As we settle into the New Year, we wanted to look back on last year’s achievements and ahead to what might be in store for 2013.
Many would call 2012 the most dynamic year in history for the American plug in vehicle market. Who would have thought entering 2012 that:
- A plug in would earn Car of the Year?
- Two production models (LEAF and Volt) would cross the 100 million electric miles traveled threshold?
- Sales numbers would hit new records?
We’ve certainly been longstanding advocates working towards these achievements. During our January board meeting we reflected on a year of breakneck activity and sustained impact for Plug In America. Our thousands of supporters and allies across the driver, NGO, corporate, and government sectors:
- Brought National Plug In Day to 65 cities. That tireless work, led by Communications Director Zan Dubin-Scott and Operations Director Erin Tator, in partnership with the Sierra Club and Electric Auto Association as national organizers, generated over 135 positive media stories and supported in-person introductions to the cars for 25,000 consumers. The activity coincided with plug in sales hitting new monthly records during fourth quarter last year. Coincidence?
- Restored Two Federal Tax Incentives for EVs. Led by Legislative Director Jay Friedland, we nurtured this work throughout the year, mounted a late summer action targeting the Senate Finance Committee, and then were gratified to see the “fiscal cliff” legislation extend the EV infrastructure tax credit and 2-3 wheeled credit until the end of 2013 – and provide retroactive benefits for 2012 purchases.
- Organized and Completed the First Consumer-oriented Survey on Charge Station Performance. Chief Science Officer Tom Saxton brought the findings to EVS26 and set in motion a shift among leading charging network providers to ensure that stations operate with greater reliability.
- Organized and Completed the First Consumer-led Survey of Battery Performance. Tom also led this effort, with an initial focus on the Nissan LEAF. Shortly after the survey’s release Nissan announced its first ever battery warranty (also an industry first) and encouraged all LEAF customers to review the survey findings.
- Produced a Landmark Study on Preparing Commercial Sites for EV Charging. Led by Board Chair Dan Davids, we completed this project for the state of Hawaii and participated in US DOE and other symposia to share the findings.
- Launched “Driving Electric.” Board member Marc Geller and other Plug In America’supporters helped Felix Kramer launch this pioneering social media effort to match current drivers with those interested in learning more about plug Ins and taking a car for a test drive.
- Completed a New Strategic Plan. Our new plan puts a strong focus on promoting consumer acceptance – we aim to have 10% of new vehicles come with a plug by 2020. In the near-term, we aim to introduce 200,000 people each year to the new vehicles and generate as much as $400 million in annual sales for the market through initiatives like National Plug In Day and Plugged In @ Work.
- Commemorated the long-standing work of early EV pioneer and advocate Doug Korthof. We commemorated Doug’s work at the beginning of 2012 and then shared with many others our profound sadness as he passed away after a battle with cancer.
- Recognized Board Members Old and New. We offered many thanks to Plug In America founder Paul Scott as he left the board after years of great work and welcomed newcomer Barry Woods.
A busy year, indeed!
With 70,000 cars on the road entering a year when we anticipate more than 15 million vehicle sales, we’re not finished yet. Ensuring that the future for transportation is electric puts a sharp focus on the steps ahead for 2013. With that, we offer our 100,000 (or 100 Million) New Year’s Resolutions for 2013. We resolve to see:
- 100,000 cars sold (doubling 2012 numbers)
- National Plug In Day in 100 cities, reaching 100,000 people
- Plug In @ Work in 6 major markets, reaching 100,000 people (a new Plug In America market outreach initiative)
- the first month where 100 million electric miles are driven (roughly doubling the +50 million miles per month now)
Thank you for your support, and email us if you’d like to learn more!
