 Good afternoon, Howard Wigg, Code Green, Sink, Tech, Hawai'i. For those of you who are prone to famous songs, the title of today's program is The Green Green Cars of Ome. And my guest is Lauren Reichelt. She's the Chief Transportation Director. She's moved up in the world for Blue Planet Foundation. And we in the energy office work closely with Blue Planet Foundation because we share the common goal of 100 percent clean electrical energy by the year 2045. We were the first state in the nation to declare that. And of all things, California followed us, usually California leads in everything. Nope, no, Hawai'i took the lead. And clean electrical energy wasn't good enough for us. So we decided to strive for clean ground transportation energy also. And that's where my guest, Laura Reichelt, comes in because she is going to tell us about clean as in electric vehicle ground transportation. Welcome, Laura. Hi, thanks for having me. And yeah, we're very honored to have a Blue Planet Foundation member here. Yeah. Why don't you give us a little background about, okay, can you cite these state goals for clean transportation? Sure. So first of all, background on Blue Planet Foundation. So we are a local nonprofit organization that's working to pave the way for 100 percent clean energy. And we do that through education and advocacy and action implementation. So as the Clean Transportation Director, I am focused on all of our programs that are working to reduce the petroleum that we're using in our transportation sector. So we do have the 100 percent renewable electricity mandate by 2045. We will reach that. But in 2017, all four mayors in Hawai'i also set goals of 100 percent renewable ground transportation by 2045. And then three of those mayors also set goals of 100 percent renewable ground transportation in their own public fleets by 2035. So trying to set the tone and lead the way on that. And so if we go to the next slide, a little bit of, right, the Blue Planet Foundation, if we go one more, a little bit of information on where we're at in the transportation sector here. So we have a problem here in Hawai'i where we rely a lot on petroleum quite heavily. And about two thirds of that goes into transportation. About half of that two thirds goes to ground transportation. So that means a third of our petroleum use is going to ground transportation, which is more than the electricity sector. So it certainly leaves us with a lot of room for improvement. And that is where I come in and where Blue Planet Foundation comes in and all of our partners in working to create a cleaner transportation system here in Hawai'i. And I don't think it's in a slide. Who are your partners? We work with a lot of different partners. So we partner regularly with all of the members of the Drive Electric Hawai'i coalition, including Lupono Initiative, Hawaiian Electric, the State Energy Office, the Department of Transportation, you know, all of the county representatives. We work with private fleets that operate buses or whether those are tour companies. We work with smaller fleets. We really, anyone who has a stake in the transportation system, which is essentially everyone, we work with the public a lot. So yeah. Something that impresses me about this program is this wide, wide, wide coalition that you put together. Yeah. And the wider it is, the more powerful it is. Yeah. Partnerships are really important in the work that we do. So yeah, when we talk about a clean transportation system, if we want to look at the next slide, a clean transportation system is two things. So we both want to reduce the amount that we're traveling by individual cars altogether. So that's kind of like efficiency in the transportation sector. We want to increase our bus trips and our walking trips and our biking trips. But then simultaneously, we want to convert to electric vehicles or zero-emission vehicles or biofuel. We want more sustainable technologies and fuels in the vehicles that are still operating. So a lot of times people want to know why electric vehicles. We do have an uptake in electric vehicles here in the state. And it's because they're extremely efficient to begin with. They have zero tailpipe emissions, so it's great for air quality as well. And then because we have those clean energy goals in the state and that mandate for 100% renewable electricity, it dovetails really nicely with electric vehicles because electric vehicles have to be charged from the grid or solar on someone's home. But if they're charged in the grid, that means that they're going to continuously be charged from cleaner and cleaner electricity as we move towards that 100% renewables. Let me jump in because you hit a topic very near and dear to my heart. I chair the Hawaii Building Codes Council. And one of the codes that we recently passed was the 2017 National Electrical Code. And we've rushed that through because that new code includes four chapters on the proper storage and siting of storage batteries, as in gathering photovoltaic electricity and storing it somewhere. And the deal there is that we have so much photovoltaic with us now that in the middle of a sunny day, the utilities can't throttle their power plants back far enough to accommodate all of that energy and it gets wasted. So what we do is store that because we still have an evening peak, get it nice and stored up and address that, shave that peak as we say for the evening. Yeah, absolutely. It helps. They are, I mean, they're batteries on wheels, essentially, so it can really help us utilize the renewables that are coming in in the middle of the day that are currently being curtailed or we're unable to use. In that way, it actually helps us reach our clean energy goals even faster, which is fantastic. And so one of the, that's really why Hawaiian Electric offers their time of use rates. I think we have a slide on here about those as well. So really the goal of the time of use rates that Hawaiian Electric offers to electric vehicle owners is so that folks are incentivized to charge in the middle of the day. They want people to use the renewables that are coming in on the grid, so they offer the cheapest charging rate during the day from nine to five. And then the most expensive, of