My friend John Addison is reporting from the Plug-in 2009 Conference in Long Beach California this week. John just wrote an article on electric vehicle charging issues faced by both the public and the car manufacturers. You’d think the main challenges with electric cars consist of technical issues, like battery charging, safety, reliability problems, range, speed, or financial issues like purchase price and battery pack replacement cost. Stuff like that, right? Not really. Actually one of the major hurdles have been bureaucracy, according to some industry experts.

Here’s what John wrote:

Given the potential for energy security, a climate solution, and lowering monthly fuel costs, who would want to stop this? Who could? A terrorist needing oil money? An oil executive? A conspiring auto maker? None of the above. The biggest concern is that the number one “speed bump” will be bureaucracy. Enid Joffe with Clean Fuel Connection was in the middle of the first wave of installing 7,500 chargers and in the current challenges of installing chargers from BMW’s MiniE.

Her customers have been caught in the catch-22 of the utility not approving charger installation without a city permit and the city refusing a permit without utility approval. A process that should take a few days and cost a few hundred dollars can take 45 days and cost thousands.

The process involves essentially the following simple steps to have charging capability installed:

• Car owner applies for license to City (in person in some locations, online in others)
• Car owner provides proof of insurance
• City issues City Permit to install charger
• Utility company reviews installation contract
• Electrician installs charger adapter
• Utility company returns to install separate meter.

Sounds simple enough. But guess what? Because electric cars are still too new of a product in the market, we’re still trying to work out the proper procedures and processes. I’m sure over time this whole permit thing will be resolved and streamlined. Nobody says we’ll switch to electric cars overnight.

Read John Addison’s “Electric Vehicle Charging Passes Inspection” article.

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