Bill Stalled in the Senate

CT News Junkie is reporting that SB 214 will not be called for a vote in the Senate. This bill is also referred to by opponents, pejoratively, as the “Tesla bill,” though it would apply to any manufacturer of exclusively battery electric vehicles that does not have an existing franchise network and is not majority owned by a company that does (Ford has a minority stake in Rivian), and would allow them to open stores for the sale and delivery of their vehicles in CT.

As quoted to News Junkie, the bill’s sponsor, Senator Will Haskell of Westport, co-chair of the Transportation Committee said, “I think we have the votes in the Senate, I just think we’re out of time.” He also claims there are Republican votes in the Senate, which would be a change from last year.

The bill passed out of the Joint Transportation Committee by a vote of 22 – 12 with one absent and was not exactly along party lines. One Republican senator on the committee voted “yea.” That was John Kissel. Several Senate Democrats voted against the bill in committee: Steve Cassano, Rick Lopes and Norm Needleman. Democratic Representatives Matt Blumenthal and Christine Conley were also no votes. Republican Representatives Tom O’Dea, David Labriola, Irene Haines, and Tami Zawistowski were yes votes.

This bill is considered controversial – but only in Hartford! Consumers overwhelmingly support it. Public testimony given to the committee is also overwhelmingly supportive. Outside experts on the left, right, and center of the political spectrum support direct sales. But there is an entrenched and well-financed local special interest, the dealerships, who vigorously oppose it and marshal a number of specious arguments to do so. Here is a more detailed explication of our point of view with supporting data.

Whether the votes were there, or one vote short, as was allegedly the case last year, is immaterial. Opponents have consistently been able to run out the clock on this measure, no doubt working with some legislators behind the scenes to prevent the bill from coming to a vote. If the committee chair can’t count a majority, it doesn’t get brought up. That way they keep their dealers happy and don’t have to directly face their constituents. Also, if a bill does not come for a vote, it does not get counted in the environmental scorecard of the League of Conservation voters, so it is also a form of green-washing. A number of club members aided us in our efforts by contacting their legislators. Many get a response along the lines of, “I am looking at it very closely,” a way of saying no politely. Democratic Senator Julie Kushner held a press conference with the United Auto Workers, where part of her statement characterized Elon Musk as “already ruler of the world.” Excuse us, Senator, this is not about Elon Musk. It is not even about Tesla. It is about your constituents.

This Is an Election Year

Changes are afoot. Senator Haskell is leaving the legislature. He represents what is considered a swing district that was represented by Republican Toni Boucher for 10 years before Haskell defeated her in 2018. She has announced her candidacy. Republican Senator Kevin Witkos, who was rumored to be a possible yes vote, is not standing for re-election. Representative Laura Devlin, who was a no vote in committee, is GOP gubernatorial candidate Bob Stefanowski’s running mate.

Consider your vote carefully. Don’t hesitate to ask candidates for a direct response on their stance on this issue. Direct sales is the single most impactful measure that can be taken to accelerate the pace of EV adoption. The data are clear from the experience of other states.

We will come back to membership next year asking for support. Despite the discouragement of this and past years, we will need to respond in force. There are more of us every year. They can’t ignore us forever.

FAQ Aptera

Aptera w Edits

Post by Barry Kresch

The following is from a conversation with executives of the New Haven Parking Authority (or Park New Haven, as they brand themselves) – Executive Director, Doug Hausladen, COO, Sammy Parry, and Chief Engineer, Jim Staniewicz.

We all know the need for more public charging. And is it too much to ask that the chargers be kept in good working order and the spaces policed? It was thus a pleasant surprise to come across the facilities of the New Haven Parking Authority, which is setting a great example of how to support EVs, emission-free transportation, and the community, broadly speaking.

The Authority runs 11 facilities with a total of 43 chargers. And they work. And they’re not ICEd. They have an electrician on staff who services them, as well as security that has the authority to ticket interlopers. The garage at Union Station has a handicapped EV charging space.

All of the facilities are paid garages. They charge the going rate for New Haven. There is no extra charge to charge.

