Since the spring of 2016, NCSEA has led the Electric Vehicle Working Group with several goals, one of which is to ensure that Volkswagen (VW) settlement funds are used efficiently and effectively. As part of the settlement, up to 15 percent of the total $92 million funding can be used to expand infrastructure, such as charging stations, that support the use of EVs.In the fall of 2017, Governor Cooper named the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality (NC DEQ) as the lead agency to manage North Carolina’s $92 million shares of the VW Environmental Mitigation Trust.Future work of the NCSEA Electric Vehicle Working Group will focus on the legislative and policy changes needed to expand the EV infrastructure throughout North Carolina.
NCSEA’s Electric Vehicle Working Group convenes an active dialogue toward the following goals:– Establish state policies that provide a level playing field for electric vehicles to enter the market and maximize benefits to the grid;– Enable multiple, scalable business models that leverage the private sector to rapidly deploy vehicle charging infrastructure;– Develop guidance that helps the state and local governments plan for increased adoption of electric vehicles and charging stations; and,– Ensure that Volkswagen Settlement funds are used effectively and efficiently and that the recommended 15% go toward EV charging infrastructure.