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HR-117 (2017-2018)

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HR117:v99#DOCUMENT


CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

House Resolution
No. 117


Introduced by Assembly Member Muratsuchi

June 26, 2018


Relative to the Plug-In Electric Vehicle Driver Bill of Rights.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


HR 117, as introduced, Muratsuchi.

WHEREAS, The Governor of California has a goal of 5 million zero emission vehicles on the road by 2030; and
WHEREAS, As of December 2017, California had approximately 362,000 zero emission vehicles on the road, indicating growing consumer demand for these clean vehicles; and
WHEREAS, There are more than 40 makes and models of zero emission vehicles today that are plug-in electric vehicles, including plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and battery electric vehicles, both of which plug into an external electrical source; and
WHEREAS, Switching to driving a plug-in electric vehicle is a different driving experience, requiring charging of the vehicle from public or private charging infrastructure; and
WHEREAS, The future of transportation is widely seen to be electric, and California has started a massive shift to transportation electrification; and
WHEREAS, The plug-in electric vehicle driver should be reassured that consumer protection principles protect the driver when using public charging stations; and
WHEREAS, Most consumers do not understand what to expect on the lifetime of the battery, what appropriate charging rates are, and what kind of access to the charging infrastructure is appropriate; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the following is established as the Plug-In Electric Vehicle Driver Bill of Rights:
(a) A plug-in electric vehicle (EV) driver shall have both of the following rights relating to consumer purchase experience:
(1) The right to an informed EV car buying experience with up-to-date shopping Internet Web sites and buyer resources, including Internet Web sites with up-to-date government incentive information and dealers knowledgeable about EV benefits and incentives.
(2) The right to know the usable battery pack capacity and expected range per full charge for a new EV, the correct comparison of usable battery pack capacity, and the expected range per full charge for a used EV compared to the new model.
(A) Dealers should not reset the battery pack capacity estimate when selling a used EV.
(B) Consumers must be shown a battery pack capacity estimate within 1 kilowatt hour or five percent of the battery pack's original nominal full capacity, whichever is larger, at the time of purchase or lease.
(C) If the battery pack capacity estimate can be reset, the dealer must show how long it has been since it was reset and how long before the number should be considered accurate.
(b) An EV driver shall have all of the following rights relating to consumer charging experience:
(1) The right to access a robust network of public charging stations.
(A) The right to appropriate public EV charging access at transportation hubs, such as bus stations, train stations, airports, and park-and-ride lots, particularly those near the edge of a metro area.
(B) The right to public charging at major destination centers where visitors travel long distances to reach.
(C) The right to appropriately-spaced public charging stations, including fast charge stations on highway corridors for long distance trips, such as at public rest stops. The number of public charging stations along highway corridors should be plentiful enough to meet the growing adoption of EVs.
(2) The right to charge at his or her place of dwelling if the EV driver pays for reasonable costs of installation and the electricity consumed, regardless if that dwelling is a multi-unit dwelling, apartment complex, or if the dwelling is part of a condo association, cooperative or mobile home park, or if that apartment or rental unit is rent-controlled.
(3) The right to charge his or her EV at public charging stations and workplace charging stations that abide by uniform standards. Sites that host a charging station, such as workplaces, fleets, and public locations, have the right to demand charges, as reasonably low as possible, for electricity to encourage adoption of EVs and therefore more efficient utilization of the electric grid.
(A) The right to know the total cost to charge for using the public charging station or workplace charging station before initiating a charge session, including all separate charges and penalties, such as any network access fee, roaming fee, demand charges, hourly charges, parking fees, electricity fees, and penalties for not moving the EV after a certain time.
(B) The right to pay at the public charging station or workplace charging station using a credit card or mobile technology, or both.
(C) The right to pay a price that is proportional to his or her charging speed.
(4) The right to charge his or her EV at home and receive off-peak electric prices from his or her utility for charging.
(5) The right to timely maintenance of public, workplace, and multi-unit dwelling electric vehicle charging stations.
(6) The right to up-to-date maps and directional signage indicating the location of public charging stations.
(7) The right to consistent etiquette guidelines at public and workplace charging stations. It should be clearly marked at public and workplace charging stations how to report broken stations, how to report complaints, and how to report vehicles that are parked in a public charging spot and blocking access to the charging station.
(c) An EV driver shall have both of the following rights relating to consumer ownership experience:
(1) The right to claim purchase incentives, such as rebates or tax credits, when offered by the state or federal government, without a sales tax on the purchase incentives provided.
(2) The right to install EV charging stations on previously wired infrastructure at new homes, apartments, condominiums and commercial buildings. Such buildings are considered to be “EVSE” ready by having raceways, conduits, and wiring built at the time of construction; and be it further
Resolved, That each state agency of California should incorporate the Plug-in Electric Vehicle Driver Bill of Rights into its policy framework; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.