The Public Utility Regulatory Agency (PURA) charging incentives are coming along at just the right time as they have plans to add 40 more charging stations. The incentives will be used to upgrade electrical service beyond what is currently needed to be ready for future installations. Also, they will offset a significant part of the cost of an installation that is currently in the design phase that will have a mix of Level 2 and Level 3 chargers, 20 ports in all, located at Orange and Elm Streets in downtown New Haven. This location will offer a discounted $3 flat rate for evenings and weekends. The idea is to be a magnet for EV drivers and support local businesses.

So why and how is the agency doing this? As an authority, they can move faster than a public agency. The commissioners to whom they report, and who they describe as very engaged and a great cross section of New Haven, are interested in a sustainability agenda.

Beyond parking, Park NH is a partner in the city bike share program and they have been awarded an $18,000 grant to start an electric cargo e-bike share. They are also looking to set up e-bike charging stations.

Finally, Park NH has their own vehicle fleet. Their first EV purchase occurred last summer – a Chevy Bolt. Plans are to turn over the entirety of the fleet to electric. If SB-4 passes, the new vehicles could potentially come with CHEAPR rebates.

This is a model that every parking authority should emulate. This is the future of parking.

Low Rebate Levels Continue

There were 50 total rebates awarded in February 2022. January was restated from 40 to 52. There were no LMI (income limited) rebates as far as we can discern. These rebates are of a different amount than the standard rebate and that is how we can identify them.

There were no actions taken to modify the program at the March board meeting. Of course, even if there were, it would take some time to implement. SB-4, the big environmental omnibus bill raised in the legislature has passed out of committee and is now before the Senate. This bill has several CHEAPR related components that would significantly change the program, in particular by raising the MSRP cap and loosening the LMI criteria. (More details here.) It will be known before the next board meeting in June if this bill will become law. Many bills are written for changes to take place in the fall. Realistically, whether it is legislation or DEEP-driven, that is probably the earliest timeframe we are looking at.

The RAV4 Prime dominant distribution of rebates by model continues. Driven by this, the program remains PHEV top-heavy with 34 of the 50 rebates.

The appearance of the VW ID.4 was nice to see but we have not seen evidence of many of this trim level being delivered. We expect this pattern to continue absent an MSRP cap increase. Nissan, maker of the budget-friendly Leaf, is getting ready to introduce its new Ariya EUV, but the starting MSRP is $46K. To the best of our knowledge, GM has still not resumed production of new Bolts as it is still working its way through the recalled vehicles and dealer inventory, though it should be coming to the closing stage of that. The forthcoming Equinox EUV is projected to have a similar price point to the Bolt, but it is 18 months away.

Omnibus Transportation and Energy Committee Bill Includes Support for EVs

Aside from SB-214 that would enable direct EV sales, there was another significant bill that advanced to the full chamber in SB-4 which passed by a committee vote of 23 – 11.

CHEAPR

Changes to the state EV purchase-incentive program, CHEAPR, are one aspect of the bill.

• The MSRP cap for eligible vehicles is raised to $50,000.
• The budget of the program is being increased, though an exact amount is not specified.
• Changes are coming to incentives designed for income-limited individuals that will broaden eligibility and raise the incentive. The current formulation has had a very low take-rate. If a way can be a found so that it can be cash on the hood as is the case with the standard incentive, that would also help. There are incentives for both new and used EVs.
• There will be an e-bike incentive of $500 for individuals who are income-limited or live in an environmental justice community. Eligible bikes have a price cap of $2000. (There is some discussion regarding whether that cap is unrealistically low.)
• Currently, CHEAPR incentives are only available to residents. This bill expands it to include businesses, municipalities, non-profits, and tribal entities. It entitles them to up to 10 rebates in a single year with a total cap of 20.
• The CHEAPR Board is changing. The specifics of who is eligible to be appointed are being modified. The board is losing some agency and becomes an advisory board.

DEEP released a discouraging stat that only 34% of eligible vehicles are being sold with a rebate. This number starts with June of 2021, so the lifetime cap would not be an issue. There could be a few reasons for this, but at the risk of being IFO, this is a point of sale rebate and the point of sale is the dealership. According to the Center for Sustainable Energy, the consultant that runs the program for DEEP, Tesla has the rebate integrated into its checkout flow. The dealers should do the same, and in general be more proactive about educating customers about the program.

