ARIZONA NEWS

Phoenix approves roadmap to have 280K electric vehicles on the road by 2030

Jun 18, 2022, 7:15 AM

(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)...

(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

PHOENIX — The Phoenix City Council this week approved a plan that has a goal of 280,000 electric vehicles on the road by 2030.

The Transportation Electrification Action Plan, which passed unanimously, puts forth various recommendations to reach that lofty goal.

“We know that in the city of Phoenix, the transportation sector, and in particular gas-powered vehicles, are the leading cause of greenhouse gas emissions and our poor air quality here in the Valley,” councilmember Yassamin Ansari, who served as chair of the committee that built the roadmap, told KTAR News 92.3 FM.

“In order to make the biggest dent in tackling this and cleaning up our air, we know that transitioning to electric vehicles is one of the most significant actions we can take.”

Among those actions is expanding access to public electric vehicle charging stations. The goal is to install 500 city-owned public charging stations by 2030, up from the 63 currently available.

“We know that right now one of the biggest barriers to EV adoption is enough charging infrastructure around the Valley, whether that’s at people’s homes, in their workplaces, in the public,” Ansari said.

Ansari added she hopes funding from the bipartisan infrastructure bill and other grant opportunities will help expand charging stations in the Valley.

The roadmap also advises finding ways to streamline the permitting process for installing charging stations at the workplace, business, home and multi-family complexes, developing proposals for electric vehicle-ready building codes and ordinances, as well as creating an education program specific to builders, developers and businesses.

Other recommendations in the roadmap are launching an education campaign that works to clarify the benefits of electric vehicles, dispel myths and provide resources, as well as converting a portion of the city’s light-duty fleet to electric.

“I think the passing of this plan is really exciting, especially the fact that it was a unanimous bipartisan vote,” Ansari said. “Data and polling in Arizona shows there is overwhelming support for clean energy investments and electric vehicles are a big part of that.

“We’re just really excited that the city of Phoenix is leading not only locally and nationally but internationally in this realm.”

Development of the plan involved 40 community meetings since Mayor Kate Gallego announced the launch of the committee in June 2021, along with more than 1,500 survey responses and over 750 written comments.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Colton Krolak contributed to this report. 

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here.

Arizona News

Cactus Park Precinct...

KTAR.com

Weekend wrap-up: Here are the biggest Arizona stories from Dec. 8-10

Here are some of the biggest stories that headlined the Arizona news cycle over the weekend from Dec. 8-10.

6 hours ago

Members of the U.S. Border Patrol and U.S. Customs and Border Protection organize a group of migran...

Associated Press

Smugglers are bringing migrants to a remote Arizona border crossing, overwhelming US agents

With migrants crossing daily, the U.S. shut down the nearby crossing near Lukeville to free up officers to help with transportation.

8 hours ago

Kris Mayes, Arizona Attorney General...

KTAR.com

Arizona Attorney General Mayes launches investigation into gift card cloning

Arizona AG Kris Mayes launched an investigation into an organized retail theft scheme, his office announced Friday.

10 hours ago

James Osgood, Silver Alert...

KTAR.com

Silver Alert issued for 67-year-old man in Phoenix

The Arizona Department of Safety issued a Silver Alert for 67-year-old James Osgood, who went missing on Sunday.

10 hours ago

(Facebook Photo/Phoenix Police Department, file)...

KTAR.com

Police identify teen boy who died after shooting in central Phoenix

A teenage boy who was shot and later died in central Phoenix on Saturday afternoon has been identified, according to Phoenix Police. 

15 hours ago

Solar panels...

Damon Allred

Gila River Indian Community to receive solar panels over canals

The Biden-Harris Administration will give $5.65 million to construct and install solar panels over the Casa Blanca Canal.

18 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Dierdre Woodruff

Interest rates may have peaked. Should you buy a CD, high-yield savings account, or a fixed annuity?

Interest rates are the highest they’ve been in decades, and it looks like the Fed has paused hikes. This may be the best time to lock in rates for long-term, low-risk financial products like fixed annuities.

Follow @KTAR923...

The 2023 Diamondbacks are a good example to count on the underdog

The Arizona Diamondbacks made the World Series as a surprise. That they made the playoffs at all, got past the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Wild Card round, swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS and won two road games in Philadelphia to close out a full seven-game NLCS went against every expectation. Now, […]

...

Desert Institute for Spine Care

Desert Institute for Spine Care (DISC) wants to help Valley residents address back, neck issues through awake spine surgery

As the weather begins to change, those with back issues can no longer rely on the dry heat to aid their backs. That's where DISC comes in.

Phoenix approves roadmap to have 280K electric vehicles on the road by 2030