Lack of Charging Stations Hampers WA State EV Fleet Conversions

When the legislature passed the ‘no new gas-powered vehicle’ sale ban in WA by 2035, Gov. Inslee also signed laws concerning the state’s fleet vehicles.

  All state fleet vehicles must be EV by 2040.

By fleet vehicles, we mean ‘company car’ types, not snowplows or heavy duty. Those get a bit more of a pass. According to The Center Square:

“The requirement is that they be:

• 40% EV by 2025
• 75% by 2030
• 100% by 2035

For medium and heavy duty vehicles (Class 2b and higher), the agency fleets must be 100% EV by 2040.”

However, according to the latest reports, a lack of charging stations, and even ‘uniform’ or standard charging methods as well as mistrust of the technology is slowing the state’s conversion. Only 5 of the state’s 24 agencies are either ahead of schedule or on track for meeting that 2025 requirement.

According to The Center Square and reports from workers, there’s a significant mistrust of using  EVs in bad weather, or for longer drives.  Even if the distance is not significant, rush-hour traffic creates concerns about battery life among the workers. Many workers opt for the gas-model vehicles for longer trips.

The lack of public charging is an issue, as is the vandalism at existing stations where copper is being stolen by thieves. The amount of copper in the stations is minimal, but that has not stopped the thefts and destruction.