These are some of the other items in SB-4:

• Right to charge language that would make it easier for residents of multi-unit dwellings to be permitted to install a charger.
• A requirement that any state funded project not contribute to emissions, either directly or via an offset.
• Mandates to increase the electrification of the state vehicle fleet until it covers 100% of the fleet by 2030.
• Funding for the installation of EV charging stations in the rural areas of the state that are not likely to benefit from the Infrastructure Bill funding, which focuses on major highway corridors.
• School bus contracts would be permitted to be extended to 10 years from the current 5, making the numbers pencil out for electric.
• A prohibition on purchasing/leasing diesel transit buses beginning in 2024.

Passing out of committee is just the first step. However, SB-4 has 56 sponsors and is thought to have a high likelihood of becoming law.

SB-214 Passes with 21 Votes

SB-214 has passed the Transportation Committee by a vote of 21-14. To see how individual members voted, check out the tally on the committee website.

Legislators are offered time to comment before the vote is taken and several took the opportunity.

Representative Devin Carney (R) (Ranking Member), who is a no vote, said that there is no longer a need because dealerships are now selling EVs, a change from several years ago. He opined that Tesla is a legitimate company, but that other, newer entrants like Rivian and Lucid, with their difficulties in ramping production, are not, and thus do not deserve this “carve-out.” He also objected to characterizations made of the legacy companies that they don’t care about the environment, and cited some of the challenges of sourcing the materials necessary for battery manufacturing from places like the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Representative Jonathan Steinberg (D), a longtime supporter of direct sales, said this year’s bill was an improvement over past bills. (The bill is restricted to battery electric vehicles and is no longer just a Tesla bill). Steinberg notes that the dealers say that direct sales will hurt their businesses but that the data from states where direct sales is legal just don’t support that conclusion. He thinks the entire auto purchasing relational experience will change, that it’s about competitiveness, and that this bill supports consumer choice. Interestingly, he said that he would support a bill that goes further than this one and do away with the franchise laws entirely.

Representative Stephen Meskers (D) said he was a yes because “at some level, the markets should decide.” His main concern was about whether this would extract profits from the state and vowed to engage with Tesla and the other companies to push them to maximize their investment in CT, including vocational-technical training.

Senator Henri Martin (R), voting no, complained that he doesn’t understand why this bill keeps coming back year after year. He feels that this bill does not protect consumers, questions whether there will be adequate servicing facilities, and that it comes down to having two sets of laws.

The actual committee vote was more bipartisan than the above comments might indicate. However, as best we know, last year there were no Republican votes in the Senate for this bill (since the bill didn’t get called, there was no recorded vote). That is something we hope to see change.

Bills similar to SB-214 have made it out of committee in the past but haven’t made it across the finish line. The Senate is the next stop for SB-214.

We think that Representative Steinberg is spot on. This industry is changing but it needs to change faster. Consumers overwhelmingly support this legislation. Now is the time to tell your legislators that you support the free-market and consumer choice, and that the current, antiquated laws are holding back EV adoption.

You can use this page to find your state senator and representative.

Aptera, Maker of Unique “AutoCycle” 3-Wheeled EV, to Present to EV Club

Save the date – April 12th, via Zoom at 7 PM. Registration link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0pcOqhrjotGtdliZAhlNAaQBItwYud3A1t

Aptera, a lightweight, extremely aerodynamic vehicle with integrated solar has an electric range of from 250 miles with the base trim level ($25,900), up to 1000 miles at the highest of the 4 trim levels ($50,700). It has a drag coefficient of .13 (Tesla Model 3 is .23) and the ability to charge as much as 40 miles on a sunny day.

We have asked Aptera if they will bring one to CT so we can see it up close and possibly take it for a spin. They are not yet to that point, but our interest is noted.

A Directive to Consider Vehicle Emissions Prior to Acquiring a Vehicle

Westport has been a leader in electric vehicle acquisition, both in terms of its residents making it the number one Connecticut city in EVs on a per capita basis and the municipality acquiring electric vehicles for official use. As of this writing, the Westport Police Department has 6 plug-in vehicles and the Town has 2. (Subsequent to the directive being issued, the WPD acquired a second Tesla, a Model Y, for use as a patrol car.)

Sustainable Connecticut Certification

The impetus for this directive was the work being done that ultimately enabled Westport to be one of 12 cities earning a Silver Certification (highest level awarded) from Sustainable Connecticut. While this directive may not have the force of an ordinance, it was done expeditiously, and from what we know is being taken seriously.

