2019-875-E AMS - NC State University electric vehicle charger replacement grant

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DocuSign Envelope ID:78958EB7-5B02-4CA0-8EAF-F3E892A7B33B 2019 Clean Fuel Advanced Technology Proposal Application to the NC Clean Energy Technology Center, including contact information of the communication and social media staff who were involved and copies of all press releases and promotional material used to showcase project. All press releases will acknowledge funding support through the "NC Clean Energy Technology Center at NC State University with federal Congestion Mitigation Air Quality funding provided from the NC Department of Transportation." As part of Orange County's public awareness and education work under this grant, signage and decals will be posted on applicable vehicles and equipment and documentation of participation in NC Smart Fleet initiative will be reported in quarterly reports. This 3-part project is structured to inherently increase public awareness and Orange County will further disseminate information about these projects in the following ways. • Lease Vehicle PHEV Upgrade: The Orange County CarShare program is a telematics-enabled distributed vehicle reservation program similar to ZipCar that is open to all Orange County employees with a valid license. The ability for 1,400 Orange County employees to have access to a plug-in electric vehicle over a two- year period will provide valuable exposure to help normalize electric vehicle technology. The ability of the plug-in hybrid to run on gasoline will increase new user comfort with the vehicle and increase overall utilization and user exposure. The availability of this vehicle will be advertised to County staff, the Orange County Commission for the Environment, Board of Orange County Commissioners and posted on the County's CarShare webpage. It will also be co-promoted as a part of the innovative CarShare program which is helping to right-size Orange County's fleet. • Irreparable EVSE Replacement: Replacing non-functioning, unreliable, and incompatible EATON EVSE with well-established, rugged, and up-to-date Clipper Creek EVSE will enable all Orange County EV drivers to use and rely on the Orange County EVSE network. The presence of more EVs actively charging will in itself serve as advertising to increase awareness of the viability and accessibility of electric vehicles. Notification of the upgrade to the EVSE will be posted on PlugShare and will be sent to the Alternative Fuels Data Center so they can update their interactive database and map. The upgraded stations will also be highlighted in the County newsletter which reaches more than 1,200 readers including traditional news media reporting staff. A press release will be created and sent out with the newsletter story in coordination with Orange County Public Relations staff. ■ Standalone Solar EVSE: This partnership between the Orange County Public Transportation and the Sustainability Program to launch a renewable energy-powered mobility-on-demand program will help to increase public awareness and acceptance of electric vehicle technology. As these three clearly- marked PHEV vans drive around Orange County picking up passengers, they will serve as mobile advertising for low-emissions transportation. Orange County Public Transportation also has a full time marketing person who is active on social media and hold regular public education events. Orange County will work with the OCPT marketing staff to amplify the inherent visibility of the proposed project through social media outreach and in-person events such as the County's Earth Evening event. The Sustainability Program also regularly interacts with a segment of Orange County who is most interested in environmental conservation and air quality and they would welcome news of this investment in clean air. A press release will be created and sent out along with a County newsletter story in coordination with Orange County Public Relations staff. North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center 6