CONNTACT.COM

HARTFORD — Imagine Gov. M. Jodi Rell behind the wheel of an electric car.

It could happen on May 21, if the governor checks out the models on display near the Legislative Office Building at the Capitol.

BMW, Mitsubishi, Ford and Toyota are among manufacturers scheduled to be there that day for a meeting of the Electric Vehicles Infrastructure Council (EVIC).

The governor is the driving force for the council, issuing an executive order for its formation last November 2009 to “strategize on preparing the state for seamless integration of EVs [electronic vehicles] into the market.”

Co-chaired by state Department of Public Utility Control (DPUC) Chairman Kevin DelGobbo and Department of Economic & Community Development (DECD) Chair Joan McDonald, the Electric Vehicles Infrastructure Council members are from state utilities, environmental groups and businesses as well as government agencies including the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

The council meets monthly and issued an interim report in February 2010, with recommendations ranging from creating incentive programs for consumers, auto dealers and manufacturers to seeking federal grants supporting EV infrastructure and research.

Consumer programs under consideration include extending sales and property tax exemptions for alternative fuel vehicles, allowing EVs to use high occupancy vehicle lanes and providing tax exemptions or tax credits for electric vehicle batteries and infrastructure.

A final report, due in September 2010, will contain an evaluation of incentive programs, suggestions on opportunities for Connecticut businesses, recommendations for streamlining and standardizing the installation of charging stations, including permitting, special metering to encourage off-peak charging in homes and interconnection requirements for homeowners and businesses, an update on progress toward commitments from manufacturers to include Connecticut in early rollout plans and recommendations for integrating EVs into the state’s vehicle purchasing plans and pooled-purchase orders for public and private fleets.

The council also is considering whether Connecticut should set a goal of 50,000 plug-in vehicles on state roads by 2020.

Around three-dozen states have incentives in place for the purchase and use of electric vehicles. Georgia, for example, offers a tax credit up to $5,000 to buy an EV, and Illinois offers a rebate of up to $4,000.

The only incentive so far for Connecticut residents is free parking in New Haven for alternative fuel and hybrid electric vehicles.

“It’s a matter of getting infrastructure and incentives in place,” says Joseph Oros, DECD chief of staff and director of government relations. “We know we’re not in the first wave of markets.”

EV manufacturers, however “feel that Connecticut is taking positive steps and that’s what they’re looking for,” says Peggy Diaz, the DPUC’s legislative and administrative manager. “There is government support and utility support, and we’re hoping for the second rollout of their vehicles. We have high standards for air quality attainment, and this is really a strong way to hammer at the transportation sector with respect to emissions.”

State utility companies are studying EV charging and infrastructure issues.

The United Illuminating Co. (UI) is gathering data from a Toyota Prius converted into a plug-in vehicle, which new business development professional Megan Pomeroy has been driving for several months and showing off at expos, seminars and schools.

UI also is gearing up for a pilot project starting this summer with the “strategic placement of around a dozen charging stations in municipalities such as New Haven, Stratford, Fairfield and Bridgeport,” says Roddy Diotlalevi, UI’s senior director of client services and a member of the EVIC. “By the end of the year we’re hoping to partner with four or five residents to install chargers in a handful of homes for a year-long test.

“Realistically, the majority of charging is going to be done in the customer’s home, so we want to understand how to install chargers and monitor the charging patterns,” said Diotlalevi.

Pomeroy says the UI will be testing different technologies and could be partnering with “some Connecticut companies like Cab-Aire and GE.”

Northeast Utilities (NU) is “in the process of installing four charging stations on our own property,” says Watson Collins, Northeast Utilities manager of business development and a member of the EVIC. The chargers will be in the garage of NU’s Hartford office and at company facilities in Berlin and Newington.

Other charging stations will be placed in “communities and businesses that reached out to us after we applied for a Department of Energy grant [for NU’s Connecticut Light & Power Company and Western Massachusetts Electric Company to set up a network of 575 charging stations],” Collins adds. “We didn’t get the grant, but announcement of the application generated interest that confirmed our thoughts that businesses in Connecticut want to be involved in this.”

As electric cars become commonplace, Collins says, owners will need to learn “new behavior for how you refuel your vehicle,” and “a new mind set” involving thinking about your car “kind of like your cell phone, which you put in your charging dock when you get home.

“The other really interesting thing is the applications that are going to be on your cell phone, where you’ll be able to find out the status of the charge of your battery, see how many miles you can go and program it to send you a text alert when the battery is getting low.”

Cars on display at the Capitol on May 21 should include BMW’s two-seater Mini E, Mitsubishi’s i-MiEV, an electric four-door car with a range of 75 miles and the Ford Transit Connect, a small, lithium-powered zero emission commercial van.