Electric vehicles in Maryland
Why EVs and solar?
Electric vehicles (EVs) are quickly becoming a more affordable and lower maintenance option than traditional gasoline- or diesel-fueled cars for Marylanders.
EVs and solar in Maryland
Maryland is currently home to just over 12,000 EVs and its ambitions are high. Maryland is aiming to put 300,000 EVs on the road by 2025 after signing on to a nine-state agreement to boost EV adoption. The nine states combined hope to add 3.3 million EVs through the agreement. Several utilities, including PEPCO and BGE have joined the effort by launching pilot programs to study the charging behavior of EV owners, EV-oriented rate design, and developing public charging infrastructure.
Building on these pilots, stakeholders (including Solar United Neighbors of Maryland) and the utilities have put forward an ambitious proposal to support state ZEV and emissions targets with a strong EV charging infrastructure policy as a part of the grid modernization proceeding (PC-44). The proposal calls for investing $104 million for up to 24,000 charging stations at workplaces, residences, and public locations. The request is pending before the Maryland Public Service Commission, which should rule on how to proceed at some point in mid-2018.
Maryland provides several valuable incentives. Residents may be eligible for a one-time excise tax credit, worth up to $3,000, when purchasing a qualifying plug-in electric vehicle. Plug-in electric vehicle owners can also apply for a free permit to use HOV lanes regardless of the number of passengers. Businesses, nonprofits, local governments, and state agencies are eligible to apply for a state grant of up to $200,000 to install solar PV and EV chargers in their parking spaces.
Electric Vehicle Charging Guide
Maryland resources
- MDEV offers information on EVs, chargers, and Maryland incentives.
- PEPCO’s EV-charging pilot program encourages customers in Maryland to get plug-in vehicles to benefit from off-peak charging.