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Laws Requiring EV Charging Capabilities
With legislation regarding EV charging expanding, builders and owners must be aware of new rules that could affect future developments. For example, legislation such as Illinois’ Electric Vehicle Charging Act mandates that new properties must be EV-capable starting in 2024. The law requires any house or multi-unit building completed after January 1, 2024, to have at least one EV-capable parking space for each residential unit that has dedicated parking. In addition, landlords and homeowners’ associations can’t unduly restrict residents from installing EV chargers.
Federally, President Biden has set an ambitious target of 50% electric vehicle sale shares in the U.S. by 2030 and has an EV Charging Action Plan that outlines steps federal agencies are taking to support developing and deploying chargers in American communities across the country. The initial focus of these efforts will be building a convenient, reliable public charging network that can build public confidence, with a focus on filling gaps in rural, disadvantaged, and hard-to-reach locations. Propane-powered EV charging may just have a role to play in these remote locations, but it definitely has a role to play with rapid deployment of recharging infrastructure today.
Propane-Powered EV Charging Technologies
There are propane-powered EV charging solutions, up to 500 (Mainspring Linear Generator) kW per unit, that can be portable or permanently installed. Commercial building operators who are required to provide onsite charging can do it more easily and cheaper than if they need to run big electrical wiring or use prime space in the front of a building. Low-carbon propane is a solution to do this better, faster, and cheaper while reducing emissions.
Delivery fleets have been using propane autogas for years to accelerate their decarbonization efforts. As more fleets are transitioning to EV, propane-powered EV recharging systems are an innovative answer to powering delivery fleets, and companies such as Propane Fueling Solutions, EV Power Pods, and e-Boost are already supplying the technology.
Utilizing a propane-powered generator, this technology allows EVs to be recharged independently of the electric grid and without the time and capital investments needed for new electricity-based charging stations. As more fleets begin to use propane to charge their electric vehicles, which cuts both costs and emissions, this technology can easily be scaled up for use in passenger vehicles
Companies are innovating to ensure EVs can be recharged independently of the electric grid, via propane-powered EV recharging systems. The generator uses propane as its fuel source to charge a variety of EV batteries. A portable propane-fueled EV charging unit only takes up about one parking space. It can be a trailer that weighs less than 10,000 pounds (a non-commercial load) and has 100-120 gallons of propane storage onboard. With the ability to move from one location to another, especially as users’ EV charging needs and traffic patterns change, a portable unit ensures that facility leasing tenants and site owners aren’t paying for infrastructure work. Moreover, as they prepare to utilize EVs, they won’t have to wait for grid connections to be completed, transformer delays, or even utility expansion of the natural gas grid to serve them.
Project Highlight
At the 2023 Advanced Clean Transportation Expo (ACT Expo) in Anaheim, CA, and then again at the 2024 ACT Expo in Las Vegas, Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) put a portable propane-fueled EV charging unit to the test. The unit was used to charge electric vehicles attendees were allowed to test drive for the expo’s Ride & Drive event. The local propane retailer even supplied renewable propane, further lowering the carbon intensity of the event. Original equipment manufacturers that were demonstrating their EV vehicles were thrilled with the potential to charge their vehicles at 700V with clean-burning, reliable propane. Going forward, fleet owners can use propane-fueled portable trailers to scale up their EV fleets, then as charging stations are connected to the grid they can use them as a backup.
Fully Charged: Propane Delivers EV Charging Capabilities
To expand the adoption of electric vehicles nationwide, a convenient and reliable public charging network is imperative. Whether powering a commercial EV fleet or charging personal vehicles in a multifamily development, propane-powered EV charging stations are a portable, low-carbon solution that can get the job done without relying on the often-unstable electric grid.
