Electric Vehicle Subcommittee

About the EV Subcommittee

Electric vehicles (EVs) are an important part of meeting the Lebanon Energy Advisory Committee’s (LEAC’s) charge to help reduce energy use, increase energy efficiency, explore alternative energy usage, and reduce pollution in order to benefit the City both fiscally and environmentally. LEAC’s Electric Vehicle (EV) Subcommittee aims to help Lebanon achieve its resolution to meet the greenhouse gas reduction goals of the Paris Climate Accord: a minimum 25% reduction in emissions by 2025 and an 80% reduction by 2050. One important way to do that is to shift our modes of transportation away from fossil-fuel cars and trucks to EVs. 

You can easily find this page again by visiting LebanonNH.gov/EV.

Why EVs?

• Throughout New England, transportation emits carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) more than any other sector of society. The same is true in Lebanon. According to the 2012 Lebanon Master Plan, Lebanon’s commercial sector is the largest carbon emitter here, and 70% of that is commute vehicle emissions. 
• EVs can run on clean, affordable, domestic electricity.
• EVs save money in the long run. Although purchase prices for some EVs can be higher than for some internal-combustion vehicles, costs for fuel and maintenance are dramatically lower with EVs, producing considerable savings overall.
• The U.S. auto industry is shifting to EVs. Lebanon needs to be ready for them. View DMV data (PDF) on how many EV cars and light-duty trucks were registered statewide and by counties in 2020. Also view a town-by-town breakdown of 2020 EV registrations (PDF).
• EVs are fun to drive! 

EV Resources

• What’s an EV? How far will it go? How do I charge it? There are many good websites where you can familiarize yourself with EVs, such as the national non-profit organization of EV drivers called Plug In America. The EV page of Sustainable Hanover also explains the basics. Some EVs can tell you on the car’s computer screen where and when to charge during a trip, and apps/websites like PlugShare or ABetterRoutePlanner map all charging stations.
• How well do EVs perform in the winter? Norway, Iceland, and Sweden have the highest rates of per-capita EV adoption in the world. Read this article to learn what those snowy countries know about EVs.
• Apartments and condos: Learn more about adding EV charging to multifamily housing from this talk by the EV Subcommittee chair to the Lebanon Planning Board.
• Statewide: Drive Electric New Hampshire is a coalition of public and private stakeholders accelerating the adoption of EVs and the installation of charging infrastructure. The New Hampshire EV Alliance is a listserv for EV drivers and supporters where subscribers can “Ask a Neighbor” about their experience with EVs. Drive Electric Vermont offers info on the basics of EV driving, purchase incentives, and more.
• Studies, reports, and guides: This Granite State Clean Cities Coalition page links to guides of particular interest to towns and cities, retail sites, fleet owners, and more.
• A 2022 Buyer's Guide To Driving Electric in Vermont's Upper Valley contains lots of good information, even for residents of New Hampshire!
• Do EV drivers pay their fair share of state taxes? We'll need something other than gas taxes to maintain roads as the number of gas cars dwindles. Read all about it on this helpful page from Plug In America.

What you can do?

Come to a LEAC EV Subcommittee meeting to familiarize yourself with our activities. Volunteer to help the EV Subcommittee in an educational campaign or at an event. Consider switching to an EV. If you live in multifamily housing, ask your building manager to install EV charging stations. Ask your employer to install EV charging at work. Contact the Lebanon Energy Advisory Committee’s EV Subcommittee with your questions and suggestions!

Upcoming Events

• Green Your Fleet! Green Your Fleet! On June 9, 2023, the New Hampshire Motor Speedway hosts displays of EVs and other alternative vehicles for fleets, including heavy-duty and off-road vehicles and EV charging infrastructure. Get your fleet questions answered.
• Tell us where you would like to see public EV chargers. Use this interactive map. 
• Advance Transit soon will put its first electric buses into service. Watch for an announcement!
• Lebanon Community Power will launch this spring of 2023, which will allow EV owners to drive on clean, renewable electricity if they choose. Electricity already is cleaner than gasoline for powering cars, but nothing beats the feeling of driving on electricity from sunshine. Look for a letter from the City soon announcing the start of Community Power.