MINNEAPOLIS (April 25, 2019) – Xcel Energy’s vision for an electric vehicle future that will build on the company’s ambitious carbon reduction goals is moving forward.
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved yesterday the public charging and fleet vehicle portions of the company’s $25 million plan to increase access to electric transportation. The plan includes range of innovative programs that expand upon its vision for supporting the growth of EVs that will benefit drivers, customers, the environment, and the state.
“Xcel Energy is a clean energy leader and our Minnesota electric vehicle plan is the largest and most broad utility transportation electrification program in the Midwest,” said Chris Clark, president, Xcel Energy-Minnesota. “Electric vehicles present an opportunity to reduce carbon emissions and build on our clean energy plan to be 85% carbon free in the Upper Midwest by 2030. The Commission’s approval is a major step forward to ensuring all of our customers and communities realize the benefits of having access to and driving electric vehicles.”
The initiatives and pilot programs approved yesterday will focus on two main areas: public charging, and fleet operations. The company’s goal is to test innovative EV services that can be expanded to all Minnesota customers over time while focusing on equity, accessibility and fairness. The programs aim to give all customers access to clean, affordable, electric transportation.
Public charging
As electric vehicles increase their driving range, Xcel Energy is working to build the necessary infrastructure for fast charging networks that allow people to quickly charge their EVs while they’re on the go. The company is working with the cities of Saint Paul and Minneapolis on an approved pilot to support a fast charging network at community mobility hubs along major corridors for everyone who travels through the Twin Cities, including those who may not own vehicles. HOURCAR, a local, independent, non-profit car sharing service, would be the anchor tenant for these mobility hubs and expand its service to a new, all-electric one-way car sharing program throughout the metro area. This project will increase access to the benefits of electric transportation, especially for those in low income, underserved communities.
“The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission’s decision is a great leap forward in the use of electricity as a fuel,” said Paul Schroeder, CEO, HOURCAR. “It opens the path to a cleaner, more efficient, and more responsible transportation network. All of us at HOURCAR are enthused to begin work on the EV Community Mobility Network, one of the pilot projects approved at today’s hearing. This project will create a network of 150 electric carsharing vehicles and 70 mobility hubs with charging infrastructure, half of which will be located in disadvantaged communities.”
Fleet vehicles
Through its initiatives and pilot programs, Xcel Energy is working to make it easier and more affordable for large fleet operators like Metro Transit, the Minnesota Department of Administration, and the City of Minneapolis to integrate electric vehicles into their fleets.
With Metro Transit, Xcel Energy is providing the electrical infrastructure needed to charge the first eight of Metro Transit’s electric buses. These new 60-foot articulated buses will serve the C-Line, a new rapid bus route connecting Brooklyn Center, north Minneapolis and downtown Minneapolis, slated to begin service this year. Xcel Energy is also looking to provide charging infrastructure for 200 ports for the State of Minnesota’s fleet and 90 charging ports for the City of Minneapolis’s EV fleet.
Driving electric is good for both the environment and the pocketbook, because EVs charged on Xcel Energy’s system have about one-third the emissions of a gasoline powered vehicle at a cost equivalent to about $1 per gallon. EV owners can go even further by participating in the company’s Windsource program, charging with 100% wind power and zero emissions.
Xcel Energy also announced last year several home charging pilot programs that are still in the approval process with the Commission.
For more information on Xcel Energy’s EV programs, visit xcelenergy.com/EV.
###
Xcel Energy (NASDAQ: XEL) provides the energy that powers millions of homes and businesses across eight Western and Midwestern states. Headquartered in Minneapolis, the company is an industry leader in responsibly reducing carbon emissions and producing and delivering clean energy solutions from a variety of renewable sources at competitive prices. For more information, visit xcelenergy.com or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