course, in the evening when everyone's home, turning on their TVs, turning on their lights, cooking dinner, but this can work really well for certain types of people who might be home in the middle of the day. Either students or retirees or they have flexible schedules or they work from home. It won't work for everyone, but it is a good way of incentivizing that daytime charging and really shows that Hawaiian Electric understands that electric vehicles are really important for the grid. Well, there is another way around that, too. You have those expensive evening charges, but I think that medium range kicks in at 10 o'clock at night, something like that. And generally, you don't need more than eight hours to charge because you have a type two charger. So set your timer for 10 or 10.30 or whatever in the evening and take advantage of that mid-rate and you're all charged up by the morning. Right. Yeah, you can avoid that evening rate pretty easily just by a little bit of strategizing because, yeah, that's a disincentive, right? You don't want to use. And that's why. You don't want to use that time. So, yeah, overnight is great. If you can charge at home, plugging in overnight and just tapping off what you drove during the day is a really feasible option. People in Hawaii actually only drive on average less than 30 miles per day. So you can just top that off overnight with a slow trickle charge in your garage. But a lot of people work during the day and so they can't actually charge during the day unless there's charging available publicly or at workplaces. So we need charging available at those workplaces and places where people will be during the day. Parking lots, things like that. So if we show the next slide, Hawaiian Electric actually has a DC fast charging program where they're installing fast chargers across the state. They currently have nine on Oahu. They look just like that picture in the middle there. But in general, we have a pretty strong public charging infrastructure relative to other states. We're actually second in the country per capita, EV chargers per capita, but we do need more. EV adoption is just increasing so quickly and so we really need to identify funding streams for new public chargers and we need to identify workplaces and public lot owners that are willing to install those chargers. Luckily, there was an EV charger rebate program that was passed at the legislature this year. So that'll be available for public charger installation or upgrades for level two chargers and for DC fast chargers. So if any businesses want to install those, that rebate program will kick in at the beginning of 2020 and will be a really good option to help offset that initial upfront installation cost. That's just three months from now. Yeah, it's soon. That's good. And it'll only go on until the funds run out. So if anyone is interested in installing those public chargers, it's good to get the project started now so that installation takes place early next year and they can take advantage of that rebate. And is that HECO that's managing the program? It's Hawaii Energy. Oh, yeah. So they're making their foray into transportation. Good fit. Yeah, absolutely. And let me put in another word about chargers. I'm the energy codes guy for the state and one of the amendments. You have your national code and then it's given to the states and the states are free to amend and Hawaii was one of the first states to amend by saying when you have new multifamily structures as in high rise apartments or many townhouses that 25% of all those new parking lots must be EV ready, meaning as you're putting all your electrical installations in, there's a conduit that goes to the parking lots and then it goes up into the individual spaces and then there's a little plug there and when you're ready to install your charger you just unscrew the plug and then boom, there's your connection just waiting for you. Yeah. So that's step two, individual single family residences, likewise, charging station, charge EV ready in your garage. Is this the bill that it's being heard right now? Yeah. Right. So I think a really important distinction there too is what's EV ready, right? We're not saying that you need to install a charger. If we can pull up the next slide, this is a good just highlights the difference. So EV ready, really like you said Howard, is just having the electrical capacity set up to install chargers later and having the wiring and conduit in place so that when you're ready to put in a charger, you can just pop a charger right on there, hook it up to that outlet that already exists and in the end that really supports easy low cost installation of EV chargers because you're doing it on the front end when the building is being built. If you wait and you don't make the building EV ready, then it can cost up to 90% more, which really is more expensive for the condominium owner or the apartment dweller or the property owner. So your future proofing, your building, EVs are coming and so it's really a good forward thinking policy to have in place to be sure that folks who live in multi-unit dwellings can take advantage of electric vehicles because there's an option for them to easily install a charger. Yes, and inexpensively, and I'll make a little correction for you. You said 90% cost more, it's 900%, nine times the cost. As we're hearing the city council consider this bill, we've had people living in high rises who want to install EV ready or EV installations in their parking garage, they get horrendous cost estimate. Yeah, I've heard like $35,000, really high numbers, and other areas have implemented similar policies. Vancouver has 100% stalls, Atlanta is 20% and single family homes, and I think it's also worth noting on single family homes, everyone's concerned about cost of living here in Hawaii, but installing that conduit is the equivalent of a dryer outlet. It's a 240 volt outlet, it's not saying you have to have a charger installed, it's really one extra wire, and so it doesn't add much cost to the cost of a home being built. And the ground is open, the walls are open, everything's open, and the electricians are busy installing those conduits anyway, this is just one more conduit. And