VW To Spend $10 Million On Electric-Car Charging Sites, Asks Governments To Step Up TooVW To Spend $10 Million On Electric-Car Charging Sites, Asks Governments To Step Up Too

Volkswagen plans to invest millions of dollars into U.S. electric-car charging infrastructure, but doesn’t want to go it alone.
The German carmaker plans to spend $10 million on charging infrastructure, but wants assistance from Federal and state governments in promoting electric cars.
DON’T MISS: BMW, VW, And ChargePoint To Build 100 CCS Fast-Charging Sites For Electric Cars
Those were the sentiments expressed by Jorg Sommer–vice president, product marketing and strategy for Volkswagen of America–in remarks at the 2015 Electric Drive Congress held today in Washington, D.C.
The funding commitment includes the costs of a recently-announced collaboration with BMW and charging-network operator ChargePoint to install 100 DC fast-charging stations along East and West Coast corridors.
BMW i3 and Volkswagen e-Golf electric cars using Combined Charging System (CCS) DC fast charging
These stations will use the Combined Charging Standard (CCS) protocol of both manufacturers’ electric cars, marking one of the first mass deployments of CCS stations so far.
In addition, Sommer said VW will begin installing charging stations at certain dealerships–presumably to support the e-Golf electric car.
No specific charging plans or locations were discussed beyond those two items.
CHECK OUT: 2015 Volkswagen e-Golf: Drive Report, First U.S. Sale Details
Overall, Sommer’s main emphasis was on the need for increased government support of electric cars.
He advocated protection and expansion of existing electric-car tax credits, and called on Congress to extend incentives for businesses that invest in charging or alternative-fuel infrastructure.
BMW i3 and Volkswagen e-Golf electric cars using Combined Charging System (CCS) DC fast charging
He also asked for “further Congressional support” in the mid-term review of carmakers’ progress toward meeting Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, including an extension of multiplier credits for plug-in cars.
These credits add extra weight to the sale of certain green vehicles when calculating a carmakers’ CAFE score, allowing them to continue selling gasoline or diesel vehicles more easily.
ALSO SEE: White House Budget Asks For $10K Electric-Car Credit, Natural-Gas Cars Added
Beyond regulations, Sommer’s wish list included Federal financing for development of fast-charging networks, as well as increased support of programs like the Department of Energy’s Clean Cities.
Federal and state government agencies should also make more of an effort to buy plug-in vehicles for their fleets, he said–including, of course, ones from foreign brands like Volkswagen.
2015 Volkswagen e-Golf (Euro spec) – Driven, Portland OR, July 2014
Those brands are usually excluded from government fleet contracts by “Buy American” clauses, but Sommer argued that since emissions standards apply to all carmakers, they should all have a shot at these sales.
Given the current tension in Congress, it’s highly unclear whether increased support for electric-car adoption will be forthcoming.
The U.S. is already expected to fall short of President Barack Obama’s goal of putting 1 million electric cars on its roads by the end of 2015, although it will likely reach that number in the next few years.
_______________________________________________
Follow GreenCarReports on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

View original article at : “https://www.greencarreports.com//news/1096718_vw-to-spend-10-million-on-electric-car-charging-sites-asks-governments-to-step-up-too”