Clean-air program to promote commuters' use of electric vehicles powered by the sun

INDUSTRY, Calif. – The state’s largest-of-its-kind program will allow commuters to lease or rent all-electric vehicles at a lower cost versus equivalent gasoline cars at the City of Industry’s state-of-the-art Metrolink station. The $12 million project combines 2 megawatts of solar carports, capable of generating enough electricity to power about 1,300 homes at a given point in time, with an electric vehicle charging backbone that one day could charge up to 600 vehicles. In addition, this project includes the deployment of 28 electric vehicles to be used in a commuter rent/lease program. The project, initiated by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), and partially funded by a $2 million SCAQMD grant, is designed to promote the use of alternative transportation – specifically, all-electric vehicles and mass transit – in Southern California. “Solar panels and electric vehicles at the City of Industry’s Metrolink station will generate a net of zero emissions,” said Barry Wallerstein, SCAQMD’s executive officer. “This demonstration moves the region one step closer to a zero-emission transportation future." As a key air quality attainment strategy, the SCAQMD has repeatedly identified the need to implement low- and zero-emission technologies that rely on electricity to meet the air quality objectives of SCAQMD’s Air Quality Management Plan. Incentivizing in-basin renewable distributed electricity generation to support electric technology applications is particularly important in achieving SCAQMD’s mission and goals. “In spite of dramatic progress in reducing air pollution, Southern California still has the worst air quality in the nation,” Wallerstein said. “To meet federal air quality standards that protect public health, we will need a truly zero-emission transportation system exemplified by this project.” Last year, the City of Industry completed the project’s first phase, installing 64 electric-vehicle charging stations powered by solar panels atop the Metrolink station’s 940 carport stalls. The solar generated electricity from more than 8,000 solar panels will supply the Southern California Edison energy grid. The city has since surveyed commuters to determine their interest in renting or leasing all-electric vehicles at subsidized rates –with all-in cost for a Nissan Leaf (including lease, fuel & parking) at less than $100 per car per month. The cars would be charged at the station during work hours, at no expense to the commuter. “The feedback was strongly in favor of two-year leases,” said Richard Mrlik of Intertie, a Bay Area energy consulting firm hired to help manage the project. Moreover, the program has been oversubscribed which the City of Industry is working to accommodate. Mrlik noted that when sales price and wiring upgrades are factored in, “the overall cost of electric transportation is less than gasoline transportation. So if you could subsidize or incentivize people in some way to use electric vehicles, it becomes a much simpler decision for the buyer.” The Nissan Leaf, the predominant car model in the all-electric category, has been chosen for the program. Hybrid vehicles and plug-in hybrids are not eligible. The initial target is 28 cars, though “if we can do 60 cars, we will do 60 cars,” Mrlik said. Much of that will depend on other costs associated with the program which the city will bear. Jeff Parriott, mayor of the City of Industry, hailed the program as a major step forward in improving air quality and traffic flow. “Alternative transportation isn’t simply an option anymore,” Parriott said. “We need to find ways to encourage use of both clean-air vehicles and mass transit if we’re going to preserve our quality of life and meet the needs of our growing population.” According to the Southern California Association of Governments, the six-county region is expected to grow by 4 million people – up from the current 18 million – by 2035. During that same period, the state is mandating a 16 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Hasan Ikhrata, SCAG’s executive director, called the Industry program a “win-win project that provides models for Southern California’s future.“ “SCAG’s Board recently adopted the region’s first Sustainable Communities Strategy which outlines how greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced in our cities by 2025. Implementing viable technology alternatives for personal transportation is an important part of our overall strategy,” Ikhrata said. “SCAG works with our partners like the City of Industry every day to study, test, and deliver solutions for our regions residents, including work on electric vehicles. The City of Industry has developed a multi-pronged approach that benefits drivers, the transit system, and alternative energy.” CONTACT: CONTACT: Richard Mrlik, Intertie, 415-740-4513