Electric vehicles get the green light in Maryland, but there are challenges ahead | COMMENTARY

With his announcement this week that Maryland will soon be formally adopting the “Advanced Clean Cars II” regulations first launched by California, mandating that 100% of cars and trucks sold in the state by 2035 be electric vehicles, Gov. Wes Moore has set an ambitious course. There’s simply no question that any serious effort to upgrade Maryland’s air quality, let alone reduce its greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change, must navigate this road. The transportation sector is the single largest source of such air pollution in this state. And Maryland won’t be on this journey alone. At least 17 states are in the process of moving in the same direction. And here’s what a second look at the GPS reveals: No alternate path exists. There is no way Maryland can meet its already adopted goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions without speeding up the transition away from fossil fuel dependency on the roads.

But that doesn’t mean the transition will be easy. Indeed, there are a number of questions raised here, as in California, for which there are not yet answers. For example: Will Maryland’s electric grid have the capacity to charge all those vehicles, particularly at peak times in the summer? Will electric vehicles just represent a shift from one fossil fuel, gasoline, to another — the coal and natural gas that still help create all that electricity? Will those vehicles be affordable to Marylanders who don’t have the money to pay for a $61,488 car, which was the average price of a new electric vehicle in 2022 (prior to tax incentives) according to Kelley Blue Book? And, on a more basic level, will there be enough charging stations?

The grid capacity question is timely given the recent announcement by PJM, the nation’s largest grid operator serving 13 states including Maryland, that it already has concerns over reliability. The problem? A lot of polluting power plants are getting shuttered before their greener replacements are online. And this is exactly why Governor Moore needs to forcefully lead the charge for offshore wind investment, despite the upset it has caused shortsighted leaders in Ocean City, who fear the presence of turbines on the distant horizon might discourage tourism. The sooner those windmills are in place the better, not only for green energy but for the thousands of fabrication and related jobs at Tradepoint Atlantic and elsewhere. Maryland’s solar capabilities may be limited given prevailing weather patterns, but the constant breezes along the Atlantic Ocean are a resource that can no longer be ignored.

But that’s just the beginning. The state will also have to urge greater investment in solar power, and more power lines and interconnection. It also likely will have to provide greater incentives for drivers to charge their vehicles in off-peak hours. Tens of thousands of public chargers will have to be installed. Some may be mandated with new construction, others built at public facilities like rec centers, libraries, government buildings and so on. The year 2035 may seem like a long way off, but the sooner this process gets kicked into high gear, the better. Keep in mind that it generally takes much longer to charge an electric vehicle than fill a gas tank. In some cases, it requires drivers to take over what is essentially a parking space with electric service for hours. Good luck finding such an opportunity in the evenings in an urban setting.

As for affordability, it may not be quite as dire as it seems. Gas-powered cars aren’t exactly cheap either. The same Kelley survey found new vehicles averaging $49,507 last year. And experts have already forecast that average EV prices may match gasoline cars in a matter of months as the cost of materials, including batteries, falls as production increases. And the cost is yet another reason why Maryland and other states ought to be making major new investments in clean-running buses and other forms of public transit. If anything, Maryland should have been launched on the road toward electric vehicles sooner. Thankfully, Governor Moore has put us on a better, if challenging, course.

Baltimore Sun editorial writers offer opinions and analysis on news and issues relevant to readers. They operate separately from the newsroom.