Hi DJ,
Thanks for getting involved. There are some really great suggestions in this thread already. Plug In America helped Project Get Ready in their early days; their mission is to do exactly what you're doing, so they're a great resource.
Plug In America lead the creation of the nation's first Model Ordinance, which is designed to allow municipalities to easily adopt simple EV-friendly ordinances. It was written for WA, but has been used across the country. That document is
HERE.
We also created an EVSE installation primer that is meant to address the concerns of drivers and site hosts. It guides site hosts through the process, helping them to pick solutions that make sense for their situation. It was written for HI, but almost all of it applies anywhere. That guide is
HERE.
Here's what I would use for a prioritized list at the city level:
1. The most important EVSE to any buyer, by far, is the one at home. For homeowners, reduce the cost and time to get one installed - streamline permits, pre-approve electricians for install, etc. For apartment and condo dwellers, require electrical access in parking areas for new construction (Vancouver BC tried this - developers complained at first, but quickly realized it's a money maker for them; units with it sell first and for more) and don't let HOAs or apartment managers unreasonably keep owners from installing an EVSE at their own expense.
2. The second most important EVSE is the one at work - aside from home, the place that owners go most often and spend the most time at. Support policies that encourage charging at work. Note that 110V outlets are often enough. Join in on the DOE Workplace Charging Challenge
HERE. If they have an alternative transportation program with local employers, consider adding PEVs. They don't reduce congestion, but they do reduce local pollution and improve the local economy.
3. Public infrastructure is far less important to adoption than the two above. But it still is important as it makes plug-in viability more visible, and helps existing owners drive electric more often rather than having to revert to gas. There are many approaches to this, but I think a key point for the municipality is that an unusable EVSE is
worse than no EVSE at all - with no EVSE an EV owner may take a different car, but with an unusable EVSE they may get stranded. Select reliable vendors, make sure sites get maintained, have a phone number at the site, and make sure the signs are clear that the site is for charging only (fines and towing info work best) and enforce them. Also they should note that most users will not be from their municipality - most people living that close will just charge at home. The EVSEs should be sited to help out-of-city visitors spend more money in the city.
4. Local incentives really do have an effect on local sales rates. Can the city offer free parking, or HOV access, or something like that? There is sometimes backlash to these programs, and even if not they don't make sense in all areas. But if a municipality wants less local pollution and resident fuel dollars to stay local, this can help. Many such incentives do not cost anything to provide; if there is a cost, check with the local utility to see if they would be willing to cover it.
