Electric vehicles (EVs) have the potential to significantly improve federal fleet efficiency and reduce vehicle operation and maintenance costs. At the same time, EVs provide agencies a simple solution to satisfy key statutory requirements for acquiring alternative fuel vehicles and low greenhouse-gas emitting vehicles.

The Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) offers technical support to federal agencies interested in acquiring EVs and installing electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE). This includes direct consultations and virtual Tiger Team visits, in which fleet experts and engineers can review EVSE needs and electrical equipment. Tiger Teams made 30 such visits to Army garrisons from 2016 through 2019, which are detailed in the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) report, Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Tiger Team Site Assessment Findings from Army Facilities.

Fleet and facility managers interested in developing expertise on fleet electrification should consider enrolling in the EV Champion Training Series. This training series was developed by NREL and the FEMP Fleet team and includes the following four webinars:

• EV Technology and Financial Considerations (Worksheet 1)
• EVSE Power and Electric Utility Considerations (Worksheet 2)
• EV Site Assessment and Construction Planning
• Advanced EV Site Assessment and Operations.

Registrations for each of these trainings are available through the Whole Building Design Guide. Those who attend all four webinars can earn up to 1.0 CEU and an EV Champion Training Certificate from FEMP. Contact Jesse Bennett for information on upcoming webinars.

A series of EV Training Videos accompanies the webinar series. The videos cover core concepts needed for adopting EVs.

The Federal Workplace Charging Program Guide serves as a model for agencies to roll out workplace charging programs and policies. It reviews statutory requirements and explains how to collect fees from employees. The guide is accompanied by the Federal Workplace Charging Fee Calculator, which allows users to determine appropriate workplace charging fees by applying custom variables and assumptions for specific locations. DOE’s Vehicle Technologies Office also hosts additional resources on workplace charging for privately owned vehicles. The resources include guidance for new and existing Level 1 charging receptacles (i.e., wall outlets) and Level 1, Level 2, and DC Fast Charger EVSE.

Fleet or facility managers interested in deploying EVSE should attend the EV Champion Training. For discounted prices organized by features, federal agencies can simplify the procurement process by purchasing EVSE through the GSA EVSE blanket purchase agreement (BPA), which offers discounted prices for a wide range of EVSE options with select features. In addition to the GSA EVSE BPA, even more options are available through GSA Advantage.

GSA also negotiates discounted prices for many EV models. In 2021, the Chevrolet Bolt is available on the GSA Schedule for almost $10,000 below MSRP. To learn more about that option and other alternative fuel vehicles, consult the GSA Alternative Fuel Vehicle Guide.

Agencies are required to report EVSE installations and electricity consumption from EVs in the Federal Automotive Statistical Tool (FAST). More information on reporting EVSE can be found on the FAST Fueling Center and EVSE Reporting page. There are multiple ways to measure and report electricity use in EVs, including metering EVSE, using telematics data, and estimating electricity consumption. For the latter method, FEMP developed the Estimating Electricity Consumption in Federal Electric Vehicles Calculator, which includes calculations for battery electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and low-speed electric vehicles.

There are several examples of successful EV adoption and EVSE installation throughout the federal fleet:

• The National Renewable Energy Laboratory installed 108 Level 2 EVSE units and incorporated power management software to minimize equipment upgrades
• The Defense Intelligence Agency and others have used grants to fund their programs
• The U.S. Army and Marine Corps share an electric autonomous shuttle at Fort Myer-Henderson Hall

DOE has also published a series of case studies on the Alternative Fuels Data Center along with a wealth of information about EVs and other types of alternative fuel vehicles. The website also features the Alternative Fueling Station Locator with vetted EVSE units that can be filtered by charging power level and compatibility.

For more information about local grant funding, EV economics, and EVSE installation, contact the FEMP Sustainable Fleet Management Team at federal_fleets@ee.doe.gov.