Text of Directive

“The Town of Westport, with the Police Department at the lead, has changed its policy on acquiring vehicles. Prior to 2019 the Town rarely took into account vehicle emissions or efficiency (Miles Per Gallon, etc) prior to acquiring a vehicle. The upfront cost of the vehicle was priority, and total cost of ownership/use was not considered.

At this time the municipality requires all departments to follow the Municipal Fleet Improvement Strategy prior to choosing a vehicle. The Town owns or leases, in addition to the Tesla 3, two plug-in hybrid Toyota Priuses, two all-electric Chevrolet Bolts, one electric BMW I-3.

The Town of Westport and its departments recognize that Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles negatively influence air quality and emit particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The American Lung Association states:

• Fairfield County remains the most polluted County in the New York-Newark metro area, 21 days of unhealthful levels of ozone. It also has the highest ozone readings in the eastern US. https://www.lung.org/media/press-releases/connecticut-sota-2021

The Town and its departments, in an effort to decrease its contribution to such pollutants and to work toward the Town goal of Net Zero by 2050, follows this Municipal Vehicle Strategy:

With the replacement of every vehicle, or the addition of a vehicle to the municipal fleet, consideration will be given to the viability of an electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle over an Internal Combustion Engine vehicle.

The following will be considered when addressing viability:

Vehicle features (size, capability, performance, safety), vehicle emissions, equipment specifications, mileage efficiency, economic viability/cost (both upfront cost and total cost of ownership including fueling, maintenance, etc.), ancillary equipment needs (e.g. ambulance equipment, EV charger).

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Finance Department.”

EV Club Follow Up with Eversource and UI

This post concerns vehicles with telematics. Telematics is where the utility is able to communicate directly with the vehicle, as opposed to a smart charger, the latter being the basic design of the program. This information has been developing, and in some cases, changing. This is the latest. Here goes.

The basic design of the program is to provide subsidies of up to $1000 for the purchase and installation of smart chargers. In return, the recipient is required to participate in the demand response programs where the utility can throttle the rate of charge during high demand periods. The utility pays then the customer $200 annually for full participation in the demand response.

One thing that is different than what is in the video of our meeting is that all vehicles, including Tesla, are eligible for a smart charger subsidy. At this time, there are no approved Tesla chargers in the program. That could change if Tesla chooses to submit a charger for qualification (or possibly they have and it is in the approval process). Tesla owners can use an eligible J1772 smart charger and qualify for the hardware incentive. Of course, an adapter will be necessary.

For those people who already have chargers that are not qualified chargers because they are either dumb chargers or non-approved smart chargers, another way to participate in the program is via telematics, if you have an eligible vehicle. Tesla, Chevrolet, Ford and a few other makes have eligible vehicles. This is the page that lists eligible vehicles for each company. It is subject to change and is expected to change as this is still early days. There is a $100 enrollment incentive for people participating via telematics.

Registering for Telematics

Registering for this telematics path is difficult and confusing at this point because Eversource and UI are still in the process of building out their websites and back-end integration. The back-end part of it is further complicated because there are two external vendors involved. One vendor is managing the rebates. The other is managing the telematics. Both utilities are using the same vendor for the rebates, but they are using different vendors for telematics. Consequently, there will be different vehicles that are telematics-eligible for each utility. While it is possible to stumble your way through the process, it is better to wait for the time being. As long as the program registration is done before June, no incentive amount will be lost.

We have provided detailed feedback to the utilities about the pain points in the registration funnels as they exist now.

In the case of Eversource, there is yet another layer because it is retaining its Connected Solutions branding and transitioning it to the new program. This process is not complete and there is old content still on the website. It is possible to link to that old content from the homepage and you may find yourself answering questions that are non-sequiturs. Some members have reported landing on a Massachusetts page. This is all part of the same problem, and the advice is the same – wait.

When we booked the virtual club meeting about this program for early in the year, we did not realize that there was still be a lot of developmental work to be done by the utilities to get to full implementation. Eversource and UI have advised us that in about a month, they will be able to give us more definitive information regarding the specifics of a more consumer-friendly telematics registration funnel and we will communicate that out when we have them.