
Don’t Forget – There is a Maryland Law that requires all public charging stations to be designated with proper signs and have a green colored outline so that the space is designed for its purpose (similar to a requirement for handicapped parking spaces).
NOTE: At a special Board of Director’s Meeting, it was decided that all corporate members of the League will be given a 10% discount for all of the company employees who attend the March 28 seminar. This is certainly a bargain! Don’t miss it!
Gil Thompson, News & Notes Liaison