Survey and Written Feedback on Draft Electric Vehicles Funding and Legislative Request

Thank you for providing your input on the Department of Commerce's draft legislative proposals (agency request legislation and decision packages) on passenger electric vehicles (EVs).


A summary document of the proposals can be read here.


Background on process

The proposals have been drafted in partnership with a group of interested parties formed into two work streams: one designed to address EV charging availability, and one to reduce the upfront cost differential between EVs and gasoline vehicles. Previous versions or components of the proposals were presented to the Interagency Electric Vehicle Coordinating Council (EV Council) on July 10, and in a public workshop on July 17. They have been refined based on feedback from both sessions.


The survey questions below represent another opportunity for members of the public to offer feedback before the proposals are submitted to the Governor's Office and Office of Financial Management (OFM). Once submitted, the budget proposals will be considered for inclusion in the Governor's budget proposal for the 2025 legislative session. Agency request legislation, if approved by the Governor's Office, would proceed to introduction by a legislative sponsor.


How Commerce will use responses

Commerce will carefully review survey responses before finalizing proposals for submittal.


Due to the quick turnaround time between the survey end date and proposal due dates, we will do our best to review written comments but may need to follow up with commenters as proposals continue to be shaped in the fall. It is common for agencies to work with the Governor's Office and OFM to adjust details for inclusion in the budget or legislative language even after proposals have been formally submitted.


Instructions and timeline

The survey questions should only take you about 10 minutes to complete. Some questions contain technical concepts which is needed to get feedback on key decision points. We are available to answer questions on technical terms and provide support.


This form will be available from August 5 through August 16, 2024, and any responses submitted after will be reviewed as staff capacity allows.


We appreciate your time and continued engagement. Your voice helps us improve our recommendations to budget and legislative decision makers.


Contact

You can reach out to Andrew Rector at Andrew.Rector@commerce.wa.gov with questions about this survey.

Purchase costs and consumer information

Which strategy for bringing down purchase prices for EVs should the state prioritize in for the next few years?
How much does an incentive for buying or leasing an EV need to be to have a meaningful impact on purchase decisions?

First amount is for new EVs, second is for used EVs

Compared to rebates or tax incentives that bring down the upfront cost of EVs, how important is better quality consumer information for helping consumers choose electric over gasoline?

Charging

Do you think the state should adopt reliability standards for all public chargers, or only those funded by state or ratepayer funding?

Those who think standards should apply to all public chargers argue that the state supports all chargers through transportation infrastructure broadly and regulations that require automakers to sell more EVs, and any costs to comply will make future public investments more cost effective.


Those who think standards should only apply to publicly available chargers funded by the state or ratepayers argue that the state has no jurisdiction regulating privately funded charging infrastructure, and doing so would result in millions of dollars in compliance costs that could be put into better maintenance.

Which type of light-duty vehicle charging should be the highest priority for state funding?
What should the state use as a cost estimate for the average multifamily or public Level 2 charging plug?

This includes consumer side of the meter costs but does not including grid distribution system costs. For a dual port charger, assume half the costs (A $20,000 dual port charger installation would cost $10,000 per plug).

What should the state use as a cost estimate for the average fast charging plug?

This includes consumer side of the meter costs but does not including grid distribution system costs. For a dual port charger, assume half the costs (A $200,000 dual port charger installation would cost $100,000 per plug).

Should the state fund residential charging through grants or rebates?

Those who think charging should be funded through grants point to better access to funding throughout project milestones, rather than a lump sum at the end that requires carrying upfront cost.


Those who think charging should be funded through rebates point to the long grant contracting process that often takes at least six months to go from application to contract signing. This makes it a bad fit for Level 2 projects that can be done more quickly and may be funded at the point-of-installation through registered contractors.

Overall, how much should the state invest in charging as a share of total costs?

Costs ultimately come down to whether funding is coming from taxpayers, feepayers ratepayers, and consumers. Increasing the state share increases the costs for taxpayers and feepayers, while decreasing the state share increases costs for ratepayers and consumers. A lower state share might also not be covered by other funding sources, and therefore slow the EV transition.


For perspective, total charging costs on the customer side of the meter are estimated at about $800 million to $1 billion in the next budget cycle, depending on cost assumptions.

This is offered for responders who prefer to submit written feedback in a separate attachment. It is not required.

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