(The Center Square) – If you’re a Washington resident reluctant to buy or drive an electric vehicle due to the lack of charging infrastructure around the state or in cold weather conditions, you’re not alone.
Some state agencies are reporting that their staff are hesitant to use EVs for that same reason, highlighting an ongoing challenge for Gov. Jay Inslee’s efforts to electrify the public transportation sector. Most agencies are not on track to meet the state’s 2025 objectives.
Inslee in November 2021 signed an executive order directing the state agencies to transition away from fossil fuel vehicles and replace them with EVs. As part of that order, the cabinet agencies were tasked with meeting certain criteria regarding their light duty vehicle fleet.
The requirement is that they be:
40% EV by 2025
75% by 2030
100% by 2035
For medium and heavy duty vehicles (Class 2b and higher), the agency fleets must be 100% EV by 2040.
According to State Efficiency and Environmental Performance Office Director Hanna Waterstrat, five of the 24 cabinet agencies are either on track or exceeding the 2025 target of 40% EVs: the Governor’s Office, Puget Sound Partnership, the Department of Retirement Services, the Department of Commerce, and the Liquor and Cannabis Board.