Category Archives: motor vehicles

EV Fleets. What does research say about them helping with EV numbers?

According to new data analytic rubic by National Association of State Energy Officials and Cadmus, government fleet incentives are the least helpfulw ith EV policies because:

  • no evidence demonstrates that it improves EV adoption
  • fleets are usually too small to make an impact by visibility

 

Utility Dive | New tool helps states identify EV policies that work, and those that don’t

 

Lege TREND. Disguising a Gas Tax Bill for Transportation in a School Finance Deal. Here's How:

Where:  Utah

The legislative compromise: The Utah Legislature and Supports of Increasing School Funding made a deal that would:

  • put a 10cent gas tax question to the voters and then require legislative implementation after the vote
  •  the Legislature in exchange:
    • froze the state basic property tax rate for 5 years
    • created a new tax rate for the weighted pupil unit thereby creating a $292 million increase in education funding.
    • if the gas tax is approved, funds would be divded like this:
      • 70…

Local TREND. Scooter Pilot Program. 7 points from San Antonio.

San Antonio, Texas pilot program for scooters will require scooter companies to:

  • be permitted
  • pay fees 
    • annual permit fee of $500 as well as $10 per scooter
  • no scooter cap on scooter numbers nor on companies
  • require data sharing of where scooters ar epicked up, dropped off and used to help city planners
  •  required to have a San Antonio-based fleet manager
  • 2 hour maximum for companies to address reported parking issues
  • 1 hour maximum for companies to address scooters  in restricted…

Local TREND. Ride Share Wants Tolling?

In Seattle, Uber is supporting tolling for:

  • congestion pricing 

Are they doing this elsewhere? Yes, $10 M committed nationally to support sustainable mobility

Why does ride share support congestion pricing tolls?

  • the company supports “sustainable mobility” issues
  • the company supports measures to reduce congestion

The Hill | Uber to lobby for road tolling in Seattle

3 Reasons not to play favorites to EVs | Boone Pickens

In explaining how Texas Commission Environmental Quality should utilize Volkswagen emmissions funds, 3 reasons against the agency proposal:

  • TCEQ is following the EPA’s favoritism for electic vehicle by offering funding up to 60 percent
    • government shouldnt pick winners and losers
  • Texas should use its own resources to achieve clean air- and that’s natural gas vehicles
  • “TCEQ should allow grantees to buy a vehicle to scrap”

 

Austin American Statesman | T Boone Pickens | Commentary: On an…

Business TREND. Data Sharing partnership to Help Local Governments.

3 businesses: 

  • Ford
  • Uber
  • Lyft

have joined the data sharing project, SharedStreets, that focused on transportation that combines data from public and private sources.

Source of this data sharing project:  National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) and the Open Transport Partnership

Goal of the project that helps cities: help officials integrate mobility services like ride-hailing

The Drive | Ford, Uber, Lyft Join Urban Data-Sharing Project to Reduce Traffic and Pollution

3 Ways Governments are Promoting EVs.

Looking to China and Norway, leaders in EV sales, shows these governments:

  • Norwegian government began promoting the use of EVs in 1989
    • early incentives
    • early promotion of the incentive programs
    • cut the annual registration tax on EVs
    •  exempted all EVs from road tolls
    • EV owners to bypass the 24% value added tax
  • Chinese government is focusing on promoting EVs through research and investments in EV manufacturing companies
    • China is implementing a program like California’s Zero…

New Study. Ride Share Less Likely to Take Advantage of Passengers.4 Points from the Academics in Boston.

MIT Researchers found that ride share drivers:

  • taxi drivers are more likely than Uber drivers to take advantage of a situation that offers opportunities to earn a higher fare
    • 7.4% deviation on average for airport pickups
  • when a taxi driver switched over to driving Uber, their behavior also changed to match the effect
  • Taxi drivers also tend to speed more than Uber drivers
  • Uber drivers do tend to be susceptible to detouring or driving more slowly to extend a metered airport trip when surge…

Local Government TREND. 19 Cities. Electric Fleet Car Promise. Procurement Link.

The cities & local governments include:

  • Los Angeles
  • Phoenix
  • Houston
  • Cleveland
  • Pittsburgh
  • Fayatteville, N.C.
  • Los Angeles County
  • Ohio’s Cuyahoga County

Year 1 electric vehicle purchase requirements: 376 vehicles in their first year

Requirements:

  • local governments must lease or buy electric vehicles
  • provides mechnism for local governments to buy charging equipment
  • will offer assistance from the Electrification Coalition

Policy and Procurement Information

Governing | On Eve of Global…