then a little some extra capacity in your amperage going into the house, because they have to size as if everything is going all at one time. Yeah, this is important. And on that cheery note, we do need to take a break. Howard Wiggs in Hawaii, back in a moment. Hi guys, I'm your host, Lillian Cumick from Lillian's Vegan World. I come to you live every second Friday from 3pm, and this is the show where I talk about the plant-based lifestyle and veganism. So we go through recipes, some upcoming events, information about health regarding your health, and just some ideas on how you can have a better lifestyle, eat healthier and have fun at the same time. So do join me. I look forward to seeing you and Aloha. Aloha. I'm Mellie James, host of Let's Mana Up, Tuesdays every other Tuesday from 11 to 1130. This show is meant to dive into stories of local product entrepreneurs and how they're growing their companies from right here in Hawaii. I'm so thrilled to have our show kicked off. And so please join us on Tuesdays at 11 o'clock as we talk to local entrepreneurs and hear their stories. Welcome back, Howard. Wake, Code Green, Sink, Peck, Kauai, Lauren Reichelt, Director of Clean Transportation for the Blue Planet Foundation. Well, we're just getting really warmed up here, Lauren. So we're talking about the fact that we want as many, many EV outlets as possible. That's one thing that slowing down the growth of EVs is not enough outlets. And what do you call it, range anxiety and so forth? Perceived range anxiety. Perceived range anxiety. Perceived range anxiety, yeah. Because as I mentioned, people in Hawaii really only drive 30 miles a day on average. And so there are a lot of people who don't own EVs that could be really easy adopters of EVs because they don't drive that far to begin with. So I think people assume, oh, it only has 150, 200 mile range. I'm going to run out of that so quickly, but you're not driving as far as you think you are every day. But then also... Is there a charging station in Halei even now? Or is that just planned? There is. There's a DC fast charger in Halei even now. Yeah. And then, you know, we're talking about this charging infrastructure, and it's true, that is a limiting factor because people, if you don't see where the chargers are, you don't know, you don't know where to go. You think that there are few and far between, so they're maybe not as visible. But, you know, it's worth noting that the people who are relying on that public charging network, there's a whole other segment of people who don't actually have to rely on that public charging network nearly as much, if ever. And those are the folks that have single family homes. Anyone who lives in a single family home is kind of an easy adopter. They can plug in at night, like we mentioned before, just in a normal 120 volt outlet and top off whatever they drove throughout the day. Which, for a lot of folks, will get you to a full charge every evening when you're at home. You'll never have to stop at a gas station. It's extremely convenient. You may or may not be able to opt into those Hawaiian electric kind of use rates if it works for you. You know, it's really just, you know, people will say like, how long does it take to charge your car? And really, it takes five seconds, right? You pull into your driveway and you plug it in. Well, now that brings us to a discussion of level one, level two, level three. I don't think you explain that in a later slide, do you? No. Yeah. So what can you can you run us through that? Sure. So level one charging is called trickle charge. It's at 120 volt outlet, a normal outlet. Every electric vehicle comes with a plug for that. It'll give you anywhere from five, around five miles per hour, five to 10 miles per hour. You know, it's a slow charge. So that's the thing that you'll plug in into your house overnight, and you might be able to top off what you drove throughout the day. Or if you say the the medium rate starts at 10pm, start it then just with a timer, you don't have to go out into the garage and flick a switch or anything. Absolutely. And then it goes till six, seven, 8am. That's eight, nine hours. Eight times five. That's 40 miles. Most of us don't even dream of driving 40 miles in a day. Not if you live in town. Yeah. And then level two is a bit faster. So level two is often what you'll find at public charging locations. It's not super fast, but it's mid range. It'll help you get where you need to go. You might plug in at a level two charger when you go to target, run in for 30 minutes and then come back out and you'll have a bit more, more range. It may have offset what you drove. And they're also the level that folks will install at their house. You can get a level two charger on Amazon from anywhere from $500 to $1,000. And you can install that in your house and it might double the speed of your charging from your slow trickle charge. So if you do have a little bit of a longer range, that might be a good option for you to help placate that range anxiety a little bit. And then you're going to a movie or going to a restaurant. Right. Yeah. And then the DC fast charger is what we call level three charging. And that is the fastest level of charging that's available. It's expensive to install. So people don't have them at home. And they're a little bit fewer and far between publicly. But that is the level that Hawaiian Electric has installed across the state, the nine DC fast chargers that they have across Oahu. And those will fully charge an electric vehicle anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour. And so that's really good when you're in kind of a pickle when you maybe have been driving all day or you went up to North Shore and you're kind of running out of battery, you just want some peace of mind or maybe, you know, it's necessary to stop at the dual plantation and plug in for 20 minutes. Yeah, so those are the three charging levels and a combination of all three, they have different use cases, obviously. So a combination of all three is what's going to create a really strong public charging network. And that's why it's really important that we think about this now and we make sure that our charging network is built by design, and