We’re excited to share that Plug In America has achieved EVAL Bronze certification. This certification recognizes our efforts to provide employee EV incentives and our creativity in designing and developing partnerships that advance access to EV charging and zero-emissions transportation. Our goal is to bring much-needed awareness to the importance of clean transportation options at the workplace, as it’s a crucial component to achieve national EV adoption goals.
When people think of EV charging, they usually think of home or DC fast charging. However, workplace charging is the second-most effective location after the home for EV drivers to charge because their vehicles are often parked in worksites for long periods of time – from 6 to 8 hours. Providing access to workplace charging increases EV access to “garage orphans” who live in multi-unit dwellings and don’t have access to at-home charging. It also assures drivers of EVs with shorter ranges that they can rely on their batteries by recharging before driving home for the day.
People who have access to workplace charging will take advantage of the facilities almost 30% of the time, according to our 2023 EV driver survey. However, there is still a big infrastructure gap, with relatively few employers offering access to EV fueling on-site. According to the International Council on Clean Transportation, the U.S. will need 1.3 million workplace charging stations in order to achieve the goal of 26 million EVs on the roads in 2030. With this in mind, the U.S. Department of Energy is funding various EV workplace initiatives, and one of them is EVAL, or EV Adoption Leadership program — an employer certification designed to bring much-needed awareness to workplace charging and clean transportation options and opportunities for their employees.
EVAL was inspired by the well-recognized and respected Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building certification. LEED is a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement, and it is backed by an entire industry of committed organizations and individuals paving the way for market transformation. A building with a LEED certification seal is symbolic of sustainability practices in resource use, energy management, water conservation, human health, and more, seeking to transform how buildings and communities are designed, built, and operated to advance human and environmental wellbeing. EVAL strives for similar sustainability goals to advance low and zero-emissions transportation, recognizing organizations that offer EV charging and clean transportation options for their employees at their worksites.
Plug In America has been a fully remote organization since 2021, and even though we don’t offer EV charging on-site, we pursued EVAL and got certified. We accumulated most of our points in the Mobility Incentives and Innovation sections of the questionnaire. Our organization offers employee incentives for the purchase or lease of an EV. From the innovation angle, we have showcased sustainability leadership through state and regional programs that increase access to EVs and EV charging.
Going through the EVAL questionnaire was relatively easy. By consulting with our director of finance and administration who is knowledgeable about Plug In America’s policies, we completed the EVAL questionnaire in less than an hour. Two weeks later, we received confirmation from Forth that we had achieved EVAL Bronze certification and received our badge and certificate.
If you would like to learn more information about EVAL, including its impact, benefits and our experience with the process, watch our webinar here. In this webinar, you will learn more about workplace charging, benefits of the certification, implications for your employees, technical resources, and more.
