The Island Regional Transportation Planning Organization (IRTPO) worked with a consultant team to collect information and study needs and opportunities for creating infrastructure to support vehicle electrification in the region.
The consultant interviewed Island County officials as well as officials from Island County cities and town, parks districts, school districts, NAS Whidbey and other entities to determine the size of their existing fleets and provide a general overview of when it is most economical to convert existing gas-powered vehicles to electric vehicles. Discussion topics included charging infrastructure needs and cost comparisons.
Hundreds of Island County residents responded to a survey about electric vehicle usage and public charging station needs. One of the primary reasons listed for not owning an electric vehicle was concern with availability of charging sites. The survey respondents also identified locations they thought charging stations would be most useful.