Last year, we helped coordinate a hearing in the Idaho Capitol to talk about the benefits electric vehicles (EVs) bring to our state. EVs help fight climate change, protect Idaho’s air quality and public health, and boost our economy. In light of this, Gov. Brad Little declared February 14, Electric Vehicle Day. As we prepare to celebrate EV Day 2020, we wanted to share the work that’s been done over the past year.
2019 Was a Busy Year for EVs
- Sales of electric vehicles continue to rev up! There are now nearly 13,000 battery, plug-in, and hybrid electric vehicles in Idaho!
- Valley Regional Transit will bring 8 electric buses to the Treasure Valley.
- Volkswagen settlement award money will bring 3 electric buses to Mountain Ride in the Wood River Valley.
- Money from the VW settlement will also be used to buy 8 electric garbage trucks in Ada County and build fast charging stations in Lewiston, Bonners Ferry and Hailey.
- Gov. Little signed the 2019 Regional Vehicle Plan for the West (REV West), committing Idaho to work with other western states on promoting EVs and building connected infrastructure.
- ICL installed our own EV charger at our Boise office
- ICL helped coordinate EV car shows in Boise, Nampa, and Caldwell
What’s Next? Remove Barriers and Increase Incentives
We’re thrilled with the progress on EVs, but we wouldn’t be a good advocacy group if we stopped there. We’re continuing our efforts to minimize barriers to EV ownership and increase incentives for electric mobility. To achieve this, we all need to raise our voices in support of EVs in Idaho. Contact your state legislators today and tell them you want to see them support EVs in Idaho. Idaho has one of the cleanest energy grids in the nation. It’s time we use the energy produced within our state to power our transportation sector, instead of importing fossil fuels.