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Municipal EV Toolkit
About
Transportation is responsible for 49% of Maine's greenhouse gas emissions. Maine released the state’s first climate action plan, outlining key strategies and targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Maine has set an adoption target
of 150,000 electric vehicles on the road by 2030.
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In collaboration with the Southern Maine Planning & Development Commission (SMPDC), we have created the EV Readiness Toolkit to help local leaders understand the opportunities available to electrify municipal fleet. The toolkit aims to support Maine electrification efforts by providing technical guidance on encouraging EV adoption, fleet transitions and infrastructure development. The toolkit will provide decision-makers with up-to-date information on EVs in Maine, direct guidance on best practices and timely information on technologies that municipalities can use to improve their EV readiness.
Municipalities play an important role in scaling up the adoption of electric vehicles to reach statewide emission reduction targets. They can encourage EV infrastructure development through planning and policy changes, set an example by incorporating EVs into their municipal fleets, and disseminate information about EVs through stakeholder and public outreach.
EV Charging Infrastructure Basics
Charging Infrastructure Terminology
A station location represents a physical location with one or more EV charging stations installed and ready for use. These locations can include parking lots, garages, shopping centers, workplaces, highway rest stops, or curbside parking. Each location may have several charging ports, allowing multiple EVs to be charged simultaneously.
An EV charging port is the physical interface on an electric vehicle that allows it to connect to an external power source for charging. It serves as the point of contact for electricity to flow from a charging station into the vehicle’s battery. Charging ports can vary by vehicle make and model and are designed to be compatible with various connector types and charging levels.
A connector is the plug at the end of the charging cable that fits into the vehicle's charging port. It’s what physically connects the charger to the car so electricity can flow into the battery. Different types of connectors are used depending on the vehicle’s model and speed of charging.
Charging infrastructure terminology (From Alternative Fuels Data Center )
Charging Levels
Generally, you can break down charging into two categories: AC (“alternating current”) and DC (“direct current”) fast charging. From there, AC can be broken into level 1 and level 2 charging.
Level 1 charging is the slowest method of charging, with one hour of charging, you can get approximately 5 miles of range per the AFDC. Charging can be as simple as using a standard 120 V outlet and is a common choice for charging at home and places where people are commonly parked long-term.
Level 2 charging is slightly faster, giving 25 miles of range for 1 hour of charging. This faster charging with 240 V would require its own 40-amp circuit, which can add to installation costs. This is the most common type of public charger in the US and recommended for public lots, municipal parking, and at businesses or areas with other attractions.
DC Fast charging can provide 100-200+ miles of charging in 30 minutes. This is the most expensive to install and operate, including potentially high demand charges through utilities. Most appropriate locations for these chargers would include rest stops and grocery stores, where it is likely drivers will not spend much time.
Connector Types
The SAE J1772 connector is the standard plug type for Level 1 and Level 2 charging for most electric vehicles in North America. It’s used by all non-Tesla vehicles for AC charging (L1 + L2) and is compatible with the majority of both residential and public charging stations.
The Combined Charging System (CCS1) combines the standard J1772 plug with two additional high-speed pins to support DC fast charging. CCS1 is the predominant fast charging standard for most non-Tesla EVs in North America, capable of delivering high power levels for rapid charging.
The J3400 (NACS) is Tesla’s proprietary connector that supports Level 1, Level 2, and DC fast charging on Tesla's Supercharger and Destination Charging networks. In 2022, Tesla opened its proprietary connector design to the industry and renamed it the North American Charging Standard (NACS) and is now being adopted by many major automakers such as Ford, GM, Rivian, Hyundai, and several others.
CHAdeMO is an older fast charging standard primarily used by certain automakers such as Nissan, Mitsubishi, and Kia. It supports DC fast charging but is being phased out in North America in favor of CCS.
Municipal EV Readiness Guides
For additional information, tools, and resources to support your EV readiness planning, the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation has released the Public Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Playbook.