Electric Vehicles are Ready to Roll in Wisconsin
Wisconsin Environment Research and Policy Center
Madison, WI—With the right policies in place, plug-in vehicles can reduce oil dependence in Wisconsin by 1,773,492 gallons per year, according to a new report released today by Wisconsin Environment.
“It’s time to plug in, power up, and protect our planet because plug-in vehicles have arrived here in Wisconsin,” said Allison Gruber, State Organizer at Wisconsin Environment.
According to the Wisconsin Environment report, Charging Forward: The Emergence of Electric Vehicles and Their Role in Reducing Oil Consumption, 7,649 drivers in Wisconsin could purchase their first plug-in vehicle within the next three years. Overall these vehicles will reduce Wisconsin’s global warming pollution by 3,877 metric tons per year. If the plug-in vehicles are powered by clean sources of electricity, these savings will rise to 32,045 metric tons per year.
“For decades, owning a car has meant consuming oil. Today, drivers finally have a choice,” said Gruber. “Thanks in part to smart policies from the Obama administration, every major automobile manufacturer is offering a new plug-in vehicle powered primarily by electricity. For the first time, we can power our cars with clean energy.”
In Washington, President Obama has proposed fuel efficiency standards that Wisconsin Environment credits as being the most important step ever taken to build clean, advanced technology cars that will get us off oil. His administration has also made investments in critical technologies, such as advanced batteries and high powered charging stations.
The Wisconsin Environment report shows the impressive technological breakthroughs that have helped move plug-in vehicles into the fast lane, from advanced batteries that have dropped in price by over 80 percent, to super-fast charging stations that have reduced charge times by over 90 percent.
To make plug-in vehicles a choice for more consumers, Wisconsin Environment’s report calls for more work to be done to build the infrastructure of the charging stations that can service these vehicles, as well as more investment in the technologies that will drive down prices. Currently, Wisconsin ranks 15th in the country in total number of vehicle charging stations. Wisconsin Environment also called on state and federal leaders to help plug-in vehicles achieve the greatest possible pollution reductions by adopting policies that will ensure we get more of our electricity from clean, renewable energy sources like wind and solar power.
“Electric vehicles offer all Americans hope for a cleaner, healthier future. But to make this promise a reality, continued public investment will be necessary to ensure that these vehicles are as convenient and as affordable as cars powered by oil,” concluded Gruber.