not by default later when there's so many electric vehicles on the road that we're just throwing chargers around wherever they might end up and it maybe ends up as a system that's not the most efficient or useful and it's more expensive. So that brings up a related sort of controversy. People plugging in to a public charger in the morning and just leaving it all day long, especially level three. Something that occurs to me is if you had a level three, you'd sort of automatically hook into your your iPhone. And after 20 minutes or whatever it's charged, you go beep, beep, beep, and oh my God. And there's no way to turn the thing off until you unplug it. Yeah, that'll be one way to control it. That'd be great. No, I do hear about that issue. I also hear about that at level two chargers at people's workplaces where there's only a couple of chargers and someone will plug in in the morning and leave it all day. Or there's a system where they're like calling their friends who then come in with their EV and so the people who really need it can't get in because they have a whole system going on. There are a lot of issues. It's a new technology and a new charging system. So I think we're still working out the kinks and the charger operators are still working out the kinks and figuring out how to maybe they make a charger that shuts off after a certain amount of time and disconnects so that a person can pull up next to you and take it out. Or there could be an indicator up there or it starts to charge you after two hours and you're getting charged at a rate that you're not you don't want to leave your car there anymore because it's so expensive. So yeah, they need to work out a system where people don't just take advantage of the chargers. Another issue is people parking in an EV charging stall that has a charger there because it's close to the front of a store but then not actually charging. I'll see that a lot. If that person I was going to say a $50 ticket, how about $100? Well, they should know better. They have an EV, right? They should understand. But yeah, interesting scenarios occurring. But I'm sure it'll all work itself out. These are growing pains. Yeah, totally. Yeah. We have one or two more slides left. Yeah, we have. Yep, we got to that one. A little delayed. Yep, this one, I think is the last one. So there are some other aside from infrastructure, there are some other incentives to incentivize electric vehicles. And currently, there's one incentive on the books where electric vehicles or plug-in hybrids that have an electric vehicle plate get free access or free parking in city and county lots and at metered stalls, free parking at the airport up to 30 days. And then they also get access to the HOV lane on the freeway, even if you're all alone in your car. And that's been, you know, great in drumming up some early interest and it helped, you know, that parking can really help offset a car payment, things like that. But those incentives are set to sunset next year in June, so they will be going away unless the legislature, you know, recognizes that we're only at 1% electric vehicles on the road. And we really have a long way to go to reach our goals and we still should be incentivizing. So hopefully they'll recognize that and they'll extend those benefits further. My experience tells me that it's much easier to amend an existing law than it is to create a whole new law. In this case, it would be just extend for another two years or something. Right, yeah, extend. If they, you know, if you want to tweak it a little bit, like you said, it's easier to tweak something that exists than it is to create something from scratch. A lot less controversy. And people are used to it. And the opponents by then hopefully will have just kind of gone away. Yeah, unfortunately, last year, they, the legislature passed an additional $50 registration fee on electric vehicles, as well. So that's an annual registration fee. After the first registration fee, they don't pay it the first one, but every subsequent year they'll pay. So, you know, incentives going away, and they're already kind of instating some additional fees. And so, you know, if we're trying to encourage clean energy and clean transportation, and if that's the goals of the state, then really need to be incentivizing transportation, you know what, you heard it from me first, Blue Planet will be spending a lot of time at the legislature on this. That is possible. The Hawaii Energy Office has its clean transportation center, so it will probably be active as well. Absolutely. And oh, another question, Rental. Any rental car companies offer EVs yet or? There is a company on Kauai specifically that offers electric vehicle rental cars. I know that Enterprise Rental Car did pilot some electric vehicles back in 2012, but they no longer offer electric vehicles, and none of the rental car companies have really taken it upon themselves to work on that yet. And this is really the same conversation about infrastructure. So we're building the new Conrack at the airport, and there are no EV chargers incorporated into that. And so that was something that was planned, no, exactly to go, or however long ago, and they didn't build that in thinking about the future. And now, those rental car companies can say, well, we don't have anywhere to charge the electric vehicles, and they don't feel comfortable purchasing them. It's a prime example of why we need to be looking forward, and new builds should all be incorporating at least EV ready, so that it's an easy upgrade as opposed to a complete remodel, tear it apart and rebuild. Yeah, at many times the initial costs. Yeah, absolutely. And we just have a few seconds left. Any parting words of wisdom? By an electric vehicle. They are a lot of fun to drive. And there is public infrastructure. And if you live in a single family home, then you don't really have to rely on that as much anyways. And your per mile cost is much less than is the case for a gasoline burning vehicle, I believe you do save money, even though electricity is expensive, you do save money compared to gasoline. Okay. And on that very, very cheery note. Thank you, Lauren Rieschel. This is farewell from Code Green. See you next time.