New York dedicates $3.5 million on research to accelerate the use of electric vehicles

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced a $3.5 million investment for innovative research and development proposals to scale-up the deployment of electric vehicles and minimise barriers to this technology.

The available funds will also be used for research on how to reduce the cost of installing and operating charging stations, and to provide consultancy on how electric vehicles can be used for grid resilience.

Governor Cuomo said that "clean cars are the way of the future, and with a tremendous increase in the number of electric vehicles sold this year, it is clear New Yorkers support efforts to combat climate change”.

The funds will be managed by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, which is now seeking  research proposals that will demonstrate the potential impact of electric vehicles on job growth, technical advances and on the overall economy.

The “Plug-in Electric Vehicle (PEV) Enabling Technology Development and Demonstration Program” will have a particular focus on the interaction between electric vehicles and the electric grid, aiming to find ways to take advantage of the opportunities that electric vehicles can offer. for grid resiliency.

Some of the proposed topics are how to reduce the impact of charging vehicles on the grid and how charging can be managed to ensure the resilience of the grid.

For example, electric vehicles have the ability to act as energy storage facilities offering backup power during outages or during peak times, such as in hot summer days.

In addition, the Governor announced the availability of an extra $2.2 million in rebates for municipalities to purchase or lease electric or fuel cell vehicles for municipal fleet use and for the installation of public charging or fuel cell refueling stations.

Richard Kauffman, Chairman of Energy and Finance, New York State said: "More and more New Yorkers are seeing the economic and climate benefits of electric vehicles. Under Governor Cuomo's nation-leading clean energy policies, we're seeing, even more, consumer interest in these automobiles which will help us meet our emissions reduction goals”.

In March, New York launched a $70 million electric car rebate and outreach initiative to encourage the growth of zero-emissions vehicles.

The Drive Clean Initiative dedicated $55 million to rebates of up to $2,000 for the purchase of a new plug-in electric car, all-electric car or hydrogen fuel cell car and $15 million in consumer awareness of the benefits of electric cars and in the installation of new charging stations.

The first three months after the launch of the Drive Clean Rebate there was a61 percent increase in claims compared with the same time period last year.

You can find more information on the “Plug-in Electric Vehicle (PEV) Enabling Technology Development and Demonstration Program” and how to apply for funding here.