“There’s tremendous activity in the marketplace already in Nevada,” Bobzien said in a brief interview at the forum “Certainly, we are well known for the companies that are here that in this space, we have tremendous working relationships with surrounding states in the Western region to advance the electrification of our highways, and I think the next five years, in particular, are going to be very exciting.”
State Senator Chris Brooks also provided his thoughts on the electric vehicles and how Nevada can be at the forefront of not only the transportation revolution but in energy generation and addressing climate change.
“I think there’s a bright future for vehicle-to-grid technologies,” Brooks said in an interview at the forum. “If you have a giant battery sitting in your garage, for instance, and you have a PV (photovoltaic) system sitting on your roof, and you’re interconnected to the utility, there’s an opportunity for all three of those components to work together to the benefit of the overall electrical system in lowering the amount of overall fossil fuels and carbon we are producing through electricity generation.”
The forum also featured panelists from Western Resource Advocates (WRA), Tesla, Nevada’s Public Utilities Commission, and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).
As more affordable and long-range electric vehicles come to market, Nevada has opportunities to realize major benefits of EVs in the economy, in the environment, and in their wallets. Below are several such benefits:
- In Nevada, EV drivers can expect to save between $945 and $1,264 annually on fuel and maintenance costs, totaling between $11,000 and $15,000 over the life of the vehicle.
- Rate plans that incentivize off-peak vehicle charging will create downward pressure on electricity rates for all customers.
- When compared to a gas-powered car, electric vehicles in Clark and Washoe Counties reduce NOx and VOCs, the two precursors to ground-level ozone pollution, by 84% and 99% respectively.
This is especially true since Nevada does not produce any oil for motor vehicle consumption. Tom Polikalas, SWEEP’s Nevada representative said it best when he said: “Electricity is the cheaper form of fuel available to Nevadans.”
It is one thing to understand the data that shows benefits from electric vehicles. It’s another to drive an electric vehicle and witness the difference for yourself. There were multiple vehicles on display at the Nevada Electric Transportation Forum and they were available for test drives.
The electric vehicle industry is on the cusp of a boom in the Southwest. Events like the Nevada Electric Transportation Forum shows that Nevadans are strategically positioned to realize the positive benefits of EVs spreading throughout the Silver State.