The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) will seek public comments until Sept. 6 on its N.C. Zero-Emission Vehicle Plan.
Zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) are fully electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles that have either no tailpipe emissions or significantly reduced emissions compared with conventional vehicles.
“We’ve been studying some important issues that will need to be addressed under the governor’s executive order,” Colin Mellor, an NCDOT environmental policy analyst, said. “We need the public and other stakeholders to confirm we have heard their points of view, and to let us know if there are any other issues we should consider as we finalize the plan.”
The draft of the plan summarizes the research NCDOT conducted and public input the agency received at workshops and online surveys. It also highlights four categories of activities the state can take to achieve its goal of 80,000 registered, zero-emission vehicles by 2025.
Those categories are reducing the upfront costs of purchasing a ZEV, policy changes that promote the use of electric vehicles, enhancing the convenience of operating and recharging a ZEV, and promoting public awareness and education about ZEVs.
NCDOT will submit a final draft to Gov. Roy Cooper Sept. 27 at the North Carolina Climate Change Interagency Council meeting.