It's Alive! Charging Forward with Adaptive EV Management
At the end of the 19th century, electric vehicles (EVs) were on equal ground with gas-powered cars. New York City had a fleet of about 60 electric taxis and about one-third of all vehicles on the road were electric. But thanks to thanks to Henry Ford’s Model T, the discovery of Texas crude oil and the modernization of U.S. roadways, gasoline-powered combustion engines would soon rule the transportation realm.
Today, though, electric vehicles (EVs) have been making a dramatic comeback, thanks in no small part to technological innovations like longer-lasting batteries and policies like the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which infused more than $115 million to help build a wide-reaching network of public charging stations. According to the National Governors Association, at least 45 states now offer at least some type of incentive to accelerate adoption of EVs. And experts believe EV-favorable policies like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act and various incentive programs will continue to bolster state and local confidence in this technology. Consequently, many organizations and campuses are actively developing EV programs.
But a modern EV fleet is only as powerful as its ability to evolve. Jessica Carroll, discipline leader for Intelligent Transportation Systems at CDM Smith, refers to EV management as running a “living program.”
Drivers and considerations for EV programs
![Considerations for managing electric vehicle programs and resulting benefits](/-/media/Insights/EV-Evaluation/EV_EvaluationMobilityOptions-Inline_16x9.jpg?bc=ffffff&as=0&mw=1600&hash=A2D60553B03A68A149A47899B8F793FA)
To achieve the management of living EV programs, organizations are turning to mobility teams. Mobility teams include traffic engineers, modal specialists, urban and community planners and travel demand modelers. Combining asset condition data and leading-edge SCADA and GIS monitoring tools, these teams rely on continuously evolving plans to support the planning and financing of EV fleets and complete corridors infrastructure in a sustainable manner.
Recently, one of the world’s leading research facilities became a perfect incubator for the future of electrified infrastructure. The facility’s leadership had already launched an employee electric vehicle (EV) program that installed a network of 120-volt outlets to support an early generation of all-electric, low-speed vehicles. The program, intended to advance campus sustainability and provide more attractive spaces in order to keep and lure top talent, now needed to grow.
Carroll and her team at CDM Smith was tasked with evaluating the path forward. "Getting existing data was a challenge," she recalls. The team inventoried each charging station across the research facility. They wrote recommendations for repairs and upgrades, then used the inventory and industry best practices to outline a preventive maintenance program. They also reviewed the current pricing structure and station demand to recommend short-term and longer-term changes.
“We gave guidance on what needs to be done today, but also left them with a blueprint to continue to move forward to meet their mission in the future,” Carroll said. “This document is not set in stone and can grow and evolve as the plans for the campus change.”
Building a leading EV charging program
Today, the research lab is a leader in workplace electric vehicle charging and looking forward. Program managers have partnered with CDM Smith to increase participation and make EV a dominant mode of transportation on campus.
Since the ground was laid for the current EV movement more than 25 years ago, our experts have partnered with federal and state departments of transportation to gather data and make considered recommendations for EV adoption. Our experts can help identify funding opportunities and discuss common keys to success, like smart charging, utility collaboration and inclusive outreach.
![Jessica Carroll](/-/media/Experts/Carroll-Jessica-OCT2019/carroll-jessica-oct2019_16x9.jpg?bc=ffffff&as=0&mw=1600&hash=C0EA76C7CC5F8F8CB16198864662F8F2)
![Jessica Carroll](/-/media/Experts/Carroll-Jessica-OCT2019/carroll-jessica-oct2019_1x1.jpg?bc=ffffff&as=0&mw=1600&hash=7B358701E1457578DB21AB7DFC5A807C)
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