Bill Bugbee, BIEVA member and owner of a Chevy Volt and Tesla Model S, recently published a summary of situation of electric vehicle adoption and the various considerations – barriers, product developments, policies – that are affecting it. While improvements in product lines are contributing to driving range and price become less of a challenge, the barriers continue to hinder adoption. This has implications to our ability to meet the state’s clean energy promises and demand that more be done to encourage the introduction of charging infrastructure, the adoption of electric cars, and the shift to renewable sources for our energy production.
Thank you Bill Bugbee for your research, and for this article. What stood out for me was this sentence….
“The 2019 legislature’s reluctant passage of Sen. Inouye’s SB409 addition of a surcharge tax on new and annual electric vehicle registrations is an example where ill-informed lawmakers shifted EV adoption in Hawai’i into reverse.”
I agree, and am disappointed with Sen. Inouye for introducing SB409. I testified asking Gov. Ige to please veto SB409.
As electric pick up trucks, from Ford and others, become available and offer a far better alternative to ICE pick up trucks, I imagine Sen. Inouye will change her opinion and hopefully she will offer new progressive legislation in support of Hawaii’s EV fleet, and in expanding EV charging infrastructure. Gradually ever more people will come to appreciate the many benefits of EV’s… including Sen, Inouye’s constituents..!
Best Regards, Ron (happy owner of a 2019 KIA SOUL EV)