A decade ago the sight of an electric vehicle was a rare and head-turning experience. Now EV’s are commonplace, with thousands quietly gliding through the streets of the north suburbs. The EV market has grown just as rapidly. Once limited to only two or three choices, EV buyers can now choose from nearly twenty different models, with plans for dozens more to become available by 2023.
With sales expected to increase further in the coming years, the village of Deerfield is faced with the challenge of supporting the growth of EV’s in the community.
Enter the Metropolitan Mayor’s Caucus, an organization of 275 cities and towns working to achieve common goals in the Chicago area. Their recently released EV Readiness Checklist is a guide for local governments to support and encourage the use of EV’s. Part of the Greenest Region Compact (GRC2) to support environmental sustainability in the Chicago area, the checklist provides a comprehensive and detailed set of recommended municipal policies and actions.
Key Recommendations:
- Require new home and multi-unit construction to be capable of EV charging
- Support the installation of public and private EV charging stations
- Develop clear permitting, parking, and access rules to promote EV use
- Integrate EV’s into municipal fleets
- Create community partnerships that educate and engage the public to support the use of EV’s
As a member of the Deerfield community, Go Green Deerfield is excited to work with the village to make these recommendations a reality.
As part of our goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change, we support the use of the EV readiness checklist and other green transportation initiatives that reduce our impact on the environment.
