The Electrification Coalition (EC) has released a case study documenting the nation’s first EV accelerator community: Drive Electric Northern Colorado (DENC).

The EC first described its accelerator community concept in its 2009 Electrification Roadmap. The idea is to leverage public-private partnerships to drive widespread EV deployment.

DENC was launched in 2013 in the Colorado cities of Fort Collins and Loveland, in partnership with Colorado State University.

The case study found that, thanks to DENC’s comprehensive approach, the rate of EV purchases in Northern Colorado was approximately three times higher than the national average.

The EC’s case study provides a sample toolkit for other communities interested in applying this model. It highlighted five core recommendations:

• A successful EV accelerator community requires participation from stakeholders including city administrators, local car dealerships, utilities, infrastructure providers, current EV owners and educational institutions.
• Rather than rushing to immediately deploy large numbers of public chargers, it’s better to identify strategic locations where stations will actually be used before installing.
• Workplace charging is critical: evidence shows that employees are six times more likely to buy an EV if they have access to charging at work.
• Ride and drives are among the most effective methods for selling EVs, especially with proper follow-up after a ride.

Source: Electrification Coalition