Executive Summary

This Policy Analysis Exercise seeks to make policy recommendations to the Clinton Climate Initiative
(CCI), on the deployment of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in C40 cities - a group of the
world’s largest cities, which have committed to take action on climate change by reducing greenhouse
gases, including from the transport fleet. The C40 Electric Vehicle Network (C40 EVN) is a C40
initiative to facilitate the successful introduction of EVs through collective municipal actions including
planning and deployment of charging infrastructure, streamlining permitting processes associated with
charging infrastructure, providing monetary and non-monetary incentives and mobilizing demand for EVs
in city fleets.

CCI had requested us to undertake analysis and make recommendations on the deployment of EV
charging infrastructure in C40 cities. This analysis included understanding potential barriers (policy,
technological, economic, etc) to the deployment of EV charging infrastructure, understanding how
various cities were approaching the issue, and the policy levers that cities could employ in increasing the
availability of EV charging infrastructure. Based on this research, we have made a series of
recommendations on policy actions that cities can take to increase the deployment of EV charging
infrastructure.
 

Key recommendations
 

1. Cities should design EV strategies / programs that are unique to their individual circumstances,
objectives and players, but should draw on lessons from peer cities

Different cities across the world face different circumstances (in terms of parking availability, etc) and
different objectives with regard to EVs. Cities with high percentages of private off-street parking, should
focus mainly on setting a regulatory framework conducive for investment in charging infrastructure
networks, increasing EV deployment by switching public fleets to EVs and leveraging city-owned real
estate to speed up infrastructure deployment. Cities with low levels of private off-street parking can
expect to see a significantly lower EV uptake, due to less favorable economics – and might be forced to
subsidize on-street residential charging infrastructure if they want to speed up this process. Cities also
have differing objectives for EV deployment. For industry development purposes, small test-runs with the
latest technology seem appropriate, whereas wide-spread adaptation required to achieve an environmental
impact will require more elaborate planning, coordination between public and private stakeholders, public
awareness campaigns, investment in charging infrastructure, and the use of proven technologies. Each
city will have to develop its own strategy based on its unique set of objectives connected with EVs and
charging infrastructure. There is also immense value from sharing lessons about what works and what
doesn’t in regard to charging, across cities, to overcome information deficiencies.

2. City governments have limited resources to mitigate up-front EV cost but can use other policy
levers to affect TCO of EVs

The upfront cost of EVs is the single biggest barrier to adaptation / deployment of EVs. However cities
have limited means at their disposal (if any) to influence upfront EV cost, but have other instruments at
their disposal which affect the TCO of EVs and therefore enter into the overall value equation of an EV
from a consumer’s perspective. The most prominent levers are waiving congestion charges & parking
fees, providing electricity discounts, etc.

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