Looking Back: Progress Made Toward Transportation Electrification in Minnesota in 2020

January 13, 2021 in Transportation & Fuels Author: Katelyn Bocklund

ev charger

The year 2020 was challenging—we worked hard to stay apart, embraced wearing masks everywhere we went, and rediscovered the outdoors. It was a year of immense pain, and we said goodbye to deeply loved friends and family. Restaurants, movie theaters, and other businesses endured trying economic times, or closed altogether, amidst a pandemic that shut down life as we once knew it. As we reflect on the past year, we’re also recognizing where progress was still able to occur, particularly on transportation electrification in Minnesota, which can deliver economic and environmental benefits for the state.

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2020 Minnesota Legislative Session Preview: Electric Vehicles

January 18, 2020 in Transportation & Fuels Author: Brendan Jordan

A view of the Minnesota State Capitol in the evening

The 2020 Minnesota legislative session is right around the corner, and Drive Electric Minnesota is ready to continue supporting a policy and regulatory landscape that drives electric vehicle (EV) adoption and infrastructure. With that, I want to share a 2020 Minnesota legislative preview for Drive Electric Minnesota’s policy and regulatory positions and some quick thoughts about how accomplishments in 2019 set the stage for this year. Continue reading »

Analysis: How Demand Charges Impact Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Infrastructure

July 31, 2019 in Energy Systems, Reports & Whitepapers, Transportation & Fuels Authors: Dane McFarlane, Matt Prorok

A direct current fast charger

GPI recently released a white paper analyzing the economics of direct current fast charging (DCFC) as part of our work with the Midcontinent Transportation Electrification Collaborative (MTEC). DCFC stations are critical for widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) because they provide access to much faster battery charging in public places and along major driving routes and highways. The white paper focused on a specific barrier to increased DCFC stations in the region: electric utility demand charges.  Continue reading »

Why Electric Vehicle Taxes Are the Wrong Strategy for Minnesota

May 8, 2019 in Transportation & Fuels Author: Brendan Jordan

Minnesota Capitol

Minnesota lawmakers are considering additional new taxes and fees to electric vehicle (EV) owners. If passed as written, Minnesota would have the highest EV taxes in the US. Currently, the state assesses a special $75 annual tax that is only paid by owners of fully-electric vehicles. A bill by Senator Jeff Howe proposed to raise this tax to $250 per year and add a new tax of $125 for hybrid vehicles. Continue reading »

Analysis: Electric Vehicles Pay Their Fair Share in State Taxes

March 9, 2017 in Transportation & Fuels Author: Dane McFarlane

Recent tax policy analysis by the Great Plains Institute (GPI) for Drive Electric Minnesota found that electric cars pay just as much or more taxes as comparable gasoline vehicles. Like most other states, Minnesota uses a tax on the sale of gasoline and other motor fuel to pay for transportation infrastructure like highways and bridges, among other uses. Continue reading »

Electric Vehicles are Coming, and Minnesota Needs to Get Ready

April 26, 2016 in Transportation & Fuels Author: Brendan Jordan

In a year of divided government and low expectations for achieving big policy wins in Minnesota, we have the opportunity to move forward with a piece of energy policy that is broadly supported. Drive Electric Minnesota is advocating for a policy (SF 2405/HF3513) that would enable the state’s largest regulated utilities to begin planning for the arrival of mass-market electric vehicles. Continue reading »