The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is drafting a proposed rulemaking to require automakers to include light-duty electric vehicles as a percentage of their model offerings and make EVs more commonly available at car dealerships.

Officials said the proposed amendment to the state Clean Vehicles Program would make Pennsylvania the ninth state in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions to adopt a light-duty zero-emissions vehicle (ZEV) percentage requirement. DEP said the revision would ensure that automakers make available in Pennsylvania new ZEVs that otherwise would be offered in surrounding states with such a requirement.

Officials expect DEP’s Bureau of Air Quality to present the proposed rule for consideration to the Environmental Quality Board in the fall.

During a recent budget hearing, state Rep. Tim O’Neal (R) asked DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell if he was in favor of  banning the sale of gasoline powered vehicles, and McDonnell said “no.”

O’Neal said he was concerned the proposed rule and program development would be too similar to regulations coming out of California and could lead to the banning of the sale of new gasoline vehicles. O’Neal asked if a California policy for EVs is appropriate for Pennsylvania.

McDonnell said the proposal is still being developed and that the exact percentages of offerings have yet to be determined.

“This is about improving consumer choice and meeting consumer demand within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for electric vehicles,” McDonnell said.

According to a recent study by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, Pennsylvania ranks 17th among the 50 states and Washington, D.C. in transitioning from gas-fueled vehicles to EVs.

The D.C.-based nonprofit rated the states on their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve access to EVs. The study found the easiest ways states can promote EVs are to install more charging stations, offer rebates, tax credits and grants for the purchase of electric cars and buses and to develop utility programs offering lower costs for EV owners.

Charging Infrastructure Expansion

On Feb. 19, DEP announced more than $900,000 in funding for the installation of fast chargers in high-traffic areas as part of its Driving PA Forward program, using proceeds from Pennsylvania’s share of Volkswagen’s settlement for falsifying EPA emission tests.

The DEP awarded $750,000 to EVgo Services of California for the addition of 14 fast chargers at three locations: a shopping plaza in Philadelphia, located within a half-mile of Interstate 76 and three miles of Interstate 95; a market in Delaware County within two miles of I-95 and I-476; and a gas station in Allegheny County, less than a mile from the Pittsburgh International Airport and four miles from I-376.

The DEP also awarded EV Build of Kansas $186,619 to install two fast-charging plugs in a mall parking lot in Bucks County along high-traffic Route 309 and within four miles of I-476.

Officials said the projects increase the number of locations in a network of highway segments that DEP and PennDOT are helping to develop into electric vehicle corridors for long distance EV drivers. The corridors are expected to have EV chargers every 50 miles along highway routes and no more than five miles from the roadway.

Driving PA Forward has funded 40 fast chargers since the program launched two years ago, officials said, and more than 1,300 level 2 EV chargers have been installed or are in development by companies, local governments and travel organizations around the state.

The DEP Energy Programs Office recently released an update to the state’s Electric Vehicle Roadmap to provide information on driving and purchasing EVs. The booklet is designed to present an overview of the benefits and basics of EVs, a look at current EV use in Pennsylvania and tips for